Permit to work systems (PTWs) are an essential safety measure in many industries, including oil and gas, construction, and manufacturing. They help to ensure that hazardous work is carried out safely and that all necessary precautions are taken to protect workers and the environment. However, PTWs are only effective if they are used correctly. Human...
Category: PTW_Blog
Process Safety and Managing Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs)
Throughout the years, a number of process safety incidents have involved simultaneous operations, or SIMOPs for short. When two or more operations are undertaken in the same vicinity at the same time, there is a risk that they may interfere with one another, either introducing new risks or exacerbating existing ones. Unfortunately as with many...
What is a SIMOP?
Introduction We’re going to dive into a crucial aspect of managing safety in complex work environments: Simultaneous Operations, or SIMOPS. As an HSE professional, you’re well aware of the challenges that arise when multiple activities occur concurrently. In this article, we will explore what SIMOPS entails, its connection to Permit-to-Work (PTW) systems, the potential problems...
What is a Permit To Work System and why is it important?
What exactly is a PTW system? Picture this: You’re at a construction site, and there are various tasks taking place simultaneously. Some workers are welding, others are operating cranes, and some are engaged in electrical work. Amidst this bustling environment, a Permit To Work (PTW) system is there to ensure that everything runs smoothly, minimizing...
Integrating a Permit to Work Process with Risk Assessment Software
The permit to work (PTW) procedure is essential for ensuring the health and safety of employees and contractors performing dangerous operations. A Permit To Work enables someone to perform a task which may involve hazards such as hot work, working at heights, working in confined spaces etc. It describes the risks involved with the activity,...
Common Challenges in Permit to Work Systems and How to Overcome Them
Permit to Work Systems (PTW) are a critical element of safety management in hazardous industries such as oil and gas, mining, construction, and manufacturing. They help to ensure that work is carried out safely by identifying and controlling hazards, and by ensuring that appropriate precautions are taken before work begins. They’re undoubtedly useful, however, a...
Getting buy-in for a permit to work system implementation
Implementation of a permit to work system can be a major change for an organisation. Management of change is a critical element in the successful introduction of any new system and the suggestions here may be applied to many other situations beyond PTW. The ‘spoiler’ of course is that communication is the most important part...
Plot plans play a vital role in managing simops in permit to work systems
There are several factors which affect the complexity of SIMOP management in a permit to work system. Graphical permit boards showing permits overlaid on a map of the worksite ( 'plot plans') can be helpful in providing context. However complex worksites with a large number of areas can make identifying simops more difficult, especially if...
Common Problems with Permit to Work Systems
Permit to work systems (also ‘Control of Work’) are an ideal way to ensure that work is managed correctly and performed safely and efficiently, but choosing the wrong type of system can sometimes cause more problems than it solves. At the risk of appearing pretty simple and obvious, any one of these issues can, if...
SIMOPS and PERMIT TO WORK
SIMOPS stands for Simultaneous Operations, describing the situation when two or more potentially conflicting activities are taking place simultaneously in the same vicinity The increasing complexity of modern industrial sites makes it increasingly likely that SIMOPS will occur, and the impact of an unmanaged SIMOP could be catastrophic as the interaction between activities is likely...