The areas of concern in any labour intensive worksite today involve ensuring safety and compliance in performing intensive tasks. In the last few years, the number of incidents taking place due to the breach of safety in worksites have made governments across the world take strict measures to ensure health and safety of the workers.
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According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the year 2022 experienced more number of deaths in the workplace and in increase in occupational diseases. The year reported a rate of 1.3 deaths per 100,000 workers in Singapore. It is resulted from issues such as fall from height or being victims to vehicular incidents at the premises. The rise of such concerns leads to the need of a stricter surveillance system especially in industries such as manufacturing and construction where workers are exposed to such conditions on a regular basis.
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Now, as we have digital solutions to every problem, the use of Permit to Work (PTW) System can be made be more effective and accurate using its digitalized version. But before moving on to the digitized solution, let’s dive into understanding the Permit to Work (PTW) System and its importance.
What is Permit to Work (PTW) System?
Permit-to-Work (PTW) System stands as a cornerstone in ensuring a safe and secure work environment across various industries. It is a process followed at a worksite to ensure that different activities are carried on in a systematic manner. It is not just a formality, but it is a vital component of a comprehensive safety and health management system. By formalizing the authorization process of going forward in ant task in the site, the PTW system empowers companies to effectively control and manage a diverse range of work activities, especially those of a non-routine nature.
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At its core, the PTW system serves as a safeguard, meticulously identifying, assessing, and mitigating specific risks associated with each task before execution. This proactive approach is instrumental in averting accidents, injuries, and potential damage to property or the environment. Moreover, by coordinating work activities and minimizing interference between contractors or work teams, the PTW system ensures seamless operations and enhanced productivity.
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The process begins with obtaining a written permit from an assigned authority, be it a supervisor or safety officer, prior to commencing any high-risk activity. This permit serves as more than just a piece of paper; it's a tangible authorization, meticulously outlining the necessary precautions, procedures, and safety measures imperative for the task at hand.
To summarise, the PTW system isn't just about compliance; it's about fostering a culture of safety, responsibility, and accountability within the workplace. It's a testament to an organization's unwavering commitment to prioritizing the well-being of its workforce and upholding the highest standards of safety and operational excellence.
What is the Permit to Work (PTW) process?
As stated above, the entire process begins with obtaining the permit from the authority assigned for looking after the high risk activities. Here is summarising the process followed in the PTW process in 6 steps-
Identification of Hazardous Work: The first step involves identifying tasks or activities that pose potential risks to workers, equipment, or the environment.
Risk Assessment: Once the hazardous work is identified, a thorough risk assessment is conducted to evaluate potential hazards and determine appropriate control measures.
Permit Issuance: A permit is issued by an authorized individual or team, granting permission to perform the identified high-risk task. This permit outlines specific requirements, safety precautions, and conditions that must be adhered to during the work.
Communication and Training: Workers involved in the permitted task receive comprehensive training and instructions on safety procedures, emergency protocols, and risk mitigation measures.
Monitoring and Supervision: Throughout the permitted work, designated supervisors or safety personnel closely monitor the activity to ensure compliance with safety regulations and permit conditions.
Completion and Closure: Once the work is completed, the permit is closed out through a formal process. This may involve inspections, equipment checks, and documentation of any incidents or deviations from the permit conditions.
Here, the question is –
How to convert the Permit to Work (PTW) process into a digital medium?
The use of a manual Permit to Work (PTW) system can often lead to high levels of time and resource consumption. Moreover, human error related to granting permits can lead to a number of accidents risking the lives of the workers in the premises. The use of an e-PTW system in such a case can be highly cost effective and productive.
5 Reasons to Go For e- Permit to Work (e-PTW) System
1. Digital Permit Management
Embracing digital permit management via e-PTW systems revolutionizes traditional permit workflows by digitizing and automating processes. Through the use of this technology, organizations can seamlessly manage permit requests, approvals, and issuance digitally.
For instance, using Permit-to-Work (PTW) System in construction can facilitate paperless permit applications, allowing contractors to submit requests electronically. Supervisors can then review and approve permits remotely, enhancing efficiency and reducing administrative burdens.
2. Real- Time Authorization
e-PTW systems offer real-time authorization capabilities, ensuring swift approval of permits to commence work activities. With this system, supervisors can instantly review permit requests, verify safety protocols, and authorize tasks remotely. This real-time authorization streamlines operational processes, minimizes delays, and enables prompt commencement of work.
Using Permit-to-Work (PTW) System in manufacturing can lead to real-time authorization via e-PTW ensures that production schedules remain uninterrupted and responsive to changing demands.
