The work permit system is designed to ensure safety during potentially hazardous work by outlining necessary conditions and procedures. It involves preparatory steps, clear responsibilities, and appropriate training, and is required for non-routine or hazardous tasks. Key components include proper work descriptions, risk assessments, and the collaboration of responsible authorities to maintain safety protocols.

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Work Permit System: Why?
• Basic purpose of permit system is to prevent injuries to personnel.
• Ensure that all work is carried out in safest possible manner.
• permit specifies the conditions and procedure for safe execution.
Work Permit System: What is it?
A work permit system consists primarily of a standard procedure designed to ensure that
potentially hazardous routine and non routine work on industrial installations can be carried out
safely. The procedure should define the need for the following essential steps:
 Details of the necessary preparatory work
 Clear definition of responsibilities
 Appropriate training of the work force
 Provision of adequate safety equipment
 A formal work permit with or without attached specific checklists.
The Work Permit System : When?
 For all non-routine works,
 For hazardous routine works not covered by procedures,
 When work is performed:
– by your employees
– and/or third parties
The Work Permit System (For what kind of work?)
 A work permit is required in case of:
– Potential oxygen deficiency or enrichment
– Potential flammable/explosive atmosphere
– Potential high temperature/pressure
– Potential hazardous chemicals, e.g.: toxic substances
– Confined space (tanks, cold box, pit, normally closed vessels)
– Electrical repair on live circuits
– Temporary or permanent changes, alterations, modification of equipment or
processes,
– Exposure to traffic,
– Exposure to moving/rotating machinery
– In proximity of vents, liquid of gas
– On process lines with gas release
The Work Permit System : Why?
 Because: As In-charge of the work, you don‟t know everything
 about the site and the process around
 about the work
 Safety measures have to be prepared
 You cannot start the work without the OK of the production personnel or the
customer or the supplier

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 The production needs your OK in order to re-start the plant after your work is
achieved
 To obtain a safe as well as a quick and cost effective work
The Work Permit System : With who?? The Work Permit must be prepared with:
 The person responsible for the work
 The person(s) in charge of the production, the customer or supplier, who will release the
process before the work starts
 The other work bodies
 The person in charge of HSE measures
 The Work Permit System : How? Before issuing the Work Permit, you must:
– Describe the work to be done
– List all the specifications and drawings which are required
– Issue detailed planning with all involved entities
– Determine the logging and tagging procedures
 Fill-in together the work permit and sign,
 The start of the work must be authorized by production and/or user,
 The re-start of the process must take place after the work is finished.
Review of Flow sheets, drawings and specifications
Purpose of the review is to ensure all key persons involved in job planning have a thorough
understanding of the job. It should include:
 Process fluids and materials involved,
 Degree of isolation,
 Effect of other processes,
 Power supply isolation, tagging,
 Specialist advice,
 Location of underground services and pipes,
Review of Flow sheets, drawings and specifications
 Location of elevated pipelines and walkways,
 Purging and lock-out requirements,
 Pressure, Temperature,
 Valve identification,
 Equipment specification,
 Operating and maintenance instructions,
 Materials of construction and compatibilities
Work site inspection
 To inspect the work area
– Neighbouring activities, overhead, underground, access, natural hazards etc,..
 To identify potential hazards
– Flammable, oxygen, toxic substances, confined spaces, electricity, pressure,
temperature, moving objects, traffic, falls/trips/slips, etc,..

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Development of work procedures
 The procedure should include:
– Logging and tagging procedures: Electricity, process fluids Instrumentation,
utilities (water, air, oil,…)
– Depressurising, Draining, Venting, Purging, Flushing, Isolating, Atmosphere
checking, Disassembly of equipment, Method of repair, Reassembly and
installation, Quality control, Pressure and leak testing, Reinstatement of
equipment, Hand-back procedure, etc..
The Work Permit System : Work Planning
 Work Scope
 Review Drawings / Flowsheets
 Inspect Worksite
 Identify Safety Precautions
 Compliance With Regulations
 Develop Work Procedure
 Assign Responsibilities
 Communication Procedures
 Work Execution
The Work Permit System : Work Execution
 Preparatory Work
 Issue Work Permits
 Supervision Monitoring
 Work Completed
 Testing
 Re-instate Equipment
 Return Work Permit
 Handback Plant / Equipment
 Confined Space Entry
 Excavations
 Blasting
 Line Breaking
The Work Permit System : In brief
Many accidents have occurred due to lack of Work Permit or non observance of its consigned
safety measures.
• The Safe Work Permit is useful for:
– The safety of persons in charge of the work
– The safety of persons in charge of the process
– The risk management of the process and equipment
– Fill in and follow correctly the work permit, because…. It could save your life!

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Safe Work Permits : Features Of Work Permit Form
Work Permit form generally consists of the following features:
THE ORIGINIAL AND COPIES
Original is unmarked and belongs to “Executing Authority”-pink copy
Printed serial number
FORM NO. …..…...
Procedure For Work Permit System(wps)
• Permit In Printed Form
• Separate Permit For Cold & Hot Work
• Separate Permit For Elect / Mech Work
• Permit Colour Coded with Serial Number
• Permit Initiation By (name , Desgn, signature)
• All Permits To Be In Writing
• Work Order No. To Be Mentioned On Permit
• Location Drawing/Sketch To Be Given Along With Permit.
• Risk Evaluation Checklist To Be Ticked By Issuer
Who Can Sign A Work Permit
Personnel who are authorized to sign on the Work Permit shall have thorough knowledge of the
work to be performed and the conditions under which the work will be performed.
Issuing Authority Of Work Permit
Issuing authority is responsible for preparation and handing over of the equipment in safe
condition to perform the work.
Authority to issue all types of work permits is generally granted to shift supervisor or Officers
and above.
Executing Authority of Work Permit
Request for a work permit by executing authority. He shall indicate types of tools and
equipment necessary for performing the work.
He shall also ensure his tools, equipment and accessories are in good condition and all his
workers are provided with proper PPE.
Electrical Isolation
Before issuing a Work Permit, it is essential to ensure that the equipment / facility to be worked
on is electrically safe and electrical power is isolated to the extent necessary for the safe conduct
of the authorized work.
Issuing, Executing authorities and Electrical Maintenance shall jointly decide the extent of
isolation required.
– „DO NOT OPERATE‟ tag shall be used when isolation by local switch is decided as
adequate protection.
– Multi-lock systems to be used when different crafts are involved.(this is towards best safety
practices)