The big picture
A permit is not a form you fill in once and forget. It moves through clear stages, from planning the job to handing the area back, and each stage has an owner.
Every company's system differs in detail, but the shape below follows HSE's guidance on permit-to-work systems (HSG250). The names of roles vary from site to site, so we explain who usually does what as we go. For a fuller look at the people involved, see who uses permits to work.
The ten stages
1. Request and prepare
Someone who knows the job sets out what needs doing: the task, the exact location, the plant or equipment involved, when it will start and how long it will take. HSG250 says the permit should give a clear description of the work, its location, start time and duration.
This is also the time to identify the hazards, link the permit to the job's RAMS, and list any isolations or other permits the work depends on. For electronic systems, HSG250 says people should be trained to assess the specific job rather than rely on cutting and pasting from old permits.
2. Review and authorise
Someone other than the person who prepared the permit checks it. HSG250 says that where the potential for harm is particularly high, the permit should be seen by a second person before it is issued, and that in any case a person should not issue a permit to themself.
3. Isolate and verify on site
Before issue, the precautions are put in place and checked on the ground. That can mean electrical, mechanical or process isolations, gas testing, barriers, fire precautions or rescue arrangements. HSE's guidance on isolating plant (HSG253) covers process isolations in depth, and HSG85 covers making electrical equipment dead and safe.
A permit should not be issued from a desk. For electronic systems, HSG250 specifically says permits should not be issued remotely without a site visit.
4. Issue
The person issuing the permit signs to confirm that the precautions, including isolations, have been taken and will stay effective while the permit is in force. The date, time and duration are recorded.
5. Accept
The person taking charge of the work (often called the performing authority or permit holder) reads the permit and signs to accept it. HSE's guidance on managing contractors (HSG159) describes this signature as confirming understanding of the work to be done, the hazards involved and the precautions required, and that the permit has been explained to all the workers involved.
6. Display and do the work
HSG250 says copies of a permit should be clearly displayed at the work site or a recognised nearby location, and in the main control or permit coordination room. HSE adds that displaying permits systematically helps everyone see which equipment is isolated or under maintenance.
The work must stay within the scope of the permit. If the job changes or conditions change, stop and go back to the issuer.
7. Suspend and resume
Sometimes work has to pause, for example while waiting for parts, during an alarm, or because another job takes priority. HSG250 notes that a suspended permit remains live until it is cancelled, should be kept on the permit recording system, and work should not restart until the issuer has checked it is safe to do so.
8. Complete
When the work is finished, the permit holder confirms it is complete and the work area has been left in the condition agreed.
9. Hand back
HSG250 describes three hand-back checks: the work has been completed, the plant or equipment has been returned to a safe condition (in particular by removing isolations), and the person in control of operations has acknowledged that it is back under their control.
Some hazards outlast the work. After hot work, for example, HSE's fire safety in construction guidance recommends a continuous fire watch for at least an hour, then at least one more check two hours after the work ends.
10. Close and keep the record
The permit is cancelled or closed and filed. HSE expects permit systems to be managed, regularly inspected and reviewed, so keep closed permits where you can find them and look at them.
Shift handover
Jobs that run across shifts are a known weak point. HSG250 says the handover should make sure the incoming shift knows about any outstanding permit-controlled jobs and the status of those jobs and the plant. It recommends that the incoming issuer signs to allow the permit to continue.
HSE's human factors guidance adds that if a job spans more than one shift, it should be left in a safe state and the next shift given clear instructions. Good handovers are two-way, face to face where possible, and use both spoken and written information.
Separation of duties
The point of having several people involved is that no single person's mistake can go unchecked. A typical split looks like this:
- Preparer: plans the job and drafts the permit.
- Authoriser: a second person who reviews higher-risk permits before issue.
- Isolating authority and site checker: make the isolations and carry out the checks on the ground.
- Issuer: confirms everything is in place and issues the permit.
- Permit holder: accepts the permit for the work team and makes sure the team follows it.
On small jobs one person may cover more than one of these roles, but the basic rule from HSG250 still applies: nobody should issue a permit to themself.
Records
A permit record should show who did what and when at every stage. HSG250 also sets out safeguards for electronic systems, such as protected electronic signatures to prevent unauthorised issue or acceptance, and controls so that permits cannot be altered once issued.
How AutoRAMS helps
The AutoRAMS permits tool follows a fixed workflow so the stages above cannot be skipped:
- Draft. The permit is prepared from a template and can be linked to the RAMS for the job.
- Submit for review. The creator signs and submits it.
- Approve. A different person, a company administrator, approves it. The person who drafted it cannot approve it.
- Verify on site. A competent person on the ground completes a checklist: site conditions, RAMS controls and PPE in place, linked isolations and permits confirmed, rescue and emergency arrangements, workers briefed, and the RAMS revision current.
- Issue. The named issuer signs and issues the permit.
- Accept. Each named permit holder gets their own emailed link, confirms it is them with a one-time code sent to their email, reads the permit, types their name and draws their signature. The permit only becomes active when every holder has accepted.
- Suspend and resume. Work can be suspended with the reason recorded, and resumed only after site verification again.
- Complete, hand back and close. The permit is marked complete, handed back and closed. It can also be cancelled with a reason.
Every step is recorded in a time-stamped log with the signature used, and you can download a PDF permit record with a fingerprint of the issued permit. People draw and save their own signature once.
Please note: AutoRAMS is a tool for creating and recording permits. Your company and its competent people stay responsible for deciding when a permit is needed, for making and removing isolations, and for the work itself. Closing a permit in AutoRAMS is never the same as releasing an isolation.
Frequently asked questions
Who should issue a permit to work?
A competent person authorised by the company to issue that type of permit. HSE's guidance says a person should not issue a permit to themself, and that higher-risk permits should be seen by a second person before issue.
What happens to a permit at shift change?
HSE's guidance says the incoming shift must be told about outstanding permit jobs and the state of the plant, and recommends that the incoming issuer signs to allow the permit to continue.
Is a suspended permit still live?
Yes. HSE's guidance notes that a suspended permit remains live until it is cancelled. Work should not restart until the issuer has checked it is safe.
Does closing a permit remove the isolations?
No. Removing isolations and returning plant to service is a separate, controlled step carried out by competent people under your isolation procedure. Hand-back should confirm it has been done safely.
Where should a permit be displayed?
HSE's guidance says copies should be clearly displayed at the work site or a recognised nearby location, and in the main control or permit coordination room.