10.1
The importance of the effective control of maintenance work - often referred to as Permit to Work – is graphically illustrated in the Chemical Safety Board Video “Hot Work Hidden Hazards”.
It’s important to understand the Permit to Work process, and an in-depth analysis of it is provided in the Control of Work booklet, published as part of the BP Process Safety Series (published by IChemE). The booklet looks in detail at how a Control of Work process is put together, and the elements that go within it. It also gives examples of when Control of Work systems have failed, and includes a self-assessment exercise.
For further reading click on the available resources.
10.2
A major issue in the high-hazard industry is encouraging operators and technicians to take time to think before they act. This is often referred to as task risk management and there are a number of methodologies that have been designed to embed this discipline. One example is Take 5, which encourages people to take 5 minutes to think about the job and its hazards before jumping into action.
It’s important to stress that this approach applies to all tasks, including those that might be deemed routine and technically uncomplicated.
For further reading click on the available resources.
10.4
Using one or more of the self-assessment methodologies you have read about, critically assess your own company’s control of work and task risk management systems, and evaluate how effective these systems are in controlling Major Accident Hazard risk.
If you are not employed at a company, you can download the example.
Once you have completed the form, upload it to your portfolio.