CITB Managers Permit to Work Systems 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The permit to work system for excavation near buried services must ensure:
- Workers are aware of the risk only
- Service locations have been confirmed by survey, a cable avoidance tool has been used, hand-digging exclusion zones around known services are specified, and emergency procedures are in place if a service is struck (Correct answer)
- The work is completed quickly to minimise exposure time
- Workers are wearing hard hats and hi-vis only
Correct answer: Service locations have been confirmed by survey, a cable avoidance tool has been used, hand-digging exclusion zones around known services are specified, and emergency procedures are in place if a service is struck
A permit for excavation near services must: confirm service locations have been verified using plans and CAT equipment, specify the hand-dig exclusion zones, identify the emergency procedure if a service is struck, and confirm who to contact (gas emergency, electricity network operator) in an emergency.
Question 2: Why must only one permit to work be active at a time for a specific piece of equipment or work location?
- To minimise paperwork on site
- To prevent conflicting authorisations that could result in simultaneous operations creating hazards — each piece of equipment or work area can only be under one set of permit conditions at a time (Correct answer)
- To comply with CDM 2015 requirements
- To reduce the number of authorised persons needed on site
Correct answer: To prevent conflicting authorisations that could result in simultaneous operations creating hazards — each piece of equipment or work area can only be under one set of permit conditions at a time
Multiple simultaneous permits for the same equipment or location can result in conflicting instructions and dangerous situations (e.g., one permit assumes an isolation is in place; another permits that isolation to be removed). One permit per location/equipment prevents such conflicts.
Question 3: A permit to work for roof work should specify:
- Only the location of the nearest first-aid kit
- The edges to be protected, the access arrangements, the load-bearing capacity of the roof, the weather conditions under which work may not proceed, the fall protection equipment required, and rescue arrangements (Correct answer)
- The names of the workers' next of kin
- The project budget allocation for roof work
Correct answer: The edges to be protected, the access arrangements, the load-bearing capacity of the roof, the weather conditions under which work may not proceed, the fall protection equipment required, and rescue arrangements
A roof work PTW must specify: edge protection requirements, safe access routes, roof load-bearing capacity (especially for fragile or older roofs), weather restrictions (wind speed, rain), fall protection equipment, and how a worker who falls will be rescued.
Question 4: What is a 'sign-on, sign-off' system in relation to permits to work?
- A time-keeping system for payroll
- A system where each worker entering the permit-controlled area signs on at the start of the permit and signs off at completion, confirming they were present and have left the area safely (Correct answer)
- A system for recording accident reports
- A method for tracking deliveries to site
Correct answer: A system where each worker entering the permit-controlled area signs on at the start of the permit and signs off at completion, confirming they were present and have left the area safely
A sign-on, sign-off system ensures that every person who enters a permit-controlled area is accounted for at all times. At permit close-out, checking that all workers have signed off confirms no one is left in a confined space, hazardous area, or isolated zone.
Question 5: A site operative asks the site manager if they can carry out work covered by a permit to work without the permit, as it 'will only take five minutes'. The site manager should:
- Allow it given the brief duration
- Refuse — permit requirements apply regardless of the duration of the task. The permit ensures precautions are in place even for brief high-risk activities (Correct answer)
- Allow it but supervise the worker directly
- Issue a verbal permit only
Correct answer: Refuse — permit requirements apply regardless of the duration of the task. The permit ensures precautions are in place even for brief high-risk activities
The duration of a task does not determine whether a permit is needed — the risk level does. Many catastrophic incidents have occurred during brief 'five-minute jobs' without permits. The permit process ensures precautions are in place even for short tasks.
Question 6: How does a permit to work contribute to the prevention of accidents during maintenance of plant and equipment?
- By providing a record of who maintained the equipment
- By ensuring that plant is safely isolated (locked and tagged) before maintenance begins, and that it cannot be accidentally re-energised while workers are inside or working on it (Correct answer)
- By reducing maintenance intervals to minimise risk
- By ensuring only the manufacturer's representatives carry out maintenance
Correct answer: By ensuring that plant is safely isolated (locked and tagged) before maintenance begins, and that it cannot be accidentally re-energised while workers are inside or working on it
Energy isolation is the critical protection for maintenance workers. A PTW for plant maintenance confirms that all energy sources (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic) are safely isolated and locked off (LOTO — lock out, tag out), preventing accidental start-up or re-energisation while workers are exposed.
CITB Managers Permit to Work Systems 4
The permit to work system for excavation near buried services must ensure: