To improve awareness among permit to work roles of the importance of field visits for identifying situational and human factors which might otherwise be missed during task risk assessments. Not recognizing these factors before issuing permit might pose significant hazards during performing the planned tasks.
Examples of activities that would require a Field Review of Permit SWP:
- Inter-process connection/line breaking activities
- Hot work activities
- Confined space entry activities
- Interlock bypassing activities
- Multiple permit to work (PTW) related activities in the same area (SIMOPS)
- PTW Activities that span multiple work shifts
- Unplanned releases/impact assessments after incidents
- Inspection/maintenance activities
Background
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It is imperative to recognize that completion of tasks in an operating plant in a safe, timely and quality manner is the foundation for ensuring that the organization will retain its operating license and continue to meet the requirements of shareholders.
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To achieve these goals, an organization needs a rigorous management system to ensure that tasks are done consistently and reliably. This system is called Permit to Work (PTW). Safe Work Permits (SWP) are used to implement the PTW system.
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A PTW system is an integral part of a safe system of work and can help to properly manage the wide range of activities which can take place close together in a small space, such as in a storage area or process plant.
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Permits are the communication protocol, which when signed, acknowledge the contract between two parties. Permits may be on paper or electronic and typically focus attention on hazards present at the work site. This permit or contract, if not managed properly, could lead to injuries or fatalities.
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A structured field review of permits (that is, the safe control of the PTW process) is necessary to ensure that the PTW system provides the required risk reduction. Field reviews can be used to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify and inform management of the strengths and weaknesses in the system and where to place resources to improve the process.
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Safe operation of plants and facilities must be the highest priority for an operating organization. Top-performing organizations and their leadership genuinely care about the health and safety of their employees and contractors who undertake maintenance and refurbishment tasks at their worksites.
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Effective SWPs have many steps which include job planning, Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA), scheduling, and mitigation/control measures for the hazards. The completion of these steps results in the issuance of a Permit to Work (PTW). This is a formal system stating the Who, What, Where, When and How these activities are performed in the facility.
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HIRA of the tasks to be performed is at the heart of the SWP system. HIRA is a continuous process which helps assess hazards and identify controls from planning the jobs through safe execution to the closure of the Permit to Work. Task risk assessments should address situational factors and human factors.
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Task-based hazards and risks can be standardized and should be the same every time the same task is performed. Situational factors and human factors cannot always be the same. They can vary to the extent that, the risk assessment team or the permit issuers may decide not to go ahead with the job.
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When incidents with high potential consequence have been investigated, the investigators have concluded that the associated permits did not identify situational specific hazards (for example - number of people in the vicinity of the job location, prevailing abnormal conditions at the job location) and/or human factors. Failure to recognize and mitigate situational factors and/or human factors can result in incidents with higher consequences.