Work at height is a particularly hazardous activity which should be reduced by specific control measures that first tries to avoid the work altogether, and then if this is not possible, limits the risk through precautions. The permit to work is an important administrative tool to ensure safe work takes place at height.
This case study describes a recent project where an electronic permit to work system (IntelliPERMIT) was implemented at a bauxite mine and the associated alumina refining operation in Australia.
The permit to work helps to reduce the risk of safety incidents by ensuring the people involved are aware of the specific hazards, take the necessary precautions and are competent for the work. It also ensures that communication takes place between production and maintenance teams throughout the job from planning, preparation, execution to hand over and restoring the plant to normal operations.
Confined space entry is a particularly dangerous activity and special care needs to be taken when work is done. The confined space permit assists the employer to make sure that adequate precautions are in place for each job or task involving confined spaces.
A permit to work is a formal document that is part of a structured process designed to improve the safety of people working on hazardous jobs.
Biometric identification of permit signatories introduces even higher levels of integrity to the process; the rugged industrial fingerprint scanners used by IntelliPERMIT on many sites are highly reliable and have been proven over many years in the most challenging environments.