Scenario for creating, issuing, and completing a permit to work for welding activities
Pipeline workers in Company ABC must sometimes do welding to complete work order tasks. To comply with safety standards, Company ABC creates and issues a permit to work for this activity.
Background
Company ABC plans to use Maximo® Health, Safety and Environment to control work processes so that work proceeds at appropriate stages in the permit to work lifecycle.
Marcos, the Maintenance Supervisor, is responsible for creating permits to work and for assigning personnel to do the associated tasks. James, the Performing Authority, is responsible for holding safety presentations that are called toolbox talks. James maintains the history of toolbox talks for record keeping purposes. Cristina is responsible for issuing permits to work. Francisco carries out the tasks that are associated with the permit to work.
Prepare the data
- Conditions for work by using the Conditions for Work application.
- Emergency actions by using the Standard Actions or Standard Action Groups applications.
- Lock out and tag out plans by using the Lock Out and Tag Out Plans application.
- Operating procedures by using the Operating Procedures application.
- Operating tasks by using the Operating Tasks application.
The data is then available when you are ready to specify the fields for the permit to work.
Step 1 Define a HOTWORK type of permit
If a work activity specifies welding with an open flame, under certain conditions special precautions must be taken. Marcos decides that a HOTWORK type of permit must be created. If a HOTWORK type of permit is not defined, Marcos uses the Permit and Certificate Types application to create and to activate a HOTWORK permit. The HOTWORK type of permit specifies that welding needs to be done.
Step 2 Create a work order and a permit to work from the work order
In the Work Order Tracking application, Marcos creates the work order for the welding task and specifies the HOTWORK permit. Marcos associates the work order with the equipment that needs to be welded and with the location. In this example, the location is a gas separator. Because hazards are associated with the welding task, Marcos specifies that a risk assessment is essential. A task is added to the work order for the welding activity.
Marcos also assigns Francisco to do the task. From the same application, Marcos creates the permit to work, and associates the permit to work with the welding task. Marcos makes a note of the identifier for the newly created permit to work.
Step 3 Document the levels of risk
In the Risk Assessment application, Marcos identifies the hazards that are associated with the welding operation and evaluates its risks. When Marcos conducts a risk assessment of a task, Marcos analyzes all of the risk factors before work begins. Marcos develops the procedures to identify and eliminate or control the risks that are related to work activities.
The risk assessment for the HOTWORK permit determines the actions that are needed to contain the sources of ignition. An authorized tester is needed to conduct gas tests continuously and to record the results of the gas tests. Marcos also documents the safety measures that are essential for this type of permit.
In the Permit to Work application, Marcos adds the active risk assessment to the HOTWORK permit to work for the welding task. Marcos uses the results of the assessment to classify the permit based on the risk factors.
Marcos uses the People application to authorize qualified, active personnel to conduct gas tests and to record emissions. Marcos uses the Lock Out Tag Out Plan application to specify lock out and tag out operations to isolate the gas separator. Marcos identifies that the gas separator must be in a shutdown state before someone can work on it. Marcos also specifies that the gas separator must be isolated from any source of energy.
Step 4 Review and approve the permit to work
Marcos uses the Permit to Work application to specify authorized team members to review and to approve the HOTWORK permit to work. Team members must have the necessary authorizations to review and to approve a permit to work. Marcos uses the People application to add the person records for the reviewers and the approvers. In addition, Marcos sets the Permit to Work review, approval, and authorization require authorized person option from the Organizations > Permit to Work options. After the permit to work is reviewed and approved, it is ready to be issued.
Step 5 Issue and accept the permit to work
Cristina uses the Permit to Work application to issue the HOTWORK permit to work.
Marcos assigns qualified personnel to do the tasks that are associated with the HOTWORK permit to work. In this way, Marcos ensures the quality of the work that is done. The person who is assigned to do the tasks accepts the permit to work.
Step 6 Hold a toolbox talk to verify the conditions
James uses toolbox talks to communicate safe working procedures to employees. James also uses toolbox talks to verify the conditions that are associated with the acceptance and issuance of permits to work. James records the attendees and the details of the items that were covered during the toolbox talk. For the HOTWORK permit, James wants to review the associated hazards and the precautions that must occur before the welding activity begins.
Step 7 Complete and cancel the permit to work
When work is complete or if work must be done by another team, the details of returning the permit to work must be fully documented. Francisco updates the permit to work to specify that the welding work is complete. Francisco verifies that the gas separator was removed from isolation, and is returned to production.
Marcos sets the status of the permit to work to Suspend, then to Cancel. Marcos also enters the permit into the permit registry.