Procedures can be adequate for many jobs carried out
onboard, but others require extra care due to the risks
involved. Frequently, fatalities or serious injury to seafarers – or
environmental, ship or cargo incidents – are caused by failing to use the
Permit to Work system, or the requirements have been ignored or
misunderstood when the permit has been issued. The London P&I
Club has launched new LP Focus issue to address all issues related to permits
to work .
A Permit to Work should be a simple
formal system stating exactly what work is to be done, when it is being
done and the safety controls that must be put in place to avoid
injury or death. Permits are also a means of communication between
those who carry out the work, the person responsible for their
safety and someone who could introduce a hazard if they were unaware
the work was taking place. It can also coordinate different work
activities to avoid conflicts.
However, issuing a permit does not
by itself, make a task safe. That can only be achieved by the thoroughness
of those preparing, supervising and carrying out the work. Permits
to Work come in different forms. All companies should prepare a
format that is suitable for their ships, and their crews should be trained
to use the permit system.
When should a permit be used?
Wherever there is a high-risk job
taking place, a written Permit to Work procedure should always be used.
Jobs considered to be high risk should include:
·
Entry into enclosed or confined
spaces
·
Working on machinery or equipment
which can start automatically or requires isolation
·
Hot work including welding
·
Working aloft or overside
·
General electrical work (Under 1000
Volts)
·
Electrical high voltage work (Over
1000 Volts)
·
Working on lift machinery
Additional Permits to Work may be
required depending on the trade of the ship and the work carried out.
Permits can be individual or cover a number of work types.
What should a Permit to Work system
cover?
The following should be taken into account in a good system:
The following should be taken into account in a good system:
·
Human factors
·
Management of the work permit
systems
·
Poorly-skilled work force
·
Unconscious and conscious
incompetence
·
Objectives of the work permit system
·
Types of work permits required
·
Contents of the work permits
When does a Permit to Work fail?
Accident investigations generally find that the ship’s Permit to Work system has been utilised and a permit completed, but an accident has still happened. The most common reasons for this are:
Accident investigations generally find that the ship’s Permit to Work system has been utilised and a permit completed, but an accident has still happened. The most common reasons for this are:
·
Wrong type of work permit used,
resulting in the hazards and precautions required not being identified
·
Incorrect information about work to
be carried out and precautions not identified
·
Failure to recognise the hazards
where work is carried out (e.g. flammable substances)
·
Introduction of ignition source in
controlled flameproof area (e.g. welding, non-spark-proof tools,
non-intrinsically safe equipment used in intrinsically safe zones)
·
Terms of work on the permit not
adhered to, despite having been identified (e.g. failure to isolate
plant and/or drain lines of hazardous substances)
·
Unauthorised staff performing work
permit functions
·
Permit system completed incorrectly
or without sufficient thought (a tick-box mentality)
·
Insufficient monitoring of the work
permit system (e.g. permit out of date/time)
·
Permit to work issued for too long a
period of time allowing circumstances to change
·
Prescribed permit is complicated and
not properly understood
Considerations when completing a
Permit to Work
·
Whether staff have been instructed,
trained and are properly supervised
·
Whether the permit includes
sufficient safety information, maintenance instructions, correct PPE and
equipment for use
·
Whether the work permit contains
sufficient information about the type of work and the environment being
worked in
·
That the work is properly authorised
by a responsible person
·
Human factors (stress, fatigue,
shift work, attitude)
·
Whether sufficient precautions are
taken prior to initiating a work permit (isolation, draining, flushing,
environmental monitoring, risk assessments, communication, time allotted
for the work)
·
Whether the person responsible is
aware of the type of maintenance involved and how long it is likely to
take
·
Whether the work permit system
involves a formal procedure of any maintained equipment being
handed back to operation
·
Whether all hazards have been
considered
·
That all personnel are aware of the
permit being issued (e.g. Bridge, Cargo room, Engine Control Room)
Company responsibilities
Shipping companies should ensure
that they have in place a robust and easy-to-use Permit to Work system
which is relevant to the ship. They should ensure that
everyone involved in the system has been properly trained in its
use and how to complete it. When visiting the ships and conducting
audits, the Permit to Work system should be reviewed to ensure that it is
being properly managed, and that permits are actually being used, are
correctly completed and are effective. Crew should be interviewed to
ensure they understand the system and whether they have any suggestions for
improvement.
• Always use a Permit to Work when the job requires it
• Complete it correctly
• Think carefully when you are completing it
• Make sure it is in date and time
• Remember it could save your life or the lives of those you are responsible for
• Complete it correctly
• Think carefully when you are completing it
• Make sure it is in date and time
• Remember it could save your life or the lives of those you are responsible for
The Loss Prevention bulletin may be downloaded at,
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