Creating a permit to work template that works

A good permit to work template is essential if you're running a hazardous site

A permit to work template helps you manage all the steps involved in working on site. You, or your contractors, must complete hazardous tasks safely and efficiently.

Without a permit to work system in place - underpinned by an effective permit to work template - you could be putting your workers at risk, not to mention your business as a whole.

In this blog post, we'll take a look at what goes into making a great permit to work template, and how it can help improve contractor management on your site.

What does a permit to work template help achieve?

A permit to work template helps you to manage hazardous tasks in your workplace, closely and completely.

Key features

Your permit to work template helps you in many ways.

Giving written permission to carry a hazardous task

For example, you may need a permit to work for:

• Working at height
• Using dangerous machinery
• Entering a confined space

Plan work well

A permit template sets out the steps needed for a contractor to complete their work safely. This includes specifying PPE requirements and other safety measures.

Work is checked during and following completion

Safety checks can be carried out by the permit holder or a designated supervisor. Safety checks make sure that work is done safely and to the required standard.

Actioning risk assessments and method statements

Rules must be followed for the task to be completed safely . Your permit to work template ensures these are noted and actioned.

Communicating information about the task and environment

This may include specifying the maximum number of people who can be working in the area, as well as any other relevant information about noise levels, ventilation, and so on.

Ensuring essential controls are in place

This might include tasks such as testing and tagging equipment, or ensuring that the right PPE is being used. You will be more confident that all key steps in managing a hazardous task are followed with a permit to work template in place.

Helping to return the area to a safe state on completion

Your permit to work template ensures that the area is left in a safe state for others to use when work is completed. This includes tasks such as cleaning up and disposing of any hazardous materials safely.

Streamline communication with contractors

Your permit to work template is an essential form of communication. It sets out the expectations and requirements for the work.

Provides a written record

Your permit to work template provides a written record of the task and the steps taken to complete it safely. This can be useful for auditing purposes and for displaying due diligence.

What should a permit to work template include?

You should include these key aspects in your permit to work template.

Key elements

You must consider the following things, to ensure safe working on site:

A clear and concise description of the work

This should include specifying the location, as well as any other relevant information about the task.

The name of the contractor carrying out the work

This helps to ensure that only authorised contractors are carrying out the work.

The name of the supervisor responsible for overseeing the work

You ensure that only authorised personnel supervise the work.

A list of all plant and equipment

You - or your contractor - must have tested all equipment. Additionally, they must use the correct personal protective equipment.

A list of allowed materials

Ensure all materials are safe to use and used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

The date of the work

Ensure you plan work in advance and there is no clash with other work on site.

The start time and duration of the work

This helps to ensure that the contractor has enough time to complete the work safely.

Permit conditions

Specify compulsory criteria such as the maximum number of people working in the area, or noise level.

The signature of the contractor and supervisor

This helps to ensure that both parties have read and understood the permit conditions.

The signature of the person issuing the permit

This ensures that a responsible person has authorised the permit.

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Paper permit to work templates will hold you back

Many workplaces still use a paper-based permit to work template. This has significant limitations, holding businesses back.

For instance, paper permits require face to face meetings to issue. There introduces the potential for human error with paper permit to work template. In addition, this will inevitably cause delays in starting work on site, wasting time and costs.

Permits may be skipped if the process is onerous. As a result, this can lead to working without permit, which is highly dangerous.

It is also easy to misplace or lose paper permit forms. Furthermore, a paper permit can only be in one place at one time. This means that if someone is already working on site, you'll have to wait until they've finished before you can issue the permit. This causes delays in starting work , and puts contractors at risk as they do not have a permit before they start work.

A paper permit also doesn't give you an easy way to track and manage the status of permits. For example, it is often difficult for you to see permits that are active or expired, so it is hard to keep track.

It's time to ditch the paper permit to work template and move to an electronic permit to work system. An electronic permit to work system will help you overcome these limitations, as well as providing many other benefits.

A simple digital solution for your permit to work template

An electronic permit to work system is a much more flexible and efficient way of managing work on site. By using an electronic permit to work system, you can issue permits instantly, as well as track and manage the status of all your permits easily.

For instance, some of the benefits of using an electronic permit to work system include:

• The ability to issue permits remotely, without the need for face-to-face meetings. This saves time and money by reducing travel costs.
• You reduce the potential for human error by using electronic data entry
• With better visibility of permit statuses, you see at a glance who has a permit and when it expires.

The benefits of using an electronic permit to work system are clear. By ditching the paper permit to work template, you can save time and money, as well as reducing the potential for human error.

If you need a permit to work template that will help you streamline processes, we've got just the thing.

Our permit to work templates are user-friendly and easy to use. However, it still gives you all the features you need to manage your permit process effectively.

Work Wallet's health and safety software is a fully-customisable, modular health and safety system, available on mobile, tablet and desktop. Furthermore, you only subscribe to the features you need. Prices are based on a low per-user per-month basis, which keeps you in control.

Get in touch with us today, or book an online demo, to find out more.

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