Work Permit System

Safe Work Permits
Safe Work Permits

• A safe work permit is a document that identifies the
work to be done, the hazard(s) involved, and the
precautions to be taken.
• It ensures that all hazards and precautions have been
considered before work begins.
• A safe work permit is a written record that authorizes
specific work, at a specific work location, for a specific
time periods.
• The permit is an agreement between the issuer and the
receiver that documents the conditions, preparations,
precautions, and limitations that need to be clearly
understood before work begins.
Types of Safe Work Permits
• Hot Work Permit
• Cold Work Permit
• Confined Space Entry Permit
• Special Permits
Hot Work Permit
The Piper Alpha Disaster
• On the 6 July 1988, on the oilrig Piper Alpha,
100 miles off the East Coast of Scotland in
the North Sea, there was an escape of
flammable gas.
• The gas ignited, causing an explosion and fire
killing 167 people.
• The estimated cost of the incident to the
Occidental Group which owned the platform,
is estimated over $ 4 Billion.
Fire Walls
Design Modifications
Export Line
Isolation Valve
Main Oil Line Oil Gas

Module Module
Piper Alpha Platform
ESD
OIL GAS
RISERS
Claymore
Piper
Alpha
Back-flow
Tartan
Main
Oil
Line Oil Fire Continues!
Causes
• The immediate cause of the gas escape was the putting
into service of a condensate pump, downstream from
where a pressure relief valve had been removed for
maintenance.
• Liquefied flammable gas escaped under pressure from
the site from which the valve had been removed.
• Those who brought the pump back into service were not
aware of the work on the line downstream.
• How, you might ask, were they not aware of this other
work that had such obvious direct and significant effect
on their own actions?
• There must have been serious OSH management failure.
Permit to Work Failures
• Following this tragedy, Lord Cullen
conducted an inquiry into the disaster.
• His report (Cullen 1990) confirmed that a
breakdown of the permit to work
procedures on the Piper Alpha had been a
major factor in his report.
..\..\..\Safety Training Films\Arabic Safety Films\WORK PERMIT.WMV
Failures in Several Areas Related to

the Permit System
• Inadequate risk assessment
• Inaction concerning known deficiencies in the
system.
• Lack of enforcement of the permit to work
system
• No formal training in the permit to work system
• Inadequate auditing of the permit to work system
• Inadequate senior management commitment to
OSH management.
Hot Works
Southern Methodist
University
Office of Risk Management and

Environmental Health & Safety
Hot Work Permit
Every year fires occur, which could have
been prevented had employees used
appropriate fire prevention measures.
The use of the Hot Work Permit process

as a primary means of preventing fires
due to non-routine open flame and high
temperature operations.
Hot Works
Goals and Objectives:
• Recognize work that requires the use of Hot

Work Permits
• Be familiar with the Hot Work Permit Process.

Hot Works
Definition:
Hot Work is any work using open

flames or sources of heat that could
ignite materials in the work area.
Hot Works
Examples of hot work:
• welding
• burning
• brazing
• propane soldering
• oxyacetylene cutting
• grinding ferrous materials
Why do we have a Hot Work
Permit Program?
• To keep you from being injured.

• To prevent fires.
• To protect SMU’s assets.
Hot Work Procedures
PLAN AHEAD
Before beginning hot work:
• Check the area where the work is to

be done
• Discuss it with the building

manager/Area Supervisor
• Complete a Hot Work Permit form

August 1995 Fire
Business School
University of Georgia
$12 million
Before Starting the Hot Work
Project
Ask yourself:
• Can the job be avoided?
• Could this be done another way?
• Can the hot work procedure be taken

out of the building or the area?
HOT WORK PERMIT
Distribution of the Form
• Top page (PART 1) – Kept by Fire Safety
personnel.
• Second page (PART 1A) – To be used if
extra copy is needed.
• Third page (PART 2) – Kept at work site
and turned in to Fire Safety at completion of
work.
Required Precautions Checklist
• Available sprinklers, hose streams and

extinguishers are in service/operable.
• Hot work equipment in good repair.

