| Permit-to-Work Systems | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 There
are many types of operation on board ship where the
routine actions of one man may inadvertently endanger
another or when a series of action steps need to be taken
to ensure the safety of those engaged in a specific
operation. Danger may arise from the activation of a
radar installation while men are working in the vicinity
of the scanner; unusual risks may arise during the repair
and maintenance work when in-built safeguards, effective
during normal operation, have to be disturbed; a number
of safety measures and precautions need to be taken
before work is done in a tank or duct keel. In all
instances it is necessary, before the work is begun, to
identify the hazards and then to ensure that they are
eliminated or effectively controlled. Ultimate
responsibility rests with the employer to see that this
is done. Sometimes automatic safeguards on machinery or
electrical equipment, for example, may greatly reduce the
hazards but normally reliance has to be placed on the
people involved following a proper procedure. In those
cases verbal instructions, requests and responses which
might be misheard, misinterpreted or not fully remembered
are not a satisfactory basis for activities in which
men's lives may be at risk. A more effective control can
be achieved by the use of a written system which requires
step by step formal actions by those responsible for the
work. Such a system may be instituted by use of a
'permit-to-work'. That essentially is a document which
sets out the work to be done, and the precautions to be
taken in doing it. It consists basically of an organized
and pre-defined safety procedure. It forms a clear record
of all the foreseeable hazards which have been considered
in advance and the appropriate precautions which have
been determined and shows the correct sequence of
operations and precautions. A permit-to-work does not in
itself make the job safe, but is a guide dependent for
its effectiveness upon the conscientious observance of
the set procedure by those involved in the job. The
particular circumstances of individual ships will
determine the particular areas in which permit-to-work
systems can most usefully be adopted but, in general, the
following principles should apply:(a) The first and most important step is the assessment of the situation by a ship's officer who is experienced in the work and is thoroughly familiar with the relevant hazards. (b) The information given in the permit should be precise, detailed and accurate. It should state exactly the location and details of the work to be done, the nature and results of any preliminary tests undertaken, the measures undertaken to make the job safe and the safeguards that need to be taken during the operation. (c) The permit should specify the period of its validity (which should not exceed 24 hours) and any time limits applicable to the work which it authorizes. (d) The permit should be recognized as an overriding instruction until it is canceled. (e) Only the work specified on the permit should be undertaken. (f) Before signing the permit, the responsible officer should personally check that all the measures specified as necessary have in fact been taken and that safety arrangements will be maintained until the permit is canceled. (g) Anyone who takes over, either as a matter of routine or in an emergency, from the person who originally issued the permit, should assume full responsibility until he has either canceled the permit or handed it over to another nominated person who should be made fully conversant with the situation. (h) The person responsible for carrying out the specified work should countersign the permit to indicate his understanding of the safety precautions to be observed. On completion of the work, he should notify the authorizing officer. In many
instances a full permit-to-work system would be
over-elaborate but there may still be a need to ensure
that certain precautions are taken at appropriate stages
of the work for the safety of those involved in the work
or of those who may be affected by it. A rather simpler
check list can be a useful aid in such cases. For example
it could cover the posting of warning notices and the
isolation of controls where the actuation of machinery or
equipment could imperil men working at a place remote
from the control position, especially aloft and overside,
work on alarm and automatic systems and entry into
refrigerated spaces. The table
which follows illustrates a specimen form for a
permit-to-work showing the headings that may need to be
covered. It can be readily adapted to the exact
circumstances of the job to be carried out, by amending
wording, by deleting sections not relevant or by other
changes which may be suitable. |
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| Specimen of a permit-to-work | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: The Authorizing
Officer should indicate the sections applicable by ticks
in the left-hand boxes next to headings, deleting any
subheading not applicable. He should insert the
appropriate details when the sections for Other work or
Additional precautions are used. The Authorized Person should tick each applicable right-hand box as he makes his check. |
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