FQM LIMITED

XXX-OP-009

Permit to Work
1.0 PURPOSE

This procedure describes the Permit to Work (PTW) process at all [COMPANY NAME] sites. The
prime objective of the PTW is to ensure that work, is properly controlled, co-ordinated and
communicated.

The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that:

 Work activities are planned, controlled, co-ordinated and communicated.

 Work is risk assessed, hazards identified, and appropriate control measures put in place.
 Personnel carrying out hazardous work do so under authorised instruction with the appropriate
controls in place.
 Conflicting activities are identified and appropriately managed.
 There is a means of providing written instructions and authorisation to people carrying out
potentially hazardous work.

2.0 SCOPE

The PTW procedure shall be used to control and manage work activities undertaken at all sites
operating under the [COMPANY NAME] controls. A work activity is defined as all work carried out on
vessels while in any of the [COMPANY NAME] dry docks.

Understanding and following PTW procedures is an integral part of preserving a safe working
environment for all of our workforce. If the PTW procedure is not clear or not workable, then stop the
job and seek clarification from your Supervisor.

DMS employees must always comply with our Permits to Work system by:

 Never starting a task on board a vessel or in the dry dock without an approved PTW.
 Ensuring the PTW in place for the job they are undertaking has been sufficiently communicated to
them, highlighting the possible hazards and the controls that have been put in place and that they
fully understand these hazards and controls.
 Participating in a Toolbox Talk before work starts.
 Checking that identified control measures continue to be in place throughout the time the PTW is
in place.
 Stopping the job at any time if there are any concerns.

3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES

 HSE Manager is responsible for:

o The implementation of this procedure at all [COMPANY NAME] sites.

o Ensuring all Foremen have been given sufficient in house or external training for issuing
PTW at [COMPANY NAME] sites.

 Operations Managers are responsible for:

o Implementing the requirements of this procedure at their specific sites and ensuring all
employees follow this PTW procedure.
o Overall accountability for the implementation of the PTW at their site.
o The co-ordination of all work carried out under the PTW system, via daily Planning
Meetings.
o Ensure adequate handovers take place at shift change periods with the oncoming
Supervisors.

Page 2 of 9
Revision: 1
 Foremen are responsible for:

o The issuing of PTW to the Nominated Responsible Person when the permit has been
requested.
o The co-ordination of all work carried out under the PTW system, via daily Planning
Meetings.
o Ensuring adequate handovers take place at shift change periods with the oncoming
Supervisors.

 Nominated Responsible Persons are responsible for:

o The counter signing of the PTW as the Nominated Responsible Person when they have
requested the PTW.
o Carrying out a toolbox talk with all employees involved it the work task before the job
starts and recording the name of everyone who has received the toolbox talk on the PTW.
o Ensuring everyone involved in the work task are aware of and understand the completed
Risk Assessment associated with that work task.
o Highlighting to the HSE Advisor any problem raised with the task specific Risk
Assessments.
o Ensuring any PTW related isolations have been completed before work task commences.
o Ensuring adequate handovers take place at shift change periods with the oncoming
Supervisors.
o Ensuring that the worksite is kept in a safe and tidy condition, both during and upon
completion of the work task.

 All Employees are responsible for:

o Working to and following the requirements of the PTW and associated Risk Assessments.
o Ensuring that the worksite is kept in a safe and tidy condition, both during and upon
completion of the work task.

 HSE Advisors are responsible for:

o Checking all PTW have been properly closed out and signed off by the person in
Nominated Responsible Person on a daily basis.
o The filing, for reference, of all PTW for a period of at least 6 months from completion of
vessel docking.
o Conducting random on the job checks to ensure PTW are in place for on-going work.

4.0 DOCUMENTATION

All work carried out on-board a vessel in the dry dock or any work being carried out in the dry dock
itself during a vessel docking requires an authorised PTW and a Risk Assessment as a minimum
before the work task can commence. In some cases, for jobs considered out with the normal dry dock
and site activities, a task based Method Statement will be required prior to any work commencing.

