It’s important to note that a safe work permit does not reduce risks of incidents by itself. Rather, it specifies the hazards and the risk control measures that workers must be aware of, before they start work. A safe work permit is an effective vehicle for communicating critical safety information.

Types of Safe Work Permits

Hot Work Permit

Hot work permits are used when heat or sparks are generated by work such as welding, burning, cutting, drilling, and where work involves the use of pneumatic hammers and chippers, non-explosion proof electrical equipment (lights, tools, heaters), and internal combustion engines. Three types of hazardous situations need to be considered when performing hot work:

• The presence of flammable materials in the equipment.
• The presence of combustible materials that burn or give off flammable vapors when heated.
• The presence of flammable gas in the atmosphere, or gas entering from an adjacent area, such as sewers that have not been properly protected.

Cold Work Permit

Cold work permits are used in hazardous maintenance work that does not involve “hot work”. Cold work permits are issued when there is no reasonable source of ignition, and when all contact with harmful substances has been eliminated or appropriate precautions are taken.

Confined Space Entry Permit

Confined space entry permits are used when entering any confined space such as a tank, vessel, tower, pit or sewer. The permit should be used in conjunction with a that describes procedures to follow.

Special Permits

Some employers use special permits to cover specific hazards such as:

• Extremely hazardous conditions
• Radioactive materials
• Dangerous chemicals
• Excavations
• Power supplies