Area 500/600

Work Permit System

“Work permit system is a formal written system to control potentially hazardous work. A work permit is a document that declares the authorization of a person by the area owner to do a specific work in his area on a particular location with all the defined precautions.”

Refineries contain hazards of hydrocarbons and toxic materials and release of any of these materials may result in disastrous situation. Work Permit help in containing the risks associated with hydrocarbons and toxic materials. Maintenance personnel are not adequately familiar with the process conditions and may not be properly aware of the hazards associated with the working equipments. Basic purpose of the work permit system is to prevent injuries to personnel & property damage.

A work permit is a document that ensures the transfer of ownership, for a specified time during which the work will be performed, from the Originator Authority (owner of the plant) to the Acceptor Authority. Work permits also serve as means of communications which inform every department and responsible individual that can be affected by the work to be done.

In PARCO, work permits are required for:

Major and Minor maintenance work Construction Modification Process Equipment cleaning Entry into confined space Excavation Radiography Vehicle entry into hazardous areas

Some cases that are exempted from this work permit system are:

Works that are carried out by Operations Department as a part of routine operation Mechanical Workshop Instrument Workshop Laboratory Routine inspection and testing of fire equipment Vehicle and HVAC workshop

There are common roles and responsibilities that are observed in every sort of job in a hazardous area. Generally four individuals are associated with every job: Issuing Authority, Area Operator, Accepting Authority and Performer. Their roles and responsibilities can be defined as:

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Area 500/600

Issuing Authority:

To prepare the equipment and properly fill out checklist items To clearly identify equipment and location where work is to be performed To identify and indicate any residual hazards To advise on protective measures To carry out gas test whenever required and enter the result with sign, date and time To discuss and explain the job with/to Accepting Authority To carry out electrical isolation whenever required To close the permit when the job is complete or end of permit duration, whichever one is earlier

Area Operator:

To ensure implementation of actions and conditions list To ensure identification of residual hazards To ensure plant handing over to the Acceptor Authority PPE usage by performers Gas test if required Continuous monitoring of job

Acceptor Authority:

To clearly understand the conditions of the equipment and the residual hazards associated with it

To ensure that the required protective measures are in place To describe the job and the associated hazards and risks to the performer To ensure that safe procedure of execution is being followed

Performer:

Site inspection Understanding of job hazards Awareness of residual hazards Follow instructions Use of PPE’s Know emergency procedures Know chemical hazards/MSDS Housekeeping

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Area 500/600

Types of Work Permit:

At MCR seven work permits are being followed that include:

1) Cold Work Permit2) Hot Work Permit3) Confined Space Entry Permit4) Radiography Permit5) Excavation Permit6) Electrical Isolation/De-isolation Permit7) Mobile Machinery/Vehicle Entry/Road Closure Permit

Type Of Work Permit Key ConsiderationsCold Work Permit Issued for routine/non-routine inspection and

maintenance jobs that do not include activities that produce flame, spark ,heat etc.(source of ignition)

Hot Work Permit Issued for routine/non-routine jobs that involve equipments or materials producing spark, flame or heat, specified as source of heat.

Confined Space Entry Permit Issued for all the routine/non-routine maintenance and inspection jobs inside the confined space. It is also required for the pits with depth ≥ 4 feet.

Radