WORKS THAT REQUIRES WORK PERMIT
What are the Works that Requires Work Permit?
The main types of permit and the work to be covered by each are identified below.
General permit
The general permit should be used for work such as:
S alterations to or overhaul of plant or machinery where mechanical, toxic or electrical hazards may
arise
S work on or near overhead crane tracks
S work on pipelines with hazardous contents
S work with asbestos-based materials
S work involving ionising radiation
S work at height where there are exceptionally high risks
S excavations to avoid underground services.
Confined space permit
Confined spaces include chambers, tanks (sealed and open-top), vessels, furnaces, ducts, sewers, manholes, pits, flues, excavations, boilers, reactors and ovens.
Many fatal accidents have occurred where inadequate precautions were taken before and during work
involving entry into confined spaces. The two main hazards are the potential presence of toxic or other dangerous substances and the absence of adequate oxygen. In addition, there may be mechanical hazards (entanglement on agitators) and raised temperatures.
The work to be carried out may itself be especially hazardous when done in a confined space, for example, cleaning using solvents, cutting/welding work. Should the person working in a confined space get into difficulties for whatever reason, getting help in and getting the individual out may prove difficult and dangerous.
Stringent preparation, isolation, air testing and other precautions are therefore essential and experience shows that the use of a confined space entry permit is essential to confirm that all the appropriate precautions have been taken.
Work on high voltage apparatus (including testing)
Work on high voltage apparatus (over about 600 volts) is potentially high risk. Hazards include:
S possibly fatal electric shock/burns to the people doing the work
S electrical fires/explosions
S consequential danger from disruption of power supply to safety-critical plant and equipment.
In view of the risk, this work must only be done by suitably trained and competent people acting under the terms of a high voltage permit.
Hot work
Hot work is potentially hazardous as a:
S source of ignition in any plant in which highly flammable materials are handled
S cause of fires in all locations, regardless of whether highly flammable materials are present.
Hot work includes cutting, welding, brazing, soldering and any process involving the application of a naked flame. Drilling and grinding should also be included where a flammable atmosphere is potentially present.
In high risk areas hot work may also involve any equipment or procedure that produces a spark of sufficient energy to ignite highly flammable substances.
Hot work should therefore be done under the terms of a hot work permit, the only exception being where hot work is done in a designated area suitable for the purpose.
Showing posts with label Permits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Permits. Show all posts
LOCK OUT AND TAG OUT PERMIT BASIC INFORMATION
Some work requires rigid lockout/tagout control of the type that should not be the responsibility of the employee alone. Lockout/tagouts of this nature should be secured by a formal permit.
This more formal approach is called a documented lockout/tagout. Typically, this type of lockout/tagout would be used on those types of jobs that are not simple and easily understood.
Electrical work performed on medium- and high-voltage circuits is a good example. It would also include work on equipment that requires a complex lockout/tagout due to multiple sources of electrical energy.
Also included would be jobs that require work inside of grinding mills, choppers, fan housings, ovens, storage tanks and silos, and similar situations in which personnel are in a position that unexpected equipment start-up would, without question, result in serious injury or death.
In general, the documented lockout/tagout shall be used except when the conditions given in 29 CFR 1910.147 for a nondocumented lockout/tagout allow an exception.
No specific permit system can be recommended as good practice in all circumstances. A workable permit system can be developed only on an individual basis at the plant level by personnel intimately familiar with plant operations. Certain requirements that represent good practice in one plant might be inadequate or unworkable in another plant with different problems and a different personnel structure.
One fundamental feature, however, should be incorporated into any permit system. It should be designed with checks and balances.
Specific responsibility for a particular operation should be assigned to an individual without relieving others of the obligation to double-check the status of the lockout/tagout before proceeding with their own assigned steps in the process. The permit system, then, should be developed to duplicate and reinforce, rather than dilute, responsibility.
Every step in processing a lockout/tagout permit, from the initial request to the official closing, should be confirmed in writing on an official form. The permit form should include spaces for every person involved to indicate the times and dates when the paperwork was received and when the action was taken.
Completion of each step should be acknowledged by the signature of the person responsible for taking the appropriate action. Every person involved in processing the permit should be held responsible for checking the paperwork referred to them to see that everything is in order before proceeding with their own step.
This more formal approach is called a documented lockout/tagout. Typically, this type of lockout/tagout would be used on those types of jobs that are not simple and easily understood.
Electrical work performed on medium- and high-voltage circuits is a good example. It would also include work on equipment that requires a complex lockout/tagout due to multiple sources of electrical energy.
Also included would be jobs that require work inside of grinding mills, choppers, fan housings, ovens, storage tanks and silos, and similar situations in which personnel are in a position that unexpected equipment start-up would, without question, result in serious injury or death.
In general, the documented lockout/tagout shall be used except when the conditions given in 29 CFR 1910.147 for a nondocumented lockout/tagout allow an exception.
No specific permit system can be recommended as good practice in all circumstances. A workable permit system can be developed only on an individual basis at the plant level by personnel intimately familiar with plant operations. Certain requirements that represent good practice in one plant might be inadequate or unworkable in another plant with different problems and a different personnel structure.
One fundamental feature, however, should be incorporated into any permit system. It should be designed with checks and balances.
Specific responsibility for a particular operation should be assigned to an individual without relieving others of the obligation to double-check the status of the lockout/tagout before proceeding with their own assigned steps in the process. The permit system, then, should be developed to duplicate and reinforce, rather than dilute, responsibility.
Every step in processing a lockout/tagout permit, from the initial request to the official closing, should be confirmed in writing on an official form. The permit form should include spaces for every person involved to indicate the times and dates when the paperwork was received and when the action was taken.
Completion of each step should be acknowledged by the signature of the person responsible for taking the appropriate action. Every person involved in processing the permit should be held responsible for checking the paperwork referred to them to see that everything is in order before proceeding with their own step.
WORK AUTHORIZATION - WORK PERMITS FOR ELECTRICAL WORKS
Before beginning any work, particularly in an existing operating facility, a person should receive a request to do the work from the custodian, thoroughly plan the job, review the job plan with the custodian, and obtain permission from the facility manager to proceed with the work.
Some kind of work authorization document is advisable to ensure that everyone who may be affected is aware of what is going on. In addition to approvals, this document could contain a checklist of safety items that should be considered before proceeding with the work.
The work authorization document forces people to think about the safety aspects of the job. This concept applies to all kinds of work, not just electrical.
Again, when performing electrical work in a country other than the U.S., make sure that any laws of the country that may be applicable to the job being performed are known.
Some kind of work authorization document is advisable to ensure that everyone who may be affected is aware of what is going on. In addition to approvals, this document could contain a checklist of safety items that should be considered before proceeding with the work.
The work authorization document forces people to think about the safety aspects of the job. This concept applies to all kinds of work, not just electrical.
Again, when performing electrical work in a country other than the U.S., make sure that any laws of the country that may be applicable to the job being performed are known.
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