Permit to Work Procedure

Last Updated: December 31st, 2022/Views: 15557/8 min read/
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Permit to Work Procedure

1. Roles & Responsibilities

Role Responsibility Position
Subsystem Owner The PTW Subsystem Owner shall be responsible for ensuring:

  • To maintain a high standard of quality and content for all PTW system documentation.
  • To ensure that the system in place delivers the necessary documentation to users
  • To define the tools required for PTW system, including location boards, isolation tools like padlocks and tags
  • To ensure that briefing is delivered on any changes to the system
  • To ensure that auditing is being done as per the audit scheme
  • To ensure that all personnel are trained and competent in the operation of the PTW system appropriate to their role in the system;
  • HSE Manager
Responsible Supervisor Person responsible for implementation of the PTW System at the work site

Pre-task responsibilities:

  • Verifies that all hazards have been identified;
  • Confirms that risk assessment includes the controls needed to prevent harm to personnel, asset and the environment;
  • Agrees that the work can be done on particular equipment at the proposed time;
  • Confirms that there is no conflict between activities and will incorporate all necessary controls to prevent interactions prior to approving PTW for activities taking place simultaneously;
  • Examines the worksite, normally with the Permit Holder, before authorising the PTW, to ensure that all hazards have been identified and controls recorded;
  • Establishes effective communication between concurrent activities, for shift handovers & within the workgroup itself;
  • Approves and issues PTW;
  • Attends TRIC talks for activities that hold a higher level of risk, and certainly for any breaking containment issues;

During task implementation:

  • Ensures all prevention & mitigation measures specified in the PTW are complied with at all times during the execution of the activities through spot audits;
  • Suspends PTW if any deviation is occurred or unsafe condition arises;

Post-task responsibilities:

  • Inspects the site to verify that area is safe, equipment can be operated as required and normal operations can resume;
  • Cancels PTW on satisfactory completion of the work;

Responsible Supervisor shall ensure that any another person taking over his responsibilities is aware of the status of open PTW in his area.

  • Rig Manager (days)
  • Night Tool Pusher (nights)
  •  Catering Maintenance Supervisor (Camps)
PTW Holder Person who applies for PTW and executes or supervises the work

Pre-task responsibilities:

  • Applies for PTW and Supervises throughout the work;
  • Clearly Understands the conditions under which the work is to be carried out;
  • Posts the original of PTW at the work location for the entire duration of the work;
  • Briefs the working party on details of the PTW with specific reference to potential risks and ensuring they understand the controls in place including emergency response procedures and methods of raising and responding to alarms;

During task implementation:

  • Ensures the work is executed according to the specified requirements;
  • Ensures controls are maintained throughout the work activity;
  • Suspends PTW if any deviation occurs or unsafe condition arises;

Post-task responsibilities:

  • Upon completion of the work, inspects the work site to ensure it is in a safe and environmentally sound condition;
  • Coordinates the closure of the PTW with the Responsible Supervisor;
Unit Crew or Service Personnel
PTW Administrator Person responsible for the administration of all the works covered by PTW. PTW Administrator is a focal point between all affected parties.

Responsibilities:

  • Maintains PTW Board
  • Maintains PTW Register
  • Maintains RA Register
  • Administers Isolation Certificates
  • Quality checks PTW on a daily basis
Admin
Isolator Person performing either Mechanical or Electrical Isolation.

Responsibilities:

  • Carry out electrical/mechanical isolations and de-isolation on the equipment
  • Fill Isolation Certificate
  • Electrician
  • Mechanic

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2. Activities Requiring PTW

Hot Work

 

A Hot Work is a work with a potential source of ignition or if it may produce a possible source of ignition. Examples:

  • Grinding
  • Chipping

Exemption:

  • Hotwork in Welding Shop
Work at Height

 

Working above 2 m where fixed or temporary guarding is not provided is considered as Work at Height.

Examples:

  • Manriding Activities by Winch, Crane or Telehandler
  • Scaffold erection
  • Greasing on Crown block

Exemption:

  • Derrickman racking pipes on Monkeyboard level
Works with Dangerous Substances

 

Examples:

  • Work with radioactive materials
  • Work with explosives
  • Work with Chemicals without SHOC card
  • Work with NORM contaminated equipment
  • Any other, as required by Rig Management
Pressure Testing

 

Pressure testing of equipment, piping systems or hoses according to relevant procedures.

Examples:

  • Cement Unit pressure testing.
  • Any pressure tests not part of current rig work (e.g. Pre-test of BOP / test manifold / choke manifold)
Confined Space Entry

 

A confined space is any area with limited or restricted means for entry or exit and is not designed for continuous occupancy.

