What is PTW (Permit to work)?
A Permit to Work (PTW) is an official written authorization that ensures work is carried out safely by identifying risks, implementing safety precautions, and assigning responsibilities before starting the job.
Ensure EHSQ Executive to follow all activities as per IMS and Site safety policy and culture
๐น Objectives of PTW:
๐To ensure high-risk jobs are properly planned.
๐To clearly define responsibilities (who will do the work, who will supervise, who will authorize).
๐To ensure all hazards are identified and controls are in place.
๐To maintain coordination between different departments.
๐To prevent accidents due to uncontrolled work activities.
๐น Types of PTW:
1. Hot Work Permit – For welding, cutting, grinding, gas cutting, or any job producing heat/flame.
2. Cold Work Permit – For jobs not involving heat, like mechanical fitting, painting, or general maintenance.
3. Electrical Work Permit – For electrical isolation, testing, installation, or repair.
4. Confined Space Entry Permit – For entering tanks, manholes, silos, or other enclosed spaces.
5. Height Work Permit – For working at heights (above 2m or as per company policy).
6. Excavation Permit – For digging or trenching.
7. Radiography Permit – For radiography / X-ray testing activities.
8. Hot Tap Permit – For cutting, welding, or modifying live pipelines.
๐น Key Elements of a PTW:
•Job description (what work is to be done).
•Location of work.
•Hazard identification (risks involved).
•Precautions required (PPE, fire extinguisher, ventilation, barricading, gas testing, etc.).
•Validity period of the permit.
•Authorized signatures (issuer, receiver, safety officer, supervisor).
•Handover/closure procedure (when work is complete, permit is closed safely).
๐น Roles in PTW:
๐Permit Issuer → Usually site in-charge or competent person who authorize the permit.
๐Permit Receiver → Supervisor/worker who performs the job.
๐Safety Officer → Ensures all safety measures are followed.
๐Site Management → Ensures compliance and monitoring.
๐ In short, PTW is a safety control system that makes sure “No work st
arts without proper permission and precautions”.
SOPs and work instructions are both formal documents used to standardize processes, but they differ primarily in their scope, purpose, and level of detail. An SOP provides a high-level overview of an entire business process, while a work instruction offers granular, step-by-step guidance for a single task within that process.
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Comparison of SOP and work instruction
Feature Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Work Instruction (WI)
Scope Broad. An SOP covers an entire workflow that may involve multiple tasks or departments. For example, a "New Employee Onboarding" SOP would cover all the tasks from an employee's hiring to their first day. Narrow and specific. A work instruction focuses on a single, specific task within a larger process. For example, the "New Employee Onboarding" SOP might have a corresponding work instruction for "How to Set Up New Employee's Computer".
Purpose To define the overall business process and ensure consistency, regulatory compliance, and quality control across departments. It answers the "what" and "why" of a process. To provide precise, hands-on guidance to an individual performing a task correctly and safely. It answers the "how" of a task.
Detail level Less granular. It outlines the main steps of a process but assumes the employee has the knowledge for smaller details. For example, an SOP may state, "Wash your hands," without detailing the exact method. Highly detailed. It breaks down a task into the most minute steps, leaving no room for interpretation. The corresponding WI might specify, "Wet your hands with clean water, apply soap, and scrub for at least 20 seconds".
Audience Typically for a broader audience, including managers, department heads, quality assurance staff, and employees who need to understand the bigger picture of a process. Primarily for the individual or frontline worker who is performing the specific task.
Format Often presented as a formal, structured document with sections for purpose, scope, responsibilities, and procedure steps. It may include checklists or flowcharts. Can be less formal and more visual, including detailed steps, images, diagrams, or videos to clearly demonstrate the task.
Flexibility Less flexible. SOPs govern established, consistent procedures that should not be improvised. They require a more rigorous change-approval process. More flexible. WIs can be more easily adapted to reflect minor updates or improvements to a specific task without revising the entire SOP.
Example in practice
Consider the process of handling a new customer order at a company.
SOP: Customer Order Fulfillment
Purpose: Ensure all customer orders are fulfilled accurately and on time, following company policy and quality standards.
High-level steps:
Receive and process the order.
Pick and package the products.
Ship the order.
Update the customer record.
Work Instruction: Picking and Packaging Products
Purpose: Detail the precise, step-by-step actions for warehouse staff to correctly pick and pack a customer's order to prevent errors.
Detailed steps:
Locate the order on the warehouse terminal.
Travel to aisle D, bin 4.
Scan the barcode of item #2345.
Place the item in a size-medium box.
Add packing peanuts to fill empty space.
Secure the box with company-branded tape