ITEM
Tools, equipment and materials required:
• Work permit and any isolations
• Special PPE requirements
• What to do in case of emergency
Key responsibilities
Does everyone know person in charge and lines of
communication?
Are you and your workers clear about the procedures and
competent for their positions?
Is there any isolation required?
Is there any likely residual pressure?
Position
Responsibilities
Site Supervisor
Responsible for ensuring Toolbox
Talks take place and monitoring
Work Party
Supervisor
Carrying out the Toolbox Talk or
delegating to competent person
for the work activity
Work Party
Actively participate and
ensure they understand what
is required of the individual
and if in doubt ask
Are you trained and competent to perform this work?
You have an obligation to stop the work if it’s unsafe.
The supervisor conducts the Toolbox Talk and signs to
that effect, filling out the boxes below:
Key points and issues raised during Toolbox Talk:
Is there any Work at Height or access issues?
Is there any work above or below where you are working?
Are there any Lifting Operations?
Is there any Confined Space Entry?
Is there any spark potential? static – vehicles – machinery –
Are there any hazardous substances
(gas / radioactivity / chem)?
Is there any spill potential?
Have you identified the workers to be equipped with qualified
PPE, Gas detector or other safety equipment?
Have you made the visitors and contractors clear with HSE
orientations and wear PPE?
Are you clear of emergency response plan for emergency
(fire, explosion, gas and oil leakage, body injury )
Do all involved operators have quick and
uninterruptable communications (radio) between you and your
different operators to ensure clear instructions and orders?
Does HSE and fire fighting team get ready for the
sudden incidents? Is a rescue plan in place
Lessons from previous days work?
Do you ensure the reliable and safe work transition
between shifts?
Is the work-scope and job described fully
understood?
All attendees must print their name and sign as being present
for the Toolbox Talk
Do you need some extra aid from your managers?
Y/N Control
Permit to Work
PCH 10 Life Saving Rule
Task observation tool
Before conducting work that involves confined space
entry, work on energy systems, ground disturbance in
locations where buried hazards may exist, or hot work in
potentially explosive environments, a permit must be
obtained that:
• Defines scope of work
• Identifies hazards and assesses risk
• Establishes control measures to eliminate or mitigate
hazards
• Links the work to other associated work permits /certificates or
simultaneous operations
• Is authorized by the responsible person(s)
• Communicates above information to all involved in the
work
• Ensures adequate control over the return to normal
operations
The PTW system requires the involvement of
competent and responsible persons as well as the
application of particular safety measures in a
controlled sequence. The PTW system ensures that
responsibility and accountability for safe working
practices is passed in a logical sequence to those
responsible for the work being carried out at any
given time, and ensures that specified effective
safeguards are provided.
IN SITUATIONS WHERE WORKING CONDITIONS
OR ENVIRONMENTS CHANGE – STOP WORK
PERMIT TO WORK
The purpose of Permit to Work (PTW) system is to achieve a safe
working environment by providing control over the various
activities which may have hazardous interactions.
The system has four key features:
1. It limits the potentially harmful effects of the action of the person
doing the work, by specifying safety precautions and setting limits to
the duration and extent of the work.
2. It allows those responsible for overall site safety to be aware of the
various hazardous activities and to take a systematic overview which
identifies interactions and allows priorities to be set for conflicting work
tasks.
3. It encourages formal and careful attention to safe systems of
working, by requiring the signature of specified individuals who must
confirm that all hazards have been identified and effective precautions
taken.
4. It encourages those responsible for overall site safety to plan the
carrying out of tasks so that minimal inconvenience and interference is
caused to other tasks or production.
PCH Permit to Work system tasks are divided into one of
the following categories:
• Hot work permit • Cold work permit and supported with Confined
Space Entry certificate, Excavation certificate, Work at height
certificate, Lifting operation certificate, Isolation certificate and
Radiography certificate.
Certain activities do not normally need to be covered by a permit.
These activities include production plant operations, visual inspections
of areas (except confined space and areas where increased risk e.g.
Working at Height), use of non-hazardous materials, labs and so on.
ALL activities MUST have a Toolbox Talk
Hazard recognition
Typical hazards include:
• Hydrocarbons (gas, oil, condensate, diesel, petrol, H2S)
• Explosives (detonators, UXO)
• Pressure (gas, liquid, vacuum, air)
• Height (Lifting, Working at Height and below grade)
• Land Transport (vehicles, driving, other drivers, roads)
• Weather (sand storms, rain storms, lightning)
• Electricity (voltage, electrostatic energy)
• Asphyxiating atmospheres (reduced oxygen concentrations, )
• Chemicals
• Radiation (NORM in tubular and vessels)
•
•
•
Biological (bacteria, protozoa, virus, animals, reptiles,
insects)
Ergonomic (working environment, task, workload)
Security (conflict, terrorism, sabotage, militant activism)
Risk assessment
The components of a risk assessment involve:
1. Person(s) or representatives from the work crew responsible for
the execution of the task.
2. Identifying the hazards of the task/activity.
3. Describing the effects to personnel and equipment associated with
the hazard. Ask ‘what if’ to determine the effects.
4. Establishing a risk rating with the team.
5. Identify the likelihood of the event happening.
6. List the controls and safety precautions necessary to reduce the
risk to the lowest as reasonably practicable level before starting the
work.
Controls
Elimination: cancelling an activity or deferring or limiting an activity to
reduce the exposure to hazards.
Prevention: Prevented at source e.g. use of alloys that are resistant
to corrosion.
Control: Controlled through design features or administrative
procedures e.g. fire/gas detection and emergency shutdown.
Mitigation: Mitigated by protection of personnel
e.g. use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Emergency response: Mitigated through effective emergency
response or contingency planning.
Human factors
All humans make mistakes. How could human errors happen on this
job? Think about:
• Forgetting or missing a step in a procedure
• Operating the wrong valve or control
• Working on the wrong equipment
• Getting interrupted and restarting the job
• Following the wrong procedure
• Misreading the label
• Feeling tired or unwell
• Hurrying to finish
• Worrying about someone else’s work
Hazard communication
Knowledge of the hazards is via Toolbox Talks but don’t forget
other
• Signs and barrier tape
• Chemical inventory lists
• Material safety data sheets (MSDSs) container labelling and
other forms of warning
Hot work
Hot work includes welding, burning, cutting, grinding, brazing or hot
tapping. Hot work also includes the following operations involving
spark potential devices (i.e. opening energized electrical junction
boxes, spark producing engines such as welding machines, grit
blasting, etc). Permitting of hot work is a key component in
controlling work on a location.
• Welding
• Grinding
• Electrical equipment
• Firewatcher duties
Toolbox Talk
A Toolbox Talk is a brief safety discussion about a specific subject
at the beginning of the shift, job or task. The talk identifies the
hazards that may be encountered and the controls required to be in
place for that work task. The controls are allocated and required to
be checked prior to the start of the job.
Agenda for Toll for Talks
• Introduce newcomers
• Review of upcoming activity by most knowledgeable person
• Discuss issues raised and limitations set by
opposite shift
• Discuss hazards involved and risk assess upcoming operations
• Discuss the controls in place and consider if they are sufficient
• Discuss and agree roles and responsibilities of individuals
• Ask for opinions of the crew on the operation
• Prompts: (Anyone can stop unsafe situation)
• Lessons from previous day or from external source
• The task (what is going to be done)
• Procedures to be followed
• Safe access & egress to job site
• Identify possible hazards and appropriate precautions to be
taken