In brief
A permit to work system ensures that non-routine, high-risk jobs such as hot work, confined space entry, work at height and electrical work are planned in writing before they start, checked on site and approved by an authorised person, and that the area is safely handed back when the job is finished. In explosive atmospheres, a work permit is a regulatory requirement where the explosion protection document deems it necessary. In other workplaces, the jobs subject to a permit come from the risk assessment.
What is a permit to work system?
On a Saturday, a maintenance team is going to weld on a pipeline next to a solvent tank. Production has stopped, nobody has checked whether there is residue in the tank, and the fire extinguisher has been left in the workshop. This picture, in which the job is started as "an hour's work", is exactly the situation a permit to work system exists to prevent.
A permit to work system is a control system that ensures a non-routine, high-risk job is defined in writing before it starts, the necessary controls are checked on site, it is approved by an authorised person, it is monitored for its duration and the area is safely handed back when the job is finished. This is also the short answer to the question of what a work permit is: a permit is not a form but a written agreement between the person doing the job and the person responsible for the area where it is done.
The system has three basic aims:
- That nobody starts work before the area is prepared and hazardous energies are brought under control,
- That jobs in the same area that affect each other (for example welding and painting) are not done at the same time,
- That when the job is finished, it is certain that guards have been refitted, locks removed and no fire, open opening or gas has been left behind.
Where does the work permit appear in the legislation?
In Turkish legislation there is no single provision saying "a permit to work system shall be set up" for all workplaces; but the concept appears directly or indirectly in several regulations:
- Explosive atmospheres: Under Annex 2, item 1.2 of the Regulation on the Protection of Employees from the Dangers of Explosive Atmospheres, where deemed necessary in the explosion protection document, work in hazardous places is carried out in accordance with the employer's written instructions; a permit to work system is applied for hazardous jobs and for jobs that may create a hazard by affecting other activities. The work permit is given in writing before the work starts by the person authorised and responsible for this.
- Risk assessment: Art. 8 of the Risk Assessment Regulation lists "work permit documents to be obtained under the relevant legislation before starting work" among the information to be gathered when identifying hazards.
- Maintenance: Annex I, item 2.13 of the Work Equipment Regulation requires maintenance to be carried out with the equipment switched off, its energy disconnected and all movement stopped. The permit system is the evidence that this requirement is met on site.
- Coordination: Art. 23 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety requires employers sharing the same working area to cooperate and coordinate. For work done in your factory by contractors, the permit system is the most concrete tool for this coordination.
The practical conclusion is this: if your risk assessment identifies non-routine high-risk jobs, a written permit system is the most effective and most easily proven way of controlling them.
Types of work permit: which jobs need a permit?
Your risk assessment determines the list of jobs subject to a permit. The types of work permit most often encountered in production facilities are:
| Permit type | Example jobs | Main hazard | Checks required in the permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot work | Welding, cutting, grinding, heating with an open flame | Fire, explosion | Removing or covering combustibles, gas measurement if needed, extinguisher, fire watch, post-work check |
| Confined space entry | Tanks, silos, wells, ducts, manholes | Oxygen deficiency, toxic or flammable gas, engulfment | Isolation, ventilation, pre-entry and continuous gas measurement, attendant outside, rescue plan |
| Work at height | Roofs, on top of machines, maintenance outside a platform | Falls, falling objects | Suitable equipment, guardrail or anchorage, closing off the area below, weather conditions |
| Electrical work | Panel, line and transformer work | Electric shock, arc | Isolating the energy, lockout, measuring the absence of voltage, competent person |
| Maintenance requiring energy isolation | Maintenance of presses, conveyors, hydraulic systems | Unexpected movement, pressurised fluid | Isolating all energy sources, lock and tag, verifying zero energy |
| Excavation and ground drilling | Foundations, trenches, anchor holes | Buried cables and pipes, collapse | Checking utility plans, edge protection, shoring |
| Line breaking | Opening a chemical, steam or compressed air line | Chemical splashes, pressure | Draining and isolating the line, releasing pressure, PPE |
For the legal definition of work at height and the order of controls, see our article what is work at height, and for chemical risks our article on OHS rules for working with chemicals. We will cover the forms for hot work and confined space permits in detail in separate articles.