4.1 Permit to Work

The PTW will contain the following information:

 Job Number.
 Vessel name.
 Date.
 Area of work e.g. Engine room, Bridge, Main Deck, etc.
 Name of Nominated Responsible Person.
 Category of work e.g. Hot, Confined space, Mechanical, Electrical, Fabrication, Paining, etc.
 Name of all workers involved in work task.
 Scope of proposed work to be undertaken.

Page 3 of 9
Revision: 1
Special consideration should be given to the following subjects highlight on the PTW:

 General precautions
 PPE
 Hot work.
 Gas testing.
 Lifting operations
 Confined space entry.
 Isolations.
 Use of cherry pickers.

Permits should highlight the need for:

 Other personnel to be informed who may be affected by work task.
 Additional Lighting and or ventilation.
 Barrier off of work area and posting of warning signs.
 Need for radio communications.
 PPE requirements.

4.2 Risk Assessment

Risk Assessments should be based upon a specific task or specific elements within a task or activity.
The purpose of the RA is to put in place sensible health and safety measures to assess, control and
reduce the risks that arise in those tasks to as low a level as possible.

Risk assessments should be available to all employees involved in the specific work task and should
be communicated to them by the nominated responsible person during the work task tool box talk.

For further information see, XXX-OP-001, Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment.

4.3 Method Statement

Jobs that are considered out with the normal dry dock and site activities will require a completed task
based method statement prior to the work task commencing, jobs that require this will be decided
during the planning stage. Meetings will be held with, any or all of the following people in attendance:-

 Operations Manager
 Contracts Manager
 Project Manager
 HSE Manager
 HSE Advisor
 Client Representative
 Vessel Superintendent
 Dales Marine Foremen

Should any of the meeting attendees feel that the systems that are already in place are not sufficient
for the task that is to be undertaken then a method statement will be produced. This will be done with
the help of all employees involved, setting out a clear procedure with detailed instructions of how the
task is to be undertaken, carried out and completed. This method statement will then be
communicated to all employees involved in the specific work task by the nominated responsible
person during the tool box talk prior to work commencing.

When undertaking larger jobs, it is important to breakdown the activity into a sequence of steps at a
level of detail that neither omits part of the activity nor provides so much detail that the analysis loses
direction.

Page 4 of 9
Revision: 1
The method statement team must judge the appropriate level of detail required for the task, and the
completed method statement should include the following areas:-

 Activity - task being done.

 Description - a brief statement of the task being undertaken.
 Key Plant and Tools Required.
 Key Materials Required.
 Other Essential Equipment.
 Sequence of Operations
o Provides a statement of what must be done
o Begins with a verb (an action word e.g. install, remove, etc.)
o Ends with the subject being discussed (e.g. pump, valve, etc.)
o Does not identify any hazards or safety precautions

 Temporary Supports and Props Needed to Facilitate Work.

 Method of Access and Egress to the Work Area.
 Fall Protection Measures.
 Any Other requirements.

5.0 WORK CATEGORISATION

The following 7 areas of work are categorised on the PTW:-

Hot Work
This covers any work that involves the use of naked flame or equipment with the potential to produce
sparks or heat to such an extent that there would be a risk of fire.

 Naked flame burning or heating using oxygen/acetylene or oxygen/propane.

 Electrical welding.
 Use of portable grinders.

Confined Space Work

This covers work in areas where there could be any or all of the following:-

 Limited access
 A potential of a build-up of gases/fumes
 Poor ventilation and lighting

Work being undertaken in areas that could be considered as confined spaces could be task such as:-

 Removal of pumps or motors by Engineers in a tank or void space.

 Installation of fabricated steelwork or welding in a vessel tank.
 Painting or cleaning of vessel tanks.

Mechanical Work
Mechanical work would cover such jobs as:-

 Main engine repairs.

 Thruster, rudder, propeller and tail shaft, removal, repair and refitting.
 Work on pumps, motors, valves and compressors

Electrical
All work undertaken that involves the use of on site of contractor electricians.

