HVCA H&S Group

News item added on: 2009-04-27 00:00:00

Introduction

It is a great pleasure to be here today amongst so many companies actively involved in operating Permit systems. Whilst your customers share a Duty of care to protect people from risks, it is usually your teams that actually devise the Safe systems of work on their behalf and operate them day to day. As such, you represent the largest user group of permits and have the best understanding of the issues involved.

We are all familiar with the kinds of pressure that can jeopardise a permit system; high volume of permits, tight deadlines, lateness of submissions, or inappropriate documentation, all compromising the quality of the information and the time available to consider it. These pressures continue to mount at the same time we are trying by 2010 to cut deaths and reduce major injury accidents by 10%.

Much has been achieved by changing attitudes at work and encouraging everyone to take ownership of their H&S, but new technologies can also play a part in the progress we need to make and achieve step changes in safety performance.

Across many sectors of industry and commerce there are innovative companies that have asked their FM provider to operate a web-based permit system and as a result we have already worked with many of your companies. There is a growing momentum behind web-based systems as FM companies begin to include the innovation in their new tenders and also take it back into their existing clients.

It is my intention today to explore with you the reasons why this is happening and you may wish to consider whether it would benefit your clients or your NBD team to use a web-based permit system.

Let’s start with a few short definitions to isolate the differences between paper-based and web-based Permit systems.

Definitions

A permit to work system is:
“a formal written system used to control certain types of work that are potentially hazardous”

A permit to work is:
“a document which specifies the work to be done and the precautions to be taken”

A web-based or e-permit system also produces:
“a document which specifies the work to be done and the precautions to be taken to control work that is potentially hazardous” which is essentially the same

But bearing in mind how long your H&S specialists have spent developing your Permit systems, it would be inappropriate to change the circumstances where permits are used or the process or people used to assess and issue them, unless either is in someway unsuitable.

So if the circumstances, the people, the process and the paperwork all remain the same, why would you use web-based permits? What does it bring to the party?

Reducing risks

The main reason to use a web-based system is that it can substantially reduce the risks involved, by making the people and the process more effective.

The 4 types of risk that we aim to reduce are:

  • Injury to people
  • Damage to property
  • Disruption of business
  • Compromised security

and the relative importance of each will vary with the business or operation.

The most effective and reliable way of reducing risk is by increasing management control where it is lacking, and the prerequisite for management control is as ever, management information.

Web-based systems provide that management information to the appropriate people just when they need it, to help them to make the safest decision.

So the main difference between paper and web-based systems is the intelligence that precedes the decision and the piece of paper. The Management information and control they deliver makes sure that the Permit is actually worth the paper it’s written on.

But it is very important that the system while providing management information, does not make management decisions. If they begin to make some of the decisions, people tend to rely on them to make all the decisions which would be dangerous. There is no substitute for a well trained, Authorised person. They just need the best information available.

Management control

In simple terms, the APs are trying to ensure that the:

  • right people, with the
  • right skills, work to the
  • right method statement, in the
  • right place, at the
  • right time

Management information

So what management information would help achieve these objectives and reduce the risks?

Compliance checking

Safety policy - It would be helpful to inform sub-contractors when their proposed work breaches your Health & Safety policy or site rules and then to advise them where they are non-compliant.

That way you know that the limitations and requirements of your policy and site rules are being enforced consistently on every permit.

Competencies – It would be useful to know that the sub-contractor coming to site has been approved and has current, adequate insurance It would also be helpful to inform sub-contractors when their proposed work team does not have the appropriate competencies, training or inductions to undertake the task and again to advise them what is lacking

Hazards - It would be prudent to share the known hazards in a building like asbestos, chemical storage, HV equipment, low beams etc. with the team planning to do the work in advance, so that they can plan the appropriate personnel, equipment, PPE and method of work.

RA and MS – It would be useful to know that the Risk assessment and Method statement were building specific, had been approved by an AP, had not been superseded by a later version and would be reviewed on a regular basis.

High-risk permits – It is vital to know that the high-risk permits for isolations, hot works, work at height or in confined spaces for instance, are all in place, that they are linked to the main permit and cross referenced, that if one is rejected or cancelled then they all are, and that they can only be issued and closed in sequence.

Clash checking

Clash checking – Particularly when the number of permits is high or the portfolio of buildings is large, it would be helpful if potentially dangerous clashes were highlighted as even tasks that are in isolation safe, can present an unforeseen hazard to another party.

It would be helpful to see when two parties were planning to work on the same service or a related service or in the same location. The AP could then make an informed decision to reject one or allow both to proceed, perhaps with a warning to both parties about the other.

When a request is rejected it would also be helpful to let the company know why it has been rejected and to indicate what is needed for it to be acceptable.

Workflow management

Involvement – You would want to know that all the appropriate APs and interested parties were involved for each scenario so that no-one is missed out or circumvented. Their involvement might be as a result of the location, the service being worked on or the permit type and can get very complex.

Role – You would want reassurance that each AP could only approve risks and permit types that their competence covers. This might be Electrical permits but not Hot works permits or Business risk but not People risk. You would also want to know that their authority was still current.

Updates – It would be efficient to contact an AP when they need to assess a RA/MS or a Permit by email or on their PDA. Similarly, as a sub-contractor you would want to know when your RA/MA or Permit has been approved or rejected. If you haven’t been notified, web-access should enable you to track the progress of a submission and progress chase it.

Visibility – The web access also provides visibility of sub-contractors for parties that need to monitor activities across various sites or projects.

Non-compliances – Knowing which sub-contractors or specific persons are not complying with your policies can bring the required leverage to sort them out quickly.

Reports – You would probably want to access reports that focus on locations, activities, companies or time frames of particular interest, at the press of a button.

Audit trail – It is also comforting to know that a system is keeping a record of every key action, date and user stamped in case of an incident.

This type of management information is already accessible to clients in many sectors reducing their risks and bringing them peace of mind:

  • Property management
  • Banking & Finance
  • Legal
  • Telecoms
  • Airlines
  • Retail
  • Healthcare
  • Private prisons

and it is operated by major:

  • FM companies
  • Property developers
  • Fitout contractors

These Permit systems are quite simple to implement. They draw on whatever data is available from asset registers and can be integrated with Asset management or CAFM systems such as Maximo or Concept.

They are also easy to use. The HSE has always stressed that a Permit system should be simple to operate. There is a natural inclination to circumvent procedures that are too complex or time consuming and the HSE want to encourage the correct use of Permits in all work situations that are potentially hazardous. It is therefore important that web-based systems do not deliver their secondary benefits at the expense of usability. There is no value in an application with impressive functionality that is never used.

The benefits and usability of e-permits have been recognised by clients and a number of H&S award bodies. Banyards’ e-permit system has received awards from:

  • H&V News
  • Building Magazine
  • The Construction Health & Safety Group
  • Safety & Health Expo
  • Specialist Contract Awards
  • Building Services Journal

in each case for the category of Best H&S innovation

I hope that gives you an insight into what is going on and why.
For more information email solutions@banyards.co.uk or see www.banyards.co.uk and www.banyards.co.uk/solutions