Roles: the permit issuer, the permit holder and others
Whether a permit system works depends on it being clear who signs what and what that signature proves.
| Role | Usually who? | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Permit holder (person in charge of the job) | The leader of the team doing the job; maintenance technician or contractor's supervisor | Defines the job and risks, briefs their team, carries out the job in line with the permit conditions, closes the permit when finished |
| Permit issuer (area owner) | The person responsible for the area where the job is done; production or maintenance supervisor | Has the area prepared, checks controls on site, signs the permit, takes the area back when the job is finished |
| Authorising person | Plant manager | Determines in writing who may issue which type of permit |
| Watch and person taking measurements | Fire watch, confined space attendant, competent person taking gas measurements | Stays on site for the duration of the job, stops the job if conditions change |
| OHS specialist | Appointed specialist | Designs the system, gives training, audits and improves implementation |
Two principles are important. First, the permit issuer and the permit holder must not be the same person; otherwise the system turns into a person approving their own work. Second, the OHS specialist should not be the person who signs every permit. The permit is issued by the person who knows the area best and has authority there; the specialist's role is to audit that the system is working correctly.
Permit to work procedure: the life cycle of a permit
A good permit to work procedure defines the following steps for every permit:
- Request: The description of the job, location, date, duration, team and equipment to be used are written down.
- Risk analysis: Job-specific hazards and controls are identified; where necessary an additional checklist (hot work, confined space, work at height) is attached.
- Preparing the area: Energy isolation and lockout, draining the line, ventilation, gas measurement and removal of combustibles are carried out.
- Joint check and signature on site: The permit issuer and holder check the controls together on site, not at a desk, and sign.
- Briefing the team: Before work starts, the team is told the conditions in the permit and what to do in an emergency. The permit is posted at the place of work.
- Monitoring: If conditions change (a gas alarm, strong wind, another job starting nearby), the job is stopped and the permit suspended.
- Closing: When the job is finished, guards are refitted, locks removed, the area cleaned and the permit issuer takes the area back. For hot work, the area is checked for a further period after the job is finished.
- Archiving and review: Closed permits are kept and reviewed periodically.
The validity period of the permit must be written clearly in the procedure. How ongoing work is handed over at shift change is also a matter that needs to be defined separately.
Steps to set up a permit to work system
For production facilities in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, we recommend setting up the system in this order:
- Inventory: Extract the non-routine jobs carried out in the last year from maintenance records and contractor lists.
- Define the scope: Put in writing which jobs are subject to a permit according to the risk assessment; for grey areas, set the rule "if in doubt, get a permit".
- Design the forms: Prepare a general permit form and additional checklists by type of job. Keep the form short; a ten-page form that nobody reads is useless.
- Define authorisations: Define with a named list who may issue which type of permit in which area.
- Train: Give practical on-site training to permit issuers and holders; contractors are also included in this training.
- Pilot: Apply the system in one department first, fix the problems, then roll it out.
- Audit: The specialist should randomly check some open permits on site every month; findings should turn into training and form improvements.
Work done by contractors in your factory is the weakest link in the permit system; it is also frequently questioned in OEM audits. On this subject see our article on preparing for supplier OHS audits, and for the machine side of energy isolation before maintenance, our article on machine guards. For work on pressure vessels and lines, the rules in our article on pressure vessels and compressor tanks can serve as input to the permit checklist.
Identifying the jobs subject to a permit, preparing the procedure and forms for your workplace and auditing implementation are part of our OHS specialist service; the hazards of jobs subject to a permit are entered in the risk assessment document. Hot work and line breaking permits are especially important in chemicals and plastics and metal and machinery facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a permit to work system a legal requirement?
In explosive atmospheres, a work permit is a regulatory requirement where the explosion protection document deems it necessary. For other workplaces there is no single general provision; however, if the risk assessment shows high-risk non-routine jobs, a permit system is the most suitable way to control these risks and prove that control.
Which jobs require a work permit?
Typically hot work, confined space entry, non-routine work at height, electrical work, maintenance requiring energy isolation, excavation and opening chemical or pressurised lines. The definitive list comes from your workplace's risk assessment.
Should the OHS specialist sign the work permit?
No, they are not required to sign it, and it is not recommended for the specialist to sign every permit. The permit is issued by the person responsible for the area where the job is done and who has been authorised. The specialist sets up the system, gives training and audits implementation.
How long is a work permit valid?
There is no fixed period in the legislation. Define the validity period in your procedure; a practical approach is to limit the permit to a single shift or a specific time window. When the period expires or conditions change, the permit is renewed.
A certified specialist matched to your hazard class: site inspections, approved logbook, training plan, annual plan and report follow-up.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.