We need to issue a Permit To Work for all future hazardous works. This covers HFC liability and insurance-wise. If we dont do this and there is an accident, our insurance may not cover it and the directors can be held personally liable, even for injury to a contractor.
Its quite straightforward.
Basically if a job of works is considered hazardous e.g it could cause personal injury or damage to property, this system must be used.
A contractor must supply a Risk Assessment, Method Statement and evidence of Public Liability insurance (PLI). If using plant e.g. a cherrypicker or digger, a Plant Inspection certificate should also be supplied.
A Risk Assessment and Method Statement are often called RAMS for short. Any professional contractor will already have some generic version of these that can be tweaked and be used to providing this information. Someone that digs holes will have hole digging RAMS. So its not a big ask.
The Permit will only be issued once acceptable documents have been received and main specific hazards and controls listed.
Filling in the form:
Any responsible person can issue a permit.
Description of work – circle the kind of works involved or detail in Other.
Work at height includes roofing, windows above ground floor, scaffolding, cherrypicker etc. Main hazards are falling objects and falling people. Main controls are barriers and harnesses.
Excavation is the same issues pretty much as work at height.
Services is majorelectrical (inc Lightining rod inspection) or gas works mostly. Job-specific hazards and controls including Fire and Explosion. Boiler replacement should be included in this but not safety checks or installing smoke alarms.
Hot Works is welding and angle-grinding etc. Main Hazards are burns and fire. Main controls are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Fire Blankets.
Attached Documents – circle the documents supplied.
Permit Close-out – when the work finishes fill this in. The permit ends and all copies are returned to the issuer.
An example. Luke is to install 3 boilers in one week. The Permit can cover all three installations. Boiler replacement is particularly hazardous as it involves Gas, Electric and Hot works (blow-torch). Luke will have RAMS for this. They will be the same for every boiler replacement. We should already have his PLI certificate. If he sends RAMS over we already have all his documents and filling in the form is a formality. Three copies should still be issued.