What Is Online Permit To Work System & Examples

Online Permit To Work System

Permit to Work is a documented management system with specific procedures for requesting, recording, reviewing, and authorizing tasks for designated employees. Since everything is recorded, reducing conflicts when assigning tasks is an important part of permit-to-work systems. However, in this article, we will be talking about “Online Permit To Work System“.

What Is Online Permit To Work System

This involves making use of digital system, applications and soft wares to implement the permit to work system. We have permit to work soft wares, like the one designed by EHS.

It is said to be an end-to-end solution that can sync operational, maintenance, scheduled and unscheduled works in organizations. It is an accurate compliance tool – distributed via digital means – to increase operational efficiency, productivity and address maintenance and works’ domain.

It has proven to be a purposeful and convenient tool to establish control, co-ordination and communication – facilitates correct work sequences among established parties – with a single window view – enhanced by detailed area maps for visibility.

Processes:

Life Cycle of a Permit To Work

  • Permit requirement arises (identification)
  • Request, raise and issue work permits (add certificates & risk assessments)
  • Authorize and Prepare work site
  • Undertake and execute site preparation protocols
  • Permit issued, work commences and monitored
  • Associated meetings – tool-box talks, shift re-validation etc.
  • Close permit and archive

The signed Permit to Work form, which specifies the safe working conditions for the job and any arrangements made in the event of an emergency, must be completed by workers. They are frequently used for things like:

  • Working in confined spaces
  • Working near or on unguarded machinery
  • Working in excavation sites near large machinery
  • Asbestos maintenance work
  • Any activity that is deemed hazardous following a risk assessment
  • Working at heights without corner guards or edge protection
  • Hot work

 

Examples Of Online Permit To Work System

  • Ecoonline: EcoOnline’s Permit to Work software allows users to quickly and easily create, request and manage permits for all manner of hazardous works. All stakeholders in the work are given visibility on permit content, facilitating better communication with your team and contractors.
  • Safetymint: With Safetymint, you can instantly create, process and validate all types of work permits in virtually minutes – saving over 70% of time spent on spreadsheets or paperwork. Safetymint ensures a smooth flow of work with a system that propels performance, safety and compliance.Built to seamlessly integrate into your workflow, engage front-line workers, safety heads and top-level management with an easy-to-use, unified and highly collaborative digitized Permit To Work system.
  • EHSGlobaltech: Their Electronic Permit to Work (EPTW) software allows all permits to be issued online, safely storing all your documents. Whether a contractor requires a permit for hot work, working at heights or electrical, their EPTW can issue permits for all categories.
  • Online Induction: Full comprehensive permit to work system to control all contractor permit activity on sites, mobile access for permit approvals, authorisation to work, manage permits for high risk activities, pre/post issue check lists, alerts, blocks, set limits and real-time permit to work registries per site or location.
  • Ask-EHS: ASK-EHS’ PTW software is a platform that provides “out-of-box” features, commensurate with industry best practices. It can be however, be configured and/or customized to suit client’s business preferences. Clients can configure hierarchical fields, labels, checklists and risk matrices. On the other hand, we customize permit workflows and forms which are unique to each organization. Another salient feature is the Permit to Work software can be integrated with existing ERP systems like SAP, Oracle or any other such systems. Besides this, it also can integrate with existing Active Directories along with single sign-on (SSO) and email clients.
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Risks that threaten the environment, assets, and workers’ health and safety are documented by the Permit to Work system. The system adds to the internal risk assessment process by letting managers know which jobs require a Permit to Work, which employees can apply for one, and specific instructions about the job’s nature.

Managers use the workflow to give qualified employees written or digital permission to do non-trivial tasks that typically carry a higher risk. Workers are authorized to carry out the responsibilities once they sign the form. The reasons the system is important are listed below.

  • Improves Safety: Permitting workers to work on hazardous projects ensures that they are aware of the risks they face and have the tools they need to safely complete the work. Employers are shielded from the substantial fines and costs that could result from training mismanagement. It also makes sure that management knows when risky work is being done and that plans have been made for an emergency. To reduce their liability, management only grants work permits to qualified individuals with the appropriate training. Before beginning the task, they frequently receive PPE equipment and instructions regarding particular threats or risks. As a result, the chance of getting hurt is much lower.

 

  • Greater Accountability: All parties, including contractors and employees, are aware of their risks and responsibilities because this process is documented. The document makes it simple for management to determine exactly who is to blame in the event that something goes wrong.

 

  • Improving Business Processes: By investing in better safety equipment and giving employees training, businesses can use the recorded data to improve safety procedures and reduce safety risks.

 

Processes and Elements Of The Permit To Work System

Specifying whether the work is hazardous or not, designating supervisors, assigning hazardous tasks to authorized individuals, ensuring designated individuals have proper instruction and training, defining the duration for performing hazardous tasks, regularly monitoring and auditing Permit to Work systems, outlining protocol to frontline workers, steps to take in case of an incident, outlining emergency arrangements, and signatures of workers involved in the task are all elements that the Health and Safety Executive advises businesses to take into account in addition to the overall skills of the workforce.

