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Permit to Work
Hot work, plant isolation, confined-space activity or overlapping contractors can need formal coordination. Describe when the issue started and any change in use, operation or layout. A clear history helps distinguish a new fault from an existing limitation or a planned improvement.
Discuss your requirementsDefined services, clearly scoped.
Overview
For an estate instruction, list affected sites separately. One recurring symptom can have different causes on different installations, so retain the local history and restrictions.
What the work can include
Define permit categories and roles; identify task prerequisites; coordinate issue, suspension and handback; retain completed records. The agreed scope should state which areas or equipment are included, what is excluded and the form of the completion record.
Use asset or location references that can be matched to your existing records. This makes the findings useful for budget decisions, repeat work and subsequent inspections.
Important decisions
A permit records authorisation under specified conditions. It does not replace the risk assessment, competence or physical controls needed for the work.
Assessment and preparation
Provide site rules, hazardous tasks, isolation procedures, operating contacts and current permit forms.
Name the site contact, technical approver and person who will receive the action list. Identify permit, shutdown and contractor coordination requirements before arranging attendance.
How the work proceeds
Map the work and conflicts, agree who can authorise and verify controls, then establish handover and closure arrangements.
Where the work forms part of a wider programme, agree the order of sites and the route for escalating material findings. Keep partial completion visible rather than closing a whole site while actions remain open.
Cost, timing and disruption
Task range, shifts, multiple employers and the complexity of isolations affect the arrangement. The enquiry and available records establish what can be priced directly and what needs a site assessment first.
A coordinated programme can group suitable tasks, but access windows and operational dependencies still need to be checked for each building. Agree how additional findings will be reported and priced.
Applications across sectors
Laboratories and industrial premises may have process-specific substances and equipment. Managing agents need clear landlord and occupier interfaces; education and care premises require coordination around vulnerable users. Duties and controls should follow the actual setting. Browse the full sector range and describe the actual building use when enquiring.
Frequently asked questions
Can a signed permit make an unsafe task acceptable?
No. The necessary controls must be established and maintained; changed conditions require the task and authorisation to be reconsidered.
What information should I send about permit to work?
Provide site rules, hazardous tasks, isolation procedures, operating contacts and current permit forms. Include the location and the decision you need to make, such as investigating a fault, planning a repair or setting up a programme.
What affects the price and programme?
Task range, shifts, multiple employers and the complexity of isolations affect the arrangement. Any further investigation or additional work should have a clear scope before it is authorised.
What should the completion information explain?
It should identify the equipment or areas covered, the work and checks performed, limitations and unresolved actions. Match the records to your site and asset references so the next inspection or maintenance visit can use them.