Hi all,

I am needing some clarification regarding the creation of a permit to work system.

Does the person issuing/authorizing the permit need to be competent at performing the job or is it sufficient to be competent in identifying the hazards and control measures estimating the risk and be aware of the relevant legislation?

Thanks and best regards

Hi ehsa

It will depend on your corporate PtW protocol and the actual work for which the PtW is being issued.

In many instances a good case could be made for the PtW Issuer to only be competent in following a pre-determined check-list of LOTO requirements and recording - ie when shutting a plant down for routine maintenance. Of course, whoever actually devised that specific PtW protocol & checklist must be sufficiently competent.

For the example you provide:- "Does the person issuing/authorizing the permit need to be competent at performing the job or is it sufficient to be competent in identifying the hazards and control measures estimating the risk and be aware of the relevant legislation?" I see this as a "non-routine" event and that will require a thorough RA and possibly extensive research before producing the PtW protocol for that activity that could be considered suitable and sufficient. This would probably require more than one person input - all of whom must be sufficiently competent to understand the standards to be achieved [inc legislative requirements] and be of sufficient authority to sign it off.

Differing organisations will have their own "pet" PtW protocols.

Frank Hallett