 Isolation of motors, generators etc. before removal.

 Installation of new equipment.
 Installation of new electrical cabling.

Page 5 of 9
Revision: 1
Fabrication
Fabrication work being carried out on-board the vessel involving steel workers and welders, this type
of work would usually cover:-

 Fabrication of new pipework.

 Fabrication and installation of new steel work, shell plates, frames, handrails etc.
 Fitting of pre-fabricated structures.

Painting
This cover all work being carried out by the on-site DMS painters, including:-

 Blasting and cleaning prior to painting.

 Painting of vessel hull
 Painting of hand rails, internal and external steel work.

Other
Work that is not covered by the 6 main categories will be identified as other work, this is more likely to
be carried out by a specialised sub-contractor but could also include DMS work such as:-

 Removal and refitting of bridge windows.

 Fitting out of cabins.
 Wood work or fitting of deck boards.

6.0 PRECAUTIONS

In some work tasks it may be necessary for special precautions to be taken prior to the
commencement of the work task. These will be decided by the nominated responsible person in
charge of the work task after discussion with the [COMPANY NAME] operations department who will
issue the PTW. The area where extra precautions may be required and those precautions are:

General
 All personnel who may be effected by work task must be informed prior to work commencing
 Is there a requirement for additional access, lighting or ventilation
 Does the work area require warning signs and barriers
 Is radio contact required for testing/operating or communication purposes

PPE
 Hard hat to be worn
 Coveralls to be worn
 Safety boots to be worn
 Safety glasses/goggles or other full face visor to be worn
 Gloves that are appropriate for the task to be worn
 Safety harness to be worn when working at height
 Other safety equipment that maybe required

Hot work
 Is a fire watch required for the work task
 Is there a need for a safety watch during break periods
 Portables fire extinguishers to be at site
 Shielding required to prevent the spread of sparks

Gas free inspection of confined space

 Is a gas free inspection required prior to entry and commencement of work task
 Has an inspection been carried out by a competent person
 Name of competent person who carried out the gas free inspection

Page 6 of 9
Revision: 1
Lifting operations
 Are lifting operations required for the task
 Is there a competent banksman/slinger on site to carry out operations
 Is a lift plan required before the lift operations can commence
 Is there an appointed person on site for lifts classed as out with normal operations

Tank/confined space entry

 Has the system to be worked on been isolated
 Is there a need for additional ventilation
 Is there additional lighting to be provided for work area
 Has a standby man been appointed if required
 Has the [COMPANY NAME] rescue team been made aware of the entry into the confined
space/tank

Isolations (mechanical/electrical/hydraulic)
 Is there a mechanical isolation required and has it been completed by a competent person
 Is there an electrical isolation required and has it been completed by a competent person
 Is there a hydraulic isolation required and has it been completed by a competent person

MEWP/cherry picker
 Is there going to be a MEWP/cherry picker used on the work task
 Is there a certified operator in place for using the equipment

7.0 PROCEDURE

A permit to work is required prior to the commencement of any work task in the [COMPANY NAME]
dry dock or on-board a vessel while a vessel is in dock. All permits to work will be issued from the
[COMPANY NAME] operations Office and will be authorised by one of the following authorising
persons:-

 Operations manager
 Assistant manager
 [COMPANY NAME] foreman

The nominated responsible person (NRP) in charge of the work task will contact the [COMPANY
NAME] operations office and inform the authorising person of the work that is to be carried out. The
NRP could be a [COMPANY NAME] employees, [COMPANY NAME] contractor, vessel crew member
or vessel contractor depending on who is carrying out the work task.

Once the [COMPANY NAME] authorising person has been informed of the work task he will then, with
the help of the NRP, fill out the PTW. The NRP will provide the authorising person all of the
information required and listed in section 4.1 of this procedure.

Once the PTW has been completed the [COMPANY NAME] authorising person will sign the PTW
thereby giving authorisation to the NRP that the work task can commence.

The NRP will then sign the PTW to accept his duties and will then be required to insure all RA and MS
that are in place are communicated to the work party and that he carries out a tool box talk with the
work party prior to the work task commencing.

