In brief
The legislation provides no ready-made working at height permit form, but it does require the work to be planned in advance, collective protection to be given priority and a competent person to supervise. A good form turns these requirements into a checklist signed on site. Using the example of cleaning a roof gutter and servicing a fan, this article shows the sections of the form, the pre-work checks, who signs what and how the permit is closed.
Why should a working at height permit be written?
There is no template in the legislation called a "working at height permit form". However, Annex 4 of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety in Construction Works requires working at height to be planned in advance, collective protection measures to be given priority, equipment to be checked regularly and the work to be carried out under the supervision and control of a competent person appointed by the employer. Annex 1 of the same regulation also lists maintenance, painting and cleaning among construction works; so maintenance on a factory roof also falls within these rules.
The most practical tool for showing that these requirements are met on site is a written permit. The form records that the crew doing the work, the person responsible for the area and the person supervising have all carried out the same checks at the same time. We explained the general logic of the permit system in our article on what a permit to work system is, and the definition of working at height and the order of measures in our article on what working at height is. Here we focus on the form itself.
Example job: roof gutter cleaning and fan maintenance
Let us complete the form for a concrete job. On the sandwich panel roof of a production building, the gutter running alongside the rooflights is to be cleaned and the belt of a roof fan replaced. Two people from the maintenance team will do the work; access to the roof will be via the fixed ladder on the outside wall. There is no guardrail at the roof edge, and the rooflights are fragile.
This description shows why the form cannot be dealt with by ticking a single "working at height" box. The same job involves four separate hazards: falling from the edge, falling through a rooflight, the fan starting unexpectedly and tools falling below. For the specific risks of roof work, see our article on roof work and solar installations.
The working at height permit form section by section
The table below shows the sections of a good working at height permit form and what is written in them for the example job:
| Section | What is written for the example job | Who checks? |
|---|---|---|
| Permit details | Permit no., date, time window 08.30–12.00, "Block B roof, north gutter and fan no. 3" | Permit issuer |
| Job description | Gutter cleaning and fan belt replacement; tools to be used | Permit holder |
| Crew | Names of the two workers, date of working at height training, fitness for work status | Permit holder, workplace physician's record |
| Hazards | Roof edge, fragile rooflight, fan starting, falling tools, wind | Permit holder and issuer together |
| Access | Fixed ladder; back guard and handholds checked | Permit issuer |
| Collective protection | Temporary covers over rooflights, temporary edge protection at the work zone | Permit issuer |
| Personal protection | Full body harness, shock-absorbing lanyard, temporary lifeline and anchorage | Permit holder |
| Linked permits | Energy isolation for the fan: panel locked and tagged | Permit issuer |
| Area below | Pedestrian walkway in front of the building closed off with tape | Permit issuer |
| Rescue | Equipment for lowering a suspended worker and the person on the ground identified | Permit issuer |
| Signatures | Permit holder, permit issuer, crew members | All |
| Close-out | Time, condition of the area, confirmation that removed measures have been reinstated | Permit holder and issuer |
The "linked permits" row on the form matters. In fan maintenance, the real hazard is the fan being started remotely while the belt is being changed; so the working at height permit should not be considered valid until energy isolation has been carried out. For lockout and tagout steps, see our article on LOTO lockout-tagout.
Checklist before working at height
The form can be prepared in the office, but the checks below must be carried out at the place where the work starts, on that day. These items, added to the form as a permit to work checklist, must be ticked "yes" before work starts:
- Weather: Do wind, rain, icing or visibility prevent the work? Annex II of the Work Equipment Regulation requires temporary work at height to be carried out only in weather conditions that do not endanger workers' safety.
- Harness: Are there cuts, burns or open stitching in the webbing; do the buckles work; is the periodic inspection label up to date?
- Lanyard and shock absorber: Is the shock absorber undeployed, and do the hooks lock automatically?
- Anchorage and lifeline: Has the attachment point been identified and its strength documented? For choosing an anchorage, see our article on anchorage points and lifelines.
- Free fall distance: Are the lanyard length and the shock absorber's deployment allowance sufficient for the worker to stop before hitting the structure below?
