WHAT IS THE YARRA VALLEY WATER ACCESS PERMIT SYSTEM?
The Access Permit System has been established to:
• provide a concentric system of all elements associated with our requirements for Access Permits and Confined
Space activities
• define the adopted Access Permit process
• link all of the relevant business control documents to the adopted process
WHO OWNS THE YARRA VALLEY WATER ACCESS PERMIT SYSTEM?
The Access Permit System is owned by Yarra Valley Water‟s Risk Management Division.
The following Divisions are stakeholders in the System and shall be consulted regarding any additions, deletions and/or amendments:
• Field Maintenance
• Yarra Valley Waters Maintenance Contractor
• Network Operations
• Treatment Plants and Trade Waste
• Mechanical, Electrical & SCADA Services
• Asset Creation
WHAT IS AN ACCESS PERMIT?
An Access Permit is an authority to access Yarra Valley Water assets:
Access Permits are registered through our Asset Infrastructure Management System (AIMS) as a Service Request
(SR) or Work Order (WO), such as a SR/WO raised within AIMS for an actual job (e.g., burst, renewal, inspection, commissioning, etc).
It could also be a SR created in AIMS where no work is being performed (e.g., Yarra Valley Water employee operational task, site visits, Trade Waste site visit, Utilities accessing their towers, etc).
For work that requires the opening of multiple manholes, the Yarra Valley Water project manager only needs to raise one job for up to 10 manholes. The rules to this are:
• no physical entry is required into the manhole*
• the „up to 10‟ manholes must be on the same sewer line
• each branch in the sewer line requires a new Work Order or Service Request (e.g. a line that is on the same street is considered the same line whereas the line that goes off down another street is considered a branch and requires a second job number

• the first of the „up to 10‟ manholes to be opened should be the asset registered in the Work Order or Service
Request as this will be the starting point for any emergency response.
Examples of this are:
• CCTV works down / up a line
• root cutting or jetting a sewer line
• surveying a sewer line.
*NOTE: If the person performing the work requires physical entry into the manhole (e.g. CSE) then a Work Order or
Service Request is required for each manhole.
A job raised to complete works (i.e., the SR/WO reference number) may also be used as the Access Permit number for authorised site access.
NOTE: Only authorised personnel are permitted to work on Yarra Valley Water asset infrastructure.
WHY DO WE NEED ACCESS PERMITS?
The Access Permit Process has been developed as part of the company‟s Risk Management Framework. Its intent is to minimise the probability and/or consequence of an injury or loss to employees and our assets. It has been designed as a control measure for field activities.
Access Permits are;
1.
a mitigating control for which Yarra Valley Water can monitor activities on assets and safeguard contractors/personnel & the community
2.
a means in which our OH&S requirements can be achieved
3.
a means for invoking emergency services in the case of mishap, injury & OH&S risks
4.
a register of works for protection in security breaches
WHO REQUIRES AN ACCESS PERMIT?
Employee of Yarra Valley Water or a 3 rd party stakeholder.
Employee Definition
An “Employee” is anyone engaged by Yarra Valley Water to perform work on Yarra Valley Water‟s assets, e.g., permanent staff, maintenance contractors & their subcontractors and contractors/consultants engaged to perform specified works.
*Note: All contractor/consultants engaged to perform works for Yarra Valley Water need to demonstrate the necessary capability, competency and capacity to complete these works. Their ability to complete these works is considered as part of our tendering process. Therefore only approved, suitably qualified and competent contractors are engaged to complete works for Yarra Valley Water. Implied access rights for this work is granted as part of their engagement .
3 rd Party Stakeholder
These are personnel who require access to our site but are not performing work on our assets, e.g., utilities that have a tenant agreement (Telecommunications providers for their phone towers), Police and CFA/MFB.
WHEN IS AN ACCESS PERMIT REQUIRED?
An Access Permit is required where a “YES” answer applies to the any of the following questions:
1.
Will you be entering a confined space?
2.
Do you need to enter a security fenced site?
3.
Are you opening a Yarra Valley Water locked cabinet, control room, building etc (i.e., potential to set off a
Scada alarm)?
