Published 10 Oct 2023
What are Permit To Work Templates?
Permit to work templates are tools used by contractors and safety officers to ensure critical safety checks and emergency procedures are followed before hazardous work commences. Common tasks that require permit to work forms are those with high safety risks, including working in confined spaces, hot and cold work, and electrical maintenance activities.
In this article
- Why Use PTW Templates?
- What to Include in a Permit to Work Template
- FAQs About Permit to Work Templates
- Implement an Effective PTW System with SafetyCulture
- Related Permit to Work Templates
Why Use PTW Templates?
Having a permit to work and the process for issuing it are both essential in ensuring safety in workplaces. They are important because they help identify and control hazards associated with specific work activities, thus also helping prevent accidents and injuries. Permit to Work templates, therefore, ensure that workers are aware of the potential hazards associated with a specific task and the safety measures that need to be put in place to mitigate those hazards.
Permit to work templates also help manage compliance with safety regulations, as well as inform employees about them. As a permit-to-work checklist details the proper safety standards and practices to adhere to, employees using them or filling them out will then be properly educated on their rights and responsibilities, ensuring they are ready for work.
What to Include in a Permit to Work Template
A safety permit to work should be straightforward and comprehensible. It should follow a standard format to record accurate information in providing a clear overview of the task at hand. Here are four main elements of a standard safety permit to work:
- Job overview – This records the job to be done, tools and equipment to use, and other work that is currently undertaken that may affect the permit.
- Hazards and precautions – This involves the potential hazards associated with the job and the necessary actions to prevent injuries and accidents from happening.
- Authorization and acceptance – This confirms that it is safe to carry out the work defined and communicated to all affected workers on site.
- Hand back and cancellation – This section should be accomplished after the work has been performed. It details the confirmation from the person in charge and the authorizing personnel.
Below is a PDF example of a Permit to Work report, filled out for reference:
FAQs About Permit to Work Templates
Aside from containing all the necessary details for a Permit to Work, managers, contractors, and workers can utilize ready-to-use templates such as this as a guide when performing the audit. Leveraging a Permit to Work template increases efficiency and ensures no critical elements are missed.
Implement an Effective PTW System with SafetyCulture
Paper-based permits to work can be time-consuming and inefficient because of the back-and-forth process of authorizing permits to work to key persons. Using a mobile app like SafetyCulture (iAuditor), you can transform your current permit to work system and workflows into a digital platform.
With SafetyCulture you can electronically create and share permit to work forms, reducing the need for back-and-forth correspondence in person. By digitizing your processes, you can work more efficiently and safely, as well as ensure that your files are safe in the cloud.
You can get started by downloading customizable premade permit to work templates from the Public Library or creating your own from scratch.
SafetyCulture also allows you to do the following:
- Report issues in the Permit to Work System and with compliance
- Create and assign corrective actions to address problems and non-compliance
- Communicate with your team and organization by providing a Heads Up
- Conduct Training sessions to properly educate workers on safe work practices
- Monitor lone workers with SHEQSY by SafetyCulture
- Manage your assets as you perform inspections and issue work permits
- Generate and share analytical reports and export them in weblink, PDF, Word, and Excel formats
Related Permit to Work Templates
Permit to Work Template
This permit to work template was divided into 3 sections: Permit request; Person engaging contractor or worker review; and Authorization. Each section entails confirmation from the persons in charge in accordance with key processes and protocols to ensure a safe working environment.
Confined Space Permit Template
Working in confined spaces poses numerous hazards to workers and entrants such as asphyxiation or loss of oxygen which leads to suffocation. This template can be used to record the mode of communication and rescue procedures to determine the team’s preparedness during emergencies.
Cold Work Permit Template
Cold work or plastic deformation of metals can cause extreme physical injury caused by over-pressing and rolling. Other factors like electrical and mechanical hazards, like the use of hand and power tools, add up to the overall risk that workers may encounter during operation. This template covers potential hazards which need to be checked in the work area.
Hot Work Permit Template
Hot work includes forging, extrusion, hot rolling, and other processes which involve deforming metals by the use of fire. This hazardous task requires a permit before any type of hot work commences. Use this template to evaluate if necessary precautions are taken such as conducting equipment checks, checking if combustible materials are properly stored, and evaluating fire safety systems and emergency procedures if installed and in place.
Maintenance Permit to Work Template
All equipment should be isolated, locked out, and tagged out to prevent accidents like electrocution, explosion, cuts, etc. Use this checklist as a guide to which equipment or materials should be locked out before any maintenance work. Record and take a photo of the point of isolation. List the precautions, tools, and equipment to be used during the procedure.
