The Perils of a Paper Permit to Work System

A?key?element of a strong?risk management process?is?a?centralized, electronic?Control of Work?system, and a solid Control of Work?program can’t really “control” the work and ensure the safety of employees if it lacks an organized and efficient Permit to Work system.??

A Permit to Work system houses all the information on the types of work to be completed in a facility, when and where it will be completed, and by whom. It also ensures that only people who are permitted—as in, have an official permit that states that that human has the training and qualifications to complete that type of work successfully and safely—are working on that job.?This is an especially important consideration when it comes to contractor management, because of the sheer number of different contractors entering and exiting workplaces today. It’s more important than ever to verify that contractors have the appropriate training and other qualifications before they ever set foot on your site, in order to reduce the potential for occupational injuries and illnesses to themselves as well as your employees.

Sometimes, as in the case of permit to enter confined spaces as defined by OSHA in the US, use of permits is not just a good management practice, but also a regulatory requirement. In such cases, having an efficient Permit to Work system can be important for demonstrating compliance and avoiding potential violations and associated fines and penalties.

There are different permits for different types of work, but five of the most commonly used permits are:?

• General work permit?
• Hot work permit?(e.g., for welding, soldering, brazing, and torch cutting)
• Control of hazardous energy/lockout tagout (LOTO) permit
• Working at height permit?
• Confined space work permit?(aka “permit to enter confined space”)

For a long time, facility managers have?kept?paper records of all the necessary permits?on the premises, and many are still relying on that?manual?system to keep their work moving?along?smoothly. While it’s a familiar, seemingly simple way to manage permits, there are some?complications with a paper-based system that?could?be easily avoided.??

Paper Permit to Work Systems Leave Room for Error

• Imagine if you needed?to find that one paper from some time in December of last year to verify that one contractor who worked on that one project?for an audit. Are you going to have to look through all the papers from December last year???
• What if by regular human error, a permit gets filled out incorrectly, or goes missing? Is that information lost forever, or do you need to do more digging to find another source for the information you need? And, how much time would that take???

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