3. Instant Labour Qualification Verification
Leveraging e-PTW systems enables instant verification of labour qualifications, ensuring that only qualified personnel undertake high-risk tasks. In construction and manufacturing settings, e-PTW platforms can automatically validate workers' certifications and training credentials before authorizing them for specific job roles. This instant qualification verification enhances workforce safety and compliance with regulatory requirements, mitigating the risk of accidents and injuries.
4. Automated Risk and Conflict Management
e-PTW technology automate risk assessment and conflict resolution processes, proactively identifying and addressing potential hazards and conflicts. Through e-PTW, organizations can implement predefined risk assessment criteria and control measures to mitigate risks associated with various work activities. Additionally, e-PTW platforms can detect conflicts between simultaneous work tasks and provide recommendations for resolution, ensuring smooth and safe operations.
5. Audit Trail Facility
e-PTW solutions offer robust audit trail capabilities, providing organizations with comprehensive documentation and visibility into permit-related activities. Through such AI powered methods, organizations can maintain detailed records of permit applications, approvals, and changes, facilitating transparency and accountability.
This audit trail facility not only ensures compliance with regulatory standards but also enables organizations to conduct thorough post-task analysis and continuous improvement of safety protocols.
viAct is a company that holds strong values about safety and compliance in order to be sustainable in its approach for a better future. The e-PTW system facilitated by viAct is an one stop holistic solution that caters to the diverse needs of the companies. The use of PTW for construction and manufacturing sector can lead to decrease in the delays caused due to authorization permits.
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The Permit to Work (PTW) system enabled by AI-powered analytics helps to manage the permission activities on the go. The intuitive dashboard, viHUBÂ provides an integrated platform to communicate and authorize while looking into the required documents using just their mobile phone or tablet. The format to be used for the permits are according to the necessity of the sector.
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The use of viAct’s e-PTW technology allows for seamless integration into the already existing infrastructure of the company making the transition process much easier and cost effective. It also helps to comply with the safety management such as issuing strict adherence to protocols while entering danger zones in the site.
The use of viAct’s Permit to Work (PTW) can highly contribute towards the speeding up of the permits and allowing a smooth workflow in the sites. viAct’s AI powered system offers companies to grant permits associated to different activities.
8 Permits Granted by viAct’s e-Permit to Work (PTW)  System
1. Hot Work Permit
Authorizes work involving open flames, sparks, or heat-producing equipment and fire.
Ensures proper fire prevention measures are in place such as wearing fire resistant apparel and carrying fire extinguisher to these areas.Â
Example: Welding, cutting, or soldering operations.
2. Cold Work Permit
Authorizes non-heat-producing work activities in potentially hazardous environments.
Ensures workers are aware of safety precautions despite no heat source.
Example: Maintenance tasks in refrigerated areas.
3. Confined Space Entry Permit
Authorizes entry into confined spaces with limited access and viable number of members for entry.
Requires thorough risk assessment and safety precautions such as temperature underneath, health condition of the workers, oxygen levels etc.
Example: Storage Tanks, vaults, or broilers.
4. Electrical Work Permit
Authorizes work involving electrical installations or repairs.
Ensures compliance with electrical safety standards such as guidelines to test live wires, wearing proper PPEÂ etc.
Example: Installing or repairing electrical circuits, panels, or equipment.
5. Excavation Permit
Authorizes excavation or trenching activities.
Requires identification and mitigation of underground hazards.
Example: Digging trenches for pipeline installation.
6. General Work Permit
Authorizes routine or low-risk work activities.
May include tasks not covered by specific permits.
Example: Painting, cleaning, or general maintenance.
7. Lifting Work Permit
Authorizes lifting operations involving heavy equipment or loads.
Requires adherence to safe lifting practices such as Forklifting techniques.
Example: Crane operations, hoisting materials.
8. Road Closure Permit
Authorizes closure of roads or traffic routes for construction or maintenance work.
Ensures coordination with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
Example: Repairing or repaving roads, installing utilities.
viAct's e-Permit to Work (PTW) System represents a significant leap forward in safety management for construction and industrial environments. By digitizing and streamlining the permit-to-work process, viAct empowers organizations to enhance safety, efficiency, and compliance. With real-time authorization, instant labor qualification verification, automated risk and conflict management, and an audit trail facility, viAct's e-PTW system offers comprehensive support for managing work activities in diverse operational contexts.
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From hot work permits to confined space entries and road closures, viAct's solution provides the flexibility and robustness needed to address a wide range of work scenarios while ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and industry best practices. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, viAct enables organizations to mitigate risks, prevent accidents, and optimize work processes, ultimately fostering a safer and more productive work environment.
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With viAct's e-PTW system, companies can embark on their journey towards digital transformation, embracing innovation to drive operational excellence and achieve their safety objectives with confidence.
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