Permit to Work guide
A permit to work is a written control that makes sure high-risk, non-routine work is planned, its hazards are assessed, the right precautions are in place, and everyone involved knows who is responsible — before the work starts and until the area is handed back safely.
Permit lifecycle
A permit is drafted by the requester, reviewed and approved by an authorised person, issued at the work site, and closed only after the work is finished and the area is safe. A permit can also be rejected (with a reason), suspended if conditions change, or cancelled.
Permit types
- 🔥Hot work — welding, cutting, grinding or any work producing flames or sparks outside a designated area.
- 🕳️Confined space — entry into tanks, vessels, pits, sewers and similar spaces with limited openings and possible hazardous atmosphere.
- 🪜Work at height — work where a person could fall and be injured, e.g. on roofs, scaffolds or ladders.
- ⚡Electrical work — work on or near electrical equipment that may be energised.
- ⛏️Excavation — digging or trenching where collapse or buried services are a risk.
- 🏗️Lifting operations — lifting operations with cranes or hoists, especially critical or complex lifts.
- 📝General work — other non-routine work that needs formal control.
Key principles in this system
- Segregation of duties: the person who requests a permit can never approve or issue it. This is enforced by the database itself.
- Every permit has a limited validity. Each company sets its own maximum (in hours) under Settings.
- Permit numbers are generated automatically and never repeat, e.g. PTW-2026-0001.
- Permits are safety records: they cannot be deleted, only cancelled, and every change is kept in the audit trail.
Approval and work steps
- The requester completes the permit and submits it with a signature.
- The area authority (owner of the location) approves or rejects it with a reason.
- An HSE officer — a different person — approves or rejects it with a reason.
- The issuer issues the permit and can set its validity within the company maximum.
- A performer named on the permit signs to accept it; the permit becomes active.
- During the work: shift handover (both performers sign), extension by the issuer while still valid, suspension and resume.
- At the end: the performer hands the area back; for hot work the fire watch signs the end of fire watch after the minimum time; then the issuer or area authority closes the permit.
Roles are assigned by the company owner or a manager on the Team page. The requester can never approve or issue their own permit, and the two approvers must be different people.
✋ Right to stop work
Anyone in the company who sees unsafe conditions can press “Stop work” on an active permit, giving a reason. The permit is suspended immediately and only the issuer can resume it (ISO 45001, clause 5.4).
Reference standards
The standards are cited by name and clause only. Always consult the official text and your local regulations.
HSE HSG250
Guidance on permit-to-work systems
UK guidance on how a permit system should be designed, operated and monitored, including handover and hand-back.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147
Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
US rule for isolating and locking energy sources so machines cannot start or release energy during servicing.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146
Permit-required confined spaces
US rule for entry permits, atmospheric testing, attendants and rescue in confined spaces.
NFPA 51B
Fire prevention during hot work
Requirements for hot work authorisation, fire watch and post-work fire monitoring.
NFPA 70E
Electrical safety in the workplace
Practices for establishing an electrically safe work condition and protecting workers from shock and arc flash.
ISO 45001:2018 — 8.1
Operational planning and control
The management-system requirement to plan and control processes, including high-risk activities and contractors.