4.
Do you need to open a manhole/pit?
5.
Will you be making a new sewer connection or cutting in to live sewer?
6.
Are you potentially working alone in a remote and / or isolated area (e.g., where there is no immediate access to immediate verbal or visible emergency response)?
7.
Entering a Wild Fire Management Overlay area during a Total Fire Ban Day with „Code Red‟ or „Extreme‟.
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Where a high activity is confirmed, an Access Permit needs to be created, if not already in place, and activated prior to commencement of the activity.
HOW IS AN ACCESS PERMIT ACTIVATED?
An Access Permit needs to be in place with AIMS to be activated.
To create a new Access Permit within AIMS, please refer to Yarra Valley Water‟s procedures for creation of an
Access Permit.
Activation of the Access Permit is achieved by contacting the Yarra Valley Water Access Permit phone line, 9872
1373 when you arrive on site.
The following information will be required;
• quote your Access Permit number
• your name
• your contact number while on site
• the nature of work or activity on site
• your estimated time of departure of the site
• if Confined Space Entry work applies – supply all names of accredited personnel on site
Activation of an Access Permit is to be done one site at a time, i.e., one person cannot be logged into multiple sites at any one time.
If a supervisor manages multiple crews on multiple sites, the personnel who remain on-site for the duration of the works are responsible for the activation and de-activation of the access permit, not the supervisor. The contact name and number must be someone who is on site for the duration of the works.
If work involves confined space entry, Yarra Valley Water authorisation is required prior to commencement of any works.
All personnel involved with CSE works are also required to register all CSE accredited personnel required on site with
Yarra Valley Water‟s Control Room prior to commencing any work. These details will be checked against Yarra Valley
Water‟s register of CSE accredited personnel for accreditation currency prior to approval to go proceed. Should the accreditation not be current, access will be denied thus resulting in the non-activation of the Access Permit.
Contractors will need to report back to their respective Project Manager to rearrange timing of the works using currently accredited personnel.
Exceptions to this process are dealt with on an individual basis. They will be arranged with the Project Manager and the AIMS System Administrator to determine whether criteria are still being met within the adjusted processes to meet the basic needs of the Access Permit process.
*Note: Access or work within areas of limited mobile phone coverage, may call in before coverage stops and shall include the travel time within the estimated call out time.
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EXAMPLES OF WHEN AN ACCESS PERMIT IS REQUIRED
Below is a table showing some sample activities. Based on the 5 question criteria, we can see if the access permit for that activity is required and activated.
1 2 3 4 5
EXAMPLE ACTIVITY
AN ACCESS
PERMIT IS
NEED &
ACTIVATED
Tank Cleaning
Hydrant Inspections
Rehab of a sewer line (sewer reline)
Sewer dig-out
Mains cleaning
Water main replacements
Tank Inspections
PRV control equipment maintenance / replacements
Valve insertion program
Leak detection program
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
EXAMPLES OF WORKING ALONE IN ISOLATED / REMOTE AREA
Below are some scenarios where Access Permits are needed and should be activated (for your personal safety):
• Visiting a Trade Waste customer where they do not have a sign-in process to their own site (or are unmanned)
• Visiting a land development area after hours (isolated area and away from help)
• Visiting a site where there are questionable characters around and you believe you could be in potential danger
• Visiting a site where there is rough terrain and no people around (e.g., Frogley pipeline goes through a patch of dense rain forest where slipping, tripping and falling is a high possibility)
• Visiting a site where a change in conditions could cause potential injury or loss (e.g., rain making a site slippery, or vegetation/pest which could cause personal allergy reactions – especially asthmatic attacks)
WORKING IN THE WILD FIRE MANAGEMENT OVERLAY AREA DURING A TOTAL FIRE BAN DAY WITH CODE
RED OR CODE EXTREME
On Total Fire Ban days with „Code Red‟ or „Extreme‟, rule number 7 will apply. If you or your contractor enters these areas during these days, you must activate your Access Permit – no matter what the activity. Consideration also needs to be given for travel time if the work site does not receive mobile phone coverage.
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