What Should Be Checked Before a Permit to Work Is Issued on a Construction Site?
Before a permit to work is issued, the issuer should confirm five things: the task's risk assessment and method statement are approved, every named holder is competent and cleared for that work, the hazards are isolated or controlled, any other work nearby that could interact has been identified, and the issuer has seen the work area in person. HSE's guidance is clear that issuing a permit does not, by itself, make a job safe. The checks behind it do.
In short
- A permit to work is a formal, recorded process for controlling work identified as potentially hazardous. It is part of a safe system of work, not a replacement for one.
- The pre-issue checks are about the job (risk assessment, method, isolations), the people (competence, briefing) and the place (site visit, interacting work).
- HSE says nobody should issue a permit to themselves, and high-harm permits should be seen by a second person.
- The permit has to be managed after issue too: displayed, suspended when conditions change, handed over between shifts and handed back at the end.
This guide draws on HSE's Guidance on permit-to-work systems (HSG250). HSG250 was written for the petroleum, chemical and allied industries, but its principles are the standard reference for permit systems more widely, including on construction sites. It is general guidance, not a substitute for your own risk assessment.
What is a permit to work, and when do you need one?
HSG250 (paragraph 9) describes a permit-to-work system as a formal recorded process used to control work that has been identified as potentially hazardous. It is also a means of communication between site management, supervisors and the people doing the work. The guidance treats it as an integral part of a safe system of work and as part of the task risk assessment (paragraphs 2 and 4).
Permits are normally used for non-routine work, and where work needs to be coordinated between different groups (paragraphs 14 and 15). The types of work HSG250 lists (paragraph 17) include:
- hot work, such as welding, cutting and grinding;
- entry into confined spaces;
- work at height;
- electrical work and work on other energy sources;
- work involving temporary equipment;
- other high-risk work, where the risk assessment identifies the need.
On a construction site, the common permits are hot works, confined spaces, excavation or breaking ground near services, work at height in high-risk locations, live electrical isolation and lifting operations.
What should be checked before a permit is issued?
This is the pre-issue checklist we suggest, grouped around the job, the people and the place. It is built from the features HSG250 says a permit system should have, set out in a form you can run on site.
The job
- The task is clearly defined. What exactly is being done, where, with what equipment, and for how long. The permit's validity period should match the work (HSG250 para 9).
- The risk assessment and method statement are approved for this task and this location, not a generic version.
- Isolations are in place and proven. Electrical, mechanical, pressure, gas or process isolations are applied, locked where appropriate and tested before the permit is issued (paragraph 12 lists isolation as a core objective).
- Precautions are listed on the permit. Fire watch, gas testing, extraction, edge protection, emergency arrangements, whatever the risk assessment requires.
The people
- Every named holder is competent for this task. HSG250 expects the system to cover the training and competence of those who issue and use permits. Under CDM 2015 regulation 15(7), a contractor must not appoint anyone to a task unless they have the skills, knowledge, training and experience for it. In practice: the ticket the task needs, in date, plus site induction.
- The holders have been briefed on the method, the precautions and what to do if conditions change, and have signed to confirm it.
- The issuer is authorised and is not the holder. HSG250 (paragraph 26) says a person should not issue a permit to themselves, and that high-harm permits should be seen by a second person.
The place
- The issuer has visited the work area. HSG250 (paragraph 25) expects a site visit at least at the start and at completion of the work.
- Interacting work has been checked. Other permits, work or activities nearby that could affect this job, or be affected by it, are identified and coordinated (HSG250 covers interaction in paragraphs 18 to 24).
- The permit will be displayed at the work location so anyone arriving can see what is authorised and what precautions apply.
Who does what in a permit system?
HSG250 (paragraph 29) names a range of roles. Small sites often combine them, but the separation between the person authorising the work and the person doing it should stay.
| Role | What they do | Typical site equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Authoriser / issuing authority | Confirms the precautions and issues the permit | Site manager or appointed permit issuer |
| Performing authority / permit user | Accepts the permit and is responsible for the work being done safely under it | Subcontractor supervisor or lead operative |
| Area authority | Responsible for the area where the work happens | Area or section manager |
| Isolating authority | Applies and proves isolations | Authorised electrician or fitter |
| Site checker | Checks precautions on the ground, such as gas tests | Fire watch, gas tester, supervisor |
HSG250 (paragraph 32) is clear that everyone involved, including contractors and subcontractors, has responsibilities under the system. Signers need specific training and authorisation for their role (paragraph 25).
What happens after the permit is issued?
Issue is the start, not the end. HSG250 (paragraphs 18 to 24) covers the controls that keep a permit valid while work is underway:
- Display. The permit is kept at the work location.
- Suspension. If conditions change, such as an alarm, a change in the work or an emergency, work stops and the permit is suspended until it is safe to resume.
- Shift handover. A permit that runs across shifts must be formally handed over, so the incoming team knows the status and precautions.
- Hand-back. At the end, the work area is inspected, the permit is closed and isolations are removed in a controlled way.
What do permit systems commonly get wrong?
- Treating the permit as the safety control. HSG250 (paragraph 5) warns that the issue of a permit does not, by itself, make a job safe.
- Competence assumed, not checked. The permit names a holder, but nobody confirms that person holds the right ticket for the task today.
- Permits issued from the office. Without the site visit, the issuer is signing for conditions they haven't seen.
- Self-issue. One person writes, approves and works under the same permit.
- No suspension or hand-back record. The permit stays "live" after the work stops, or work restarts without anyone reissuing it.
Where DocCompliance fits
DocCompliance's permits are tied to each holder's verdict:
- A permit won't issue to a holder who isn't cleared, or who doesn't hold the ticket the work needs, and the screen says exactly why.
- Each type of work lists the tickets it requires, marked as law, industry scheme or your own policy, and set to warn or block.
- Holders are briefed from the approved method, point by point, in their own language.
- One press stops the work, and only a person can restart it.
- Overrides need a name and a reason, and stay on the record.
The software checks the paperwork side: competence, clearance, approved method and an audit trail. The site visit, isolations and judgement stay with your authorised people.
To draft a permit today, use our free permit to work template tool. For the method statement side, see RAMS sign-off before work starts.
Frequently asked questions
Is a permit to work a legal requirement in construction?
There is no single UK regulation that requires a permit for all high-risk work. HSE guidance describes permits as an integral part of a safe system of work for hazardous, non-routine tasks, and many principal contractors and clients make them a site rule.
Who can issue a permit to work?
Someone who is trained and authorised to issue that type of permit. HSG250 says signers need specific training and authorisation, and a person should not issue a permit to themselves.
What is the difference between a permit and a method statement?
The method statement describes how the work will be done safely. The permit authorises a specific job, at a specific place and time, once the issuer has confirmed the precautions in that method are in place.
How long should a permit to work last?
For the period stated on the permit, which should match the work it covers. If the work runs across shifts, HSG250 expects a formal handover to the incoming team.
What should happen if conditions change during the work?
The work stops and the permit is suspended until the area is made safe again and the permit is reviewed or reissued.
Should subcontractors' workers be named on the permit?
Yes. Everyone working under the permit should be identified, briefed and confirmed as competent for the task, whether they are your own staff or a subcontractor's.
Next step
Run the ten-point checklist above against the next hot works or confined space permit on your site. To build a permit to work now, try the free permit to work tool.