Examples of confined spaces:

  • Cellar
  • Mud Tanks
  • Sewage tanks
  • Water tanks
  • Silos
  • Hydrocarbon tanks
Well Operation/Well Intervention

 

 

Examples:

  • Wireline operation/production logging
  • Perforation
  • Well stimulation
  • Coiled tubing operation
  • Setting plug in or removal of X-mass tree.
Isolation of Safety System

 

Work that involves isolation and testing or bypassing of safety systems.

Examples of safety systems:

  • Emergency shutdown systems
  • Firefighting systems
  • Pressure Relief systems
  • Detection systems
  • Alarm systems
  • Emergency power and non-interruptible power supply
  • BOP and diverter systems
  • Any other system designed or used to form a safety barrier.
  • Crown-o-Matic
  • Floor-o-Matic

For detailed listing of safety systems refer to HSE Case

Lifting Examples:

  • Lifting Personnel
  • Lifting more than 5t
  • All non-routine operations
Other Any operation that may pose a hazard due to its nature, or due to lack of safety barriers.

Examples:

  • Non-routine maintenance in mast during normal operations
  • Working on equipment that requires any kind of isolation, either mechanical or electrical.
  • Re-charging of Nitrogen Bottles.
  • Grit blasting.
  • Pressure cleaning of tubulars by contractor.
  • Work on any Drilling Critical Equipment while drilling or workover
  • Opening various valves that might lead to a spill of hazardous substances to the nature
  • Installation of any third party equipment
  • Excavation on location while Unit is operating
  • Any Maintenance of any auto start or remote starting equipment

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3. Validity

The validity of a PTW shall not exceed 12 hrs or the duration of a shift and must be clearly indicated on the PTW.

PTW is not transferable between shifts.

PTW is no longer valid whenever a change occurs in:

  • Personnel carrying out PTW Holder duties;
  • Personnel carrying out Responsible Supervisor duties;
  • Working conditions, that were not anticipated when issuing the PTW;
  • Unsafe Condition arises;
  • Any of the main Emergency Alarms is sounded.

Under no circumstances, shall a task that is the subject to PTW be continued if the issued Permit has expired. Each PTW has to be logged into the PTW Register using consecutive numbering and description.

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4. Distribution and Filing

Upon approval by the Responsible Supervisor the PTW shall be distributed as follows:

  • White (Original) – shall be posted on the PTW Board.
  • Pink – displayed on the worksite, at the location where the task will be carried out;

Upon completion of the relevant task PTW shall be closed and filed as follows:

  • All PTW forms shall be collected and the original copy shall be signed off by the PTW Holder and by the Responsible Supervisor;
  • After the PTW is canceled, the original (White) shall be filed appropriately and the PTW Register updated. Other PTW copies shall be discarded;
  • Each Unit shall retain the closed PTW for at least 6 month after they are issued;
  • Supplementary Certificates and Documents shall be attached to and filed with their respective PTW.

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5. Completion and Close Out

Once the work is completed, following sequence should be maintained to ensure safe completion of work and restoration of safe working environment to resume normal activities:

  • The PTW Holder shall ensure that the equipment and work area are restored to a normal working condition;
  • The PTW Holder signs off;
  • Responsible Supervisor conducts site visit, reviews work area, the equipment;
  • Responsible Supervisor permits de-isolations to be done if any;
  • Responsible Supervisor then signs off the permit. This cancels the PTW.

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6.  Isolation and LOTO

Before a PTW can be issued for a task it may be necessary to isolate equipment or plant to be worked on. This has to be done by applying appropriate LOTO practices in order to establish the controlled process for isolation or de-isolation. As a minimum requirement LOTO have to be applied when:

  • Person(s) working on the equipment does not have a sole control of an energy source supplying the equipment;
  • When repair, replacement, or modification is made to equipment powered by an electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical or thermal energy source;
  • When repair or maintenance work requires the removal or bypassing of equipment protective guard.

The Isolation Certificate shall be raised before a PTW is issued and shall remain in force until all PTW associated with it are canceled.

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7. Auditing

The PTW System must be audited to verify its effectiveness.

Rig Manager is responsible for ensuring that 10% of all PTW issued each day are subject to a site audit during the work and the findings of this recorded in the PTW Register kept by the Work Permit Administrator.

The audits are to be conducted by the Rig Manager or persons nominated by him. The audit should include a review of the risk assessments associated with the PTW to ensure it is suitability and sufficiency.

Management will similarly audit a minimum of one PTW during each routine visit.

The system will also be audited during the regular Management System Audits and will be reviewed and revised as necessary to maintain its effectiveness.

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8. Restrictions

  1. Under NO circumstances shall the Responsible Supervisor approve the PTW for the work to be carried out by himself.

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9. Flowchart

PTW-Flowchart

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10. Documentation & Records

 

One Comment

  1. Yazid Boushaba November 23, 2023 at 3:52 pm - Reply

    Hi, in my company PTW administrator is called coordinator , is it the same job in multinational companies or not?

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