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Types Of Permit To Work System

Different types of permits are utilized in permit-to-work systems depending on the nature of the job. The Permit to Work system has six commonly used permits:

  1. Any kind of work that involves fire is typically authorized, reviewed, and approved with the help of a hot permit, also known as a hot work permit. Tasks that involve a source of ignition, such as welding or flame cutting, typically require hot permits.
  2. Cold Permit: Cold Permits are widely used for all other types of work that don’t involve fire but can still be dangerous for workers. The installation of scaffolding, the use of solvents or chemicals for cleaning or maintenance, resins, corrosive materials, and any work that requires a lot of physical labor all require a cold permit.
  3. Permits for Confined Spaces: Workers need these permits before they can carry out tasks that require them to enter or investigate confined spaces. Vessels, tanks, ducts, and even trenches are examples of these. Plans for the worker’s safe entry, procedures for preparing the restricted space to be entered, and any remedial work carried out on these spaces are all outlined in the permit.
  4. Electrical Permits: An electrical permit is required for any work that requires employees or contractors to come into contact with active electrical conductors. For instance, before beginning any work on electrical or telecommunications equipment, maintenance teams must obtain a permit. The area where the work will be done, the staff involved, safety procedures, and supervisors overseeing the work are all included in the permits.
  5. Ground Disruption Permits: Management and employees can plan and design efficient trenching and excavation operations with the help of ground disturbance permits. The permit contains information about the personnel involved as well as the entry and exit locations.
  6. Breaking Containment Permits: These permits enable businesses to define safe work procedures in situations where there is a risk of the release of hazardous gases or liquids. Most of the time, oil and gas companies use them because breaking containment can be dangerous.

 

Established workflows for the procedure of requesting or issuing a permit to work:

– set up a role-based registry of matching permit to work forms based on the type of work or job activity and risk level;

– create QR code posters for permit to work forms that, when scanned, bring up the matching permit to work form;

– send a permit to work request to a preferred contractor or contractor administrator prior to their arrival on the job site.

As a walkthrough for setting up a permit to work system, the first thing you need to do is figure out what kinds of permits you need.

 

Note that software for the Permit to Work System is an all-inclusive solution that can synchronize operational, maintenance, scheduled, and unscheduled works in organizations. It is a digitally distributed accurate compliance tool that addresses the maintenance and works domain, increases operational efficiency, and productivity.

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With a single window view enhanced by detailed area maps for visibility, Permit Lifecycle and tracking proves to be a purposeful and convenient tool for establishing control, coordination, and communication among established parties.

Processes:

The Life Cycle of a Permit to Work consists of the following steps:

1) Identifying the need for a permit;

2) Obtaining, raising, and issuing work permits (including adding certificates and risk assessments);

3) Authorizing and Preparing the Work Site;

4) Executing and Monitoring the Protocols for the Preparation of the Work Site;

5) Issuing the Permit;

6) Monitoring the Work; and

7) Associated Meetings (such as Tool-Box Talks, Shift

 

Tasks can be sorted by job number, job site, date, or other job-specific filters. This allows you to maintain a centralized registry of contractor jobs and tasks, as well as all of the essential safety information for each job, including JSAs (safe work method statements) and a matching hazard registry. In a centralized permit system, all permit records and documentation are centrally consolidated and accessible. The permit to work forms can be closed after the job is finished, and as an ongoing permit to work registry, you can have a permanent registry of closed permits that you can search and access.

 

Understanding which permits conflict with one another is an important part of the permit to work process. Are two distinct contractors permitted to work on the same building simultaneously, isolating distinct parts of the building simultaneously, isolating the entire structure? This is a result that was unexpected because of the knowledge of the competing work permits. Otherwise, you would have ensured that they did not clash if you had been able to observe the conflict. You can automatically avoid conflicts and have a greater real-time awareness of authorized and approved permit to work jobs by utilizing a modern permit to work system.

Digital map of all the permits at each location can be used to can create a digital map of all the locations and sites of your workplace and view all of the permits associated with each location or site in real time. Contractors can take advantage of this feature to receive a proximity alert on their mobile devices whenever they are near a PTW that is operating (this feature requires that location services be enabled).

Workers can also integrate with an existing work order system or add complete work request and work order module. The real-time monitoring of permit-to-work activity does not end there; you can also generate automatic daily reports on all active permits to ensure constant monitoring of permit-to-work activity on the job site.

Electronic permit to work (E-PTW) for improved occupational safety and health outcomes Permit to work (PTW) systems are an essential component of a safe work system and can assist in managing a variety of work activities.

Utilizing Permit to Work Software to Manage Work Permits is absolutely necessary for businesses in order to streamline the management procedure and keep track of all necessary authorizations and approvals. Businesses can manage all processes and permit-related data for employees and contractors in one place.