1. Why are permits to work and control of contractors given so much attention by Insurers?

Hot work and contractors are attributed as being two of the top four causes of loss in commercial property, with Arson being the top cause and electrical being the other. By definition all hot work losses are avoidable but in practice this is difficult to achieve cost effectively. Having a successful permit to work system and an effective control of contractors program will significantly reduce the likelihood of loss from these two top causes

2. How can I be sure the permit to work system is operated correctly?

Part of your risk management regime should include a self inspection program which should review the permit to work process including a check of all issued permits to ensure they have been issued correctly. Ensuring the checks and balances are implemented and controlled correctly is another good way of ensuring the permit to work system is operating correctly. The key here is culture and once contractors are clear as to what standards and controls they will be required to comply with so the process will become more robust.

3. What additional measures can I take?

Anytime a contractor or other non-employee is granted access to your property there is an increased risk. Setting adequate controls including completion of risk assessments and method statements are a must. Effectively reviewing these to ensure that safe acts and practices are to be used by the contractor is needed (albeit time consuming). Restricting the amount of permits that are issued for a particular area is also important and coordinating permits so that for instance, hot work is not completed if the fire protection system is impaired. Given the long period of monitoring that is needed post completion of the activity it is also advisable to curtail hazardous activities well in advance of the normal days working to allow sufficient monitoring to be completed before shut down

4. Are there other risk factors which I should consider?

Permits to work can be created for any number of different activities, the Q-PERM system is based on the more common of these permits. Q-PERM allows additional permits to work to be added, along with other documents such as site plans in adobe pdf format. If you have any suggestions for improving the permits that are included in the system please let us know as we constantly seek to improve the usefulness of the product.

5. My insurance company recommends I use their hot work permit format

All insurance companies have standard forms for various activities including hot work. The single most important issue is making sure whatever system is adopted is that it works for your organisation. There is very little difference between the various insurance company recommended forms. The permits presented in Q-PERM represent best practice and are combined into software designed to make the process more efficient and manageable.

6. Can I use my own permits instead of those provided in the system?

The permits contained within the system have been developed in conjunction with a number of leading Insurance Companies and deviation from this set could result in withdrawal of their approval of the system.

7. Why can't I buy the software program outright and why do I have to buy an annual license?

There are a number of reasons for presenting the software on an annual license basis:

• a. There will be changes to the software program to improve functionality and keep it up to date
• b. An annual license fee significantly reduces the price for which software can be offered for sale.

8. Why can't the precautions be completed on screen before the permits are issued?

Automating the permit to work process is challenging because of the temptation to complete precautions on-screen before the permit has actually been printed which violates one of the golden rules, that no permit should be issued until the work place where the activity is actually going to be performed has been inspected. Workplace conditions can change by the minute, whilst conditions can be determined as being safe within a few minutes the actions of others can increase the level of risk associated with the area and breach the conditions of the permit.

9. What constitutes a designated area?

A designated area is place where the conditions outlined in the permit are always complied with. In the case of hot work that would mean that the area was always clear of combustible materials, that equipment was in a safe working condition, that a fire extinguisher was always present and so on

10. Do I still need to issue a hot work permit for work in a designated area?

No, provided that the area is in continuous compliance with the precautions set out in the permit then there is no need to issue a permit for a designated area. It is important that the designated area is included in the fire safety inspection program as a means of completing an audit of the conditions.

11. What is a fire safety inspection program?

A fire safety inspection program is a periodic audit that considers all elements of the fire prevention. It is an audit tool that supports the Fire Risk Assessment process and often forms part of the Health and Safety Inspection program. Audits should be completed monthly, a sample check sheet is provided in the download area of this web site.

12. What if not all the precautions can be complied with?

It is inevitable that there will be instances when not all conditions of the permits can be complied with. In which case careful risk assessment is needed and an increase in the level of other precautions applied. The most common cause for non-compliance is when hot work is needed in close proximity to combustible construction. For example torch applied roofing membranes over foam insulation products, or working in close proximity to composite or insulated panel construction which uses combustible foam cores. There are some circumstances where as a result of the outcome of the precautions checks Hot Work can simply not be performed. Examples would include composite panels with a polystyrene foam insulation core, or hot work in a combustible roof space with limited means of escape (confined space).