Permits to Work are often required in high-risks industries, such as construction, these are implemented to help make high-risk tasks safer for all parties involved.
The Primary purpose of a Permit to Work system in Australia is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of workers and eliminate risk.
A Permit to Work is a formally documented system that is required to ensure the health and safety of employees and ensure all parties are qualified to undertake the required tasks. Implementing a Permit to Work for high-risk tasks is also an easy way to ensure your organisation is, and remains, compliant with relevant laws and legislation.
When implemented and communicated appropriately within an organisation, a Permit to Work provides essential information for all employees, including an outline of the work to be carried out, any hazards, suitable safety measures and emergency procedures for the task being commenced.
A Permit to Work can serve as a guideline for contractors when undertaking tasks on a worksite, this ensures that they have the understanding to operate safely and in a manner that adheres to your organisations health and safety procedures. Permits should be reviewed, and amended accordingly, on a regular basis as well as each time the task is carried out. This can be achieved with something like a digital Permit to Work app, where Permits can be started, reviewed and accessed from mobile devices between contractors and the clients they service.
Permits are classified depending on the type of the work being carried out and the risks involved. Every workplace is unique and incorporates different situations and jobs where a Permit to Work may be necessary.
There are seven main types of work permits;
A permit to work is required for any work being carried out that is identified as high-risk or has the potential to affect the health and safety of workers or other persons within the workplace. A permit should also be implemented for any non-routine tasks undertaken.
Work instructions that outline specific job sites, work times etc. should be documented for any tasks that require a Permit to Work.
Every workplace is different, so when implementing a Permit to Work system you must ensure that the system is tailored to suit your workplace, workers and contractors.
The first step in implementing a Permit to Work system is to identify the jobs that need a Permit to Work and what kind of permit is required.
Once you have established what permits are required, a process for how your organisation will manage requesting, issuing and the approval of permits should be developed. Implementing strong communication processes is essential to ensure critical information, hazards, safety measures and the required authorisations are conveyed to all applicable parties. This is easy to do with something like a permit to work app, where all parties are notified when a Permit is updated or started.
Establishing visibility and traceability over work permits can be challenging, however, it is essential to ensure that all parties are aware of all the activities and risks before employees or contractors start the task.
All the steps in a Permit to Work system can be easily managed and tracked through Permit to Work software, this is an online platform that streamlines the permit process and can be tailored to your business or industry.
Permit to Work systems are essential to ensuring worker safety and reduce risk within the workplace. Some of the benefits to implementing a Permit to Work system, including;
Implementing and maintaining a Permit to Work system can seem like a time consuming, tedious task. However, it is an invaluable tool for organisations who want to take compliance and risk seriously.
Companies looking for an effective and efficient system should look into Permit to Work software It can save you a lot of time and hassle with manual systems!
Permit to Work software is an electronic system that streamlines the process of issuing and maintaining permits and managing the safety of your workers. This software allows you to search, store and manage all documentation related to your Permit to Work system.
Digital tools, such as Comply Flow’s Permit to Work software enables you to request and receive work permit applications from your contractors and automate document approvals and assign them to team members to review, manage and approve.
Permit to Work software cuts down on the repetitive tasks and paperwork, is simple to use and can easily be customised to your business or industry.
Some other advantages of implementing the software within your organisation include:
Whilst the amount of documentation and upkeep for permits can be overwhelming and difficult to maintain manually through spreadsheets and paper trails, online Permit to Work systems can be a benefit to your company by allowing your business and workers to manage everything in one place.
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