CASE STUDY
Oxford Brookes University adopts Pisys Permit to work system
Summary
Oxford Brookes University has implemented the Pisys Permit to Work system across its Estates and Campus Services operations, replacing a rigid legacy system with a configurable, two-tier approach that better reflects the actual risk profile of work carried out across its campuses. The solution, which went live in December 2025, has been welcomed by estates staff and contract managers who previously had to adapt their working practices to fit the constraints of the old system.
Background
Oxford Brookes University is a modern university based in Oxford, England, with roots going back to 1865. It serves around 18,000 students and maintains a significant estates portfolio across multiple campuses, with a large and varied contractor base covering everything from routine statutory compliance to specialist project work. The majority of contractor management sits within the remit of the estates and information services teams, overseen by the university’s occupational health and safety function.
Challenge
When Paul Bradley joined Oxford Brookes as Director of Occupational Health and Safety, a permit to work system was already in place. However, it quickly became clear that the system lacked the configurability needed to reflect the university’s actual operations.
The fundamental problem was proportionality. Around 80 to 90 per cent of contractor activity on campus was relatively low risk work such as fire system maintenance, roof inspections and asbestos surveys – yet all of it was being processed through a full permit to work workflow designed for high-risk activities. The result was a laborious process that frustrated contract managers and created unnecessary administrative overhead.
A further issue was ownership. The existing system placed the burden of form completion on contractors themselves, who often lacked the site knowledge to answer questions accurately. Internal staff, referred to within the university as hosts – had become detached from the permit process as a result.
After a competitive tender exercise involving around five providers, and a panel of internal stakeholders, Oxford Brookes selected Pisys.
Solution
The key requirement was a system flexible enough to support two distinct processes: a full permit to work for genuinely high-risk activities, and a lighter-touch Authorisation to Work for the majority of lower-risk contractor interactions.
The Pisys system was configured to cater for both scenarios. The Authorisation to Work captures who is on site, confirms that induction has been completed and checks that contractors hold the appropriate training and competencies, without the overhead of a full permit. For recurring term contractors, a single authorisation can remain valid for six months, significantly reducing repeat administration.
Critically, the system was configured so that a small set of essential questions must be completed by the host – the internal university contact – rather than the contractor. This shift created a much greater degree of ownership among estates staff and ensured that site-specific knowledge was built into every permit from the outset.
Implementation took approximately two to three months from agreement to go-live.
Result
A stakeholder review conducted around one month after go-live found the response to be overwhelmingly positive. Paul Bradley says: “The introduction of the Authorisation to Work process has saved a significant amount of time for contract managers, given that the large majority of contractor activity now moves through the lighter workflow. Pisys was also more cost-competitive than the previous provider, delivering a direct financial saving alongside the operational improvements”.
CLEARER
Ownership
FINANCIAL
Savings
FASTER
Processing
Testimonial
The Pisys Permit to Work system allows us to be much more proportionate in how we manage our risks on site. The main stakeholders are thrilled with the solution, and the support from the Pisys team has been absolutely fantastic - I can't fault it.