Permit to Work (PTW): Process, Template and Examples

What a permit to work (PTW) is

A permit to work (PTW) is a written document that authorizes a hazardous job at a defined place, time and set of conditions, after someone has checked in the field that the controls are in place. Without a signed, valid permit the job does not start.

It does not replace the risk assessment or energy isolation: it brings them together at one decision point. The risk assessment identifies the hazards, lockout/tagout isolates the energy sources, and the permit confirms both were done and releases the work for a limited time.

Visual map of the permit-to-work flow

The map shows the issue, validation and close-out flow, with the two worked examples: fall clearance and atmosphere testing.

When a permit is required

A permit applies to non-routine or high-risk work where a mistake can kill or seriously injure. The most common cases:

Always check the current text of the regulation and the site procedure: the permit is a method requirement, and minimum content varies by activity and country.

The permit flow: from request to close-out

1. Request: the requester describes the task, location, crew and time.
2. Risk assessment: the crew and the area owner evaluate hazards and define controls.
3. Isolation: lockout/tagout of energy, draining, ventilation, area barriers.
4. Field checks and testing: the issuer goes to the site and verifies isolations, equipment and, where relevant, the atmosphere.
5. Issue: the issuer signs and sets the validity; the performing crew reads the permit, understands the risks and signs.
6. Supervised execution: the permit stays at the job, visible; an attendant or fire watch is present when required.
7. Revalidation or suspension: a change of conditions, crew or shift end means stop and revalidate.
8. Close-out: the crew reports completion, the area is inspected, locks are removed and the permit is filed.

Step 4 is the critical one: a permit is only worth something if someone verified the real condition of the site. A permit signed at a desk is the main failure mode.

What a permit must contain

• Number, date, validity (start and end time) and exact location.
• Description of the task and the equipment involved.
• Hazards identified and controls defined, referring to the risk assessment.
• Energy isolation: isolation points, locks and responsible people.
• Required PPE and emergency equipment.
• Tests, where applicable: values, instrument, time and tester.
• Names and signatures of requester, issuer, performers and attendant.
• Fields for revalidation, suspension, close-out and the emergency and rescue plan.

A generic permit copied from an earlier job protects nobody: each permit describes that job, at that location, on that day.

Example 1: fall clearance for work at height

Before issuing a work-at-height permit, check that there is enough space below the worker for the fall protection system to work without the person hitting the ground or an obstacle. Add up:

Required clearance = lanyard + absorber deployment + worker height + margin

Example with hypothetical values, which must come from the manufacturer's manual for the equipment used:

1.8 + 1.2 + 1.5 + 1.0 = 5.5 m. If the worker is 4.0 m above the floor, there is a shortfall of 5.5 − 4.0 = 1.5 m: the system is not suitable and the permit must not be issued with that set-up. Alternatives: a self-retracting lifeline (shorter arrest distance), work restraint that prevents reaching the edge, or a platform with guardrails.

Example 2: atmosphere testing and revalidation

In confined spaces and in hot work near vapors, the atmosphere is tested before and during the job. The usual order is oxygen, then flammables (LEL, lower explosive limit), then toxics such as H₂S and CO. Acceptable limits come from the regulation and the site procedure. The table below uses an example limit of 10% of LEL for hot work.

The 12:00 reading (12% of LEL) is above the example limit. The permit is suspended, the crew leaves, the cause is investigated and the atmosphere is tested again before any revalidation. A single test at the start is not enough when conditions can change.

Who does what

Example case (fictional): cutting a pipe support 8 m from a solvent storage point. The hot work permit is valid from 08:00 to 16:00. Area barricaded, combustibles removed within the radius set by the procedure (NFPA 51B cites 11 m / 35 ft), extinguisher in place and a fire watch assigned. Cutting ends at 14:20. With a 30-minute fire watch after the work, close-out happens at 14:50, inside the validity. The fire watch confirms no smoldering and the issuer signs the close-out.

Common mistakes

• Permit issued at a desk, without a site inspection.
• Copy of an earlier permit with generic hazards.
• Validity stretched beyond the shift without revalidation.
• A different crew from the one that signed does the work.
• No attendant, no rescue plan, or improvised rescue.
• Permit never closed out: forgotten locks and an area released without inspection.
• Permit used as paperwork to "cover" the job instead of a real control. After an incident, an accident investigation often finds a completed permit and a missing control. Also track the frequency and severity rates.

The permit is an operational control inside the management system: ISO 45001 asks for risks to be controlled in operational planning and control. For machinery, see also machine safeguarding and Lean.

Frequently asked questions

What is a permit to work?

A document that authorizes a hazardous job at a defined place, time and conditions, after verification in the field.

Which jobs need a permit?

Hot work, confined space entry, work at height, electrical work, excavation and lifting are the most common. The exact list comes from regulation and site procedure.

What is the difference between a PTW and a risk assessment?

The risk assessment identifies hazards and controls in advance. The PTW authorizes a specific job after checking those controls are in place.

How long is a permit valid?

Briefly, and defined at issue, usually no longer than one shift. A change in conditions requires revalidation.

Who can issue a permit?

A trained, formally designated person other than the performer, who goes to the site and verifies conditions.

Are PTW and LOTO the same?

No. LOTO isolates energy; the PTW authorizes the job and normally requires LOTO as a precondition.

About the author

Vagner Soares

Lean Manufacturing & Behavioral Management Specialist

Over 20 years in the automotive and metalworking industries (GM and Dana), Lean Manufacturing practitioner since 2006. SENAI instructor and mentor in Brazil’s Brasil Mais Produtivo program, delivering consulting, training and audits for 50+ companies, combining quality, productivity and people development.

LinkedInInstagramFull profile →