Requirements Within 35 ft of Work
• Flammable liquids, dust, lint and oily

deposits removed.
• Explosive atmosphere in area eliminated.
• Floors swept clean.
• Combustible floors wet down, covered with
damp sand or fire-resistive sheets.
Requirements Within 35 ft of Work
(Continued)
• Remove other combustibles where possible.
Otherwise protect with fire-resistive
tarpaulins or metal sheets.
• All wall and floor openings covered.
• Fire-resistive tarpaulins suspended beneath
work.
• Protect or shut down ducts and conveyors
that might carry sparks to distant
combustibles.
Work on Walls, Ceilings or
Roofs
• Construction is non combustible and

without combustible covering or insulation.
• Combustibles on other side of walls,

ceilings or roofs are moved away
Work on Enclosed Equipment
• Enclosed equipment cleaned of all

combustibles.
• Containers purged of flammable
liquids/vapors.
• Pressurized vessels, piping and equipment
removed from service, isolated and vented.
NOTE:
When working in
enclosed areas, be sure
that there is an air
source and adequate
ventilation. Hot works
uses up oxygen.
Fire Watch/Hot Work Area
Monitoring
• Fire watch will be provided during and for
60 minutes after work, including any coffee
or lunch breaks.
• Fire watch is supplied with suitable
extinguishers, and where practical, a
charged small hose.
• Fire watch is trained in use of equipment
and in sounding alarm.
Fire Watch/Hot Work Area
Monitoring (Continued)
• Fire watch may be required in adjoining

areas, above and below.
• Monitor Hot Work area for 4 hours after job

is completed.
At least one working
fire extinguisher
must be on hand at
every Hot Works job
site and the fire
watch person must be
trained on how to use
it.
The fire watch person
cannot be the person
performing the Hot Works
The Hot Works Program
applies to all vendors and
contractors. Be sure they know
what is expected of them.
Insure that anyone who is
performing the fire watch
knows what to do if an
emergency arises.
•Where is the pull station?

•Who to call?
•Where is the telephone?
Fire Prevention Control Measures
• Fire sprinkler system in service?
• Cutting/welding/hot work equipment in
good repair and operable?
• Floors within 35 feet of work area swept
clean of combustibles?
• Are there combustibles or flammable
liquids stored within 35 feet of work area?
(Continued)
• If “Yes” - have liquids been protected with fire-
proof tarps or covers or moved?
• Have wall and floor openings within 35 feet of
work area been covered?
• Will hot work be performed on combustible wall
or ceiling surfaces?
• Have combustibles been moved away from
opposite side of wall or surface?
(Continued)
• Will hot work be performed inside a
“confined space” - tank, vessel, etc.?
• If “Yes” - has a confined space permit been
obtained?
• Is there a smoke/heat detector located in the
work area?
• If “Yes” - has the device been disabled to
prevent activation of the fire alarm?
(Continued)
• Fire watch to be provided during and 30
minutes after end of hot work operation?
• Fire extinguisher is readily available for fire
watch?
• Fire watch is trained in use of equipment
and activating the fire alarm system?
What Is A Fire Watch
• Someone dedicated to watching the entire
area in which the hot work process is being
used:
– Cannot be done by the person performing the
hot work
– Must have fire extinguisher at site
– Must be trained to use a fire extinguisher
– Must know what to do in case of emergency
ALWAYS Use Personal
Protective Equipment
Make sure
vendors know
that they are
required to
use Personal
Protective
Equipment
Keep
welding
equipment
in good
operating
condition
- Contractor
If you are
using a
contractor,
make sure
their
equipment
is in good
operating
condition.
After the Job Is Completed
• Check the work site to insure that the work has
been properly completed
• Check the area for signs of fire, smoke or
smoldering embers
• Tell facility manager that the work is completed
and ask him to check the area over the next few
hours to insure that no fire has started
• Insure the fire alarm is enabled
Summary
• Hot Work procedures are serious work
functions.
• Explore other options before deciding on a
hot work procedure.
• Be sure your vendors know what is
expected of them.
• Always work in a safe manner.
Thank you!
..\..\..\Safety Training Films\Safety Films\Safety
Training Films2\Welding Fire Precautions.MPG

Work Permit System

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Safe Work Permits

Safe Work Permits

Main Oil Line Oil Gas

Piper Alpha Platform

Failures in Several Areas Related to

Office of Risk Management and

The use of the Hot Work Permit process

Goals and Objectives:

• Recognize work that requires the use of Hot

• Be familiar with the Hot Work Permit Process.

Hot Work is any work using open

Examples of hot work:

• To keep you from being injured.

Before beginning hot work:

• Check the area where the work is to

• Discuss it with the building

• Complete a Hot Work Permit form

• Can the job be avoided?

• Could this be done another way?

• Can the hot work procedure be taken

• Available sprinklers, hose streams and

• Hot work equipment in good repair.

• Flammable liquids, dust, lint and oily

• Construction is non combustible and

• Combustibles on other side of walls,

• Enclosed equipment cleaned of all

• Fire watch may be required in adjoining

• Monitor Hot Work area for 4 hours after job

•Where is the pull station?

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