The PTW comes in in three coloured parts, a white, yellow and pink part:-

 The yellow copy will be kept by the [COMPANY NAME] authorising person for display in the
[COMPANY NAME] operations office for reference as to what work is being carried out during
the work shift.

Page 7 of 9
Revision: 1
  The white copy of the PTW will be issued to the permit station on the vessel by the NRP for
the reference of the ships staff as to what work is being carried out during the work shift.
 The pink copy will be kept by the NRP for his reference and for health and safety inspection
purpose during the work shift.

The NRP will be subject to random checks to ensure that the PTW and the precautions listed on it are
being followed. If the NRP is asked to produce his pink copy of the PTW by the following people then
he must do so:-

 DMS Operations Manager

 DMS Assistant manager
 DMS HSE Manager
 DMS HSE Advisor
 DMS Foremen
 Client Representative
 Vessel Superintendent
 Client or Vessel HSE personnel
 Other senior DMS, Client or Vessel Staff

On completion of the work task or the daily shift then the NRP must ensure that:-

 Work has been completed or left in a safe condition until next shift commences
 All tools and equipment have been removed or made safe until the next shift commences
 The vessel has been informed that normal operations can resume or that work will be
continuing on the next shift

At the end of the daily shift or on completion of the work task, the NRP must collect the white part of
the PTW from the vessel permit station and return it along with the pink part they have been holding
during the work task to the [COMPANY NAME] operations office.

They will then inform the [COMPANY NAME] authorising person that they have complete the work
task of that they have left the work site in a safe state until the commencement of the next shift. The
[COMPANY NAME] authorising person will then return the PTW yellow copy to the NRP who will then
sign off all three copies to close out the permit.

Once the NRP has closed off the PTW it is returned to the [COMPANY NAME] authorising person
who will accept that the work task has been completed or that the work site has been left in a safe
state, and then sign off the PTW on behalf of [COMPANY NAME] thus closing of the PTW for that
shift.

The closed PTW will then be placed in the daily file for collecting by the HSE Advisor who will ensure
all PTW have been returned and closed off correctly.

8.0 PTW PERIOD OF VALIDITY/SHIFT CHANGE

All PTW will be valid for a period of 12 hours from the time of authorisation by the [COMPANY NAME]
operations department. PTW are not transferable over a shift change, e.g. if a PTW has been opened
on the morning and the work task is continuing on to a nightshift then the NRP on dayshift must close
off his PTW at the end of their shift and the NRP on nightshift must then take out a new PTW for the
continuation of the work task. This will work in the reverse for the following dayshift, nightshift closing
off the PTW and dayshift opening a new PTW prior to the work continuing.

The NRP must be on site to supervise the work task they are undertaking at all times, should there be
the need for the NRP to leave the site then the PTW must be closed off. A new NRP, who will
continue to be onsite and supervise the work task, will then be required to open a PTW for the work
task to continue. The new PTW will be valid for a period of 12 hours from the time it is authorised by
the [COMPANY NAME] operations department.

Page 8 of 9
Revision: 1
9.0 TRAINING

All [COMPANY NAME] personnel will receive training on how to correctly fill out the site PTW, this will
be carried out by the HSE Manager/HSE Advisor.

The NRP for all contractors, vessel crew etc. will be given a site specific safety induction before
commencing any work on site. This induction will highlight the correct procedure for filling out,
distribution and closing off of site PTW.

All contractor, vessel crew etc. NRP will be given assistance and instruction by the authorising person
in the [COMPANY NAME] operations office on how to complete the PTW.

10.0 RECORDS

All closed and completed PTW will be filed in the QHSE office by the HSE Advisor and kept on file for
a period of no less than 6 months for inspection and audit purposes.

11.0 REVIEW

This procedure will be reviewed regularly, at a minimum on a yearly basis, at the annual management
meeting. Additional review maybe required due to changes in legislation, operations, technology,
personnel etc.

Page 9 of 9
Revision: 1