- Fragile surfaces: Have the rooflights been covered or has passage over them been physically prevented?
- Access: Is the fixed ladder sound, and if a portable ladder is to be used, is it secured?
- Area below: Has the area been closed off against falling tools and materials, and are tools tethered to the wrist or harness?
- Energy: Have sources such as fans, conveyors or electrical lines been isolated, locked and tested?
- Communication: Can the crew on the roof communicate with the person on the ground by phone or radio?
- Rescue: Is the rescue equipment on site and is the person who will use it there?
- People: Does anyone in the crew have a condition specific to that day, such as dizziness, lack of sleep or medication?
For the pre-use check and periodic inspection of the harness see our article on the full body harness, and for medical fitness see our article on the health report for working at height.
Signing authority: who signs the form?
Each signature on a working at height permit represents a different responsibility. The business should determine who the signatories will be with a written authorisation list:
- Permit holder (job lead): The leader of the crew doing the work. Explains the hazards to the crew, checks personal protective equipment and carries out the work in line with the conditions on the form.
- Permit issuer (area owner): The person responsible for the roof or the department. Signs after seeing the collective protection, energy isolation and closure of the area below on site. The "competent person" supervision required by the Construction Works OHS Regulation is usually provided through this role.
- Crew members: Confirm with their signatures that they have been briefed and understand the conditions.
- OHS specialist: Designs the permit system, prepares the form, trains permit issuers and audits practice. They do not need to sign every permit individually, but their opinion should be sought for unusual jobs.
If a subcontractor crew is to work, the permit is issued within the principal employer's permit system; if the contractor wants to use its own form, it should be confirmed in advance that the two forms contain the same checks.
Closing the permit: the last and most often skipped step
When the work is finished, the permit does not close by itself just because the crew has come down from the roof. The close-out section should answer these questions:
- Has the whole crew come down to safe ground?
- Have tools, materials and waste been collected from the roof?
- Have temporarily removed guards been put back? Annex II of the Work Equipment Regulation requires collective protection removed for a specific job to be reinstated when the work is finished.
- Has the temporary lifeline been dismantled, or left safely in place for the next job?
- Who removed the lock on the fan, in what order, and has the fan been tested?
- Has the tape in the area below been removed and the area handed back to the area owner?
If the work is left unfinished, for example because the wind has picked up or the shift has ended, the permit is suspended and the checks are repeated for the crew that will continue. Continuing to work on the old permit at shift handover is one of the most common mistakes we see on site.
Common mistakes
- A daily "general" permit: Writing a single permit for the whole day and the whole roof. A permit should be limited to a specific job, place and time window.
- A form completed at a desk: A form signed without the checks being made on site only produces paper.
- A harness but no anchorage: A harness with no identified point for the worker to attach to provides no protection.
- Forgetting the rooflights: Focusing on edge falls and overlooking fragile surfaces.
- Inspection dates for scaffolds and platforms: The periodic inspection interval is 6 months for construction scaffolding and at most 1 year for lifting equipment such as scissor lifts; the form should ask for the inspection date. To track the calendar, you can use the OHS calendar tool.
As part of its OHS specialist service, Bursa Sistemer prepares the permit form according to the business's jobs, trains permit issuers and audits practice on site. For where the permit arrangement fits on construction sites, see our construction sector page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a working at height permit form a legal requirement?
The legislation does not prescribe a specific form template. However, it does require the work to be planned in advance, collective protection to be given priority and a competent person to supervise. A written permit is the most practical way to show that these requirements are met.
How long is a working at height permit valid?
The business sets the duration; good practice is to limit a permit to a single job, place and shift. If weather conditions, the crew or the scope of work change, the permit is suspended and the checks are repeated.
Should the OHS specialist sign the permit form?
It is not mandatory. The person responsible for the area issues the permit, and the leader of the crew doing the work receives it. The specialist sets up the system, trains permit issuers and audits practice; their opinion should be sought for unusual jobs.
Can a subcontractor crew use its own permit form?
It can, but if the work is done on the principal employer's site, the permit should be issued within the principal employer's system. Differences between the two forms should be resolved before work starts, and the area owner's signature must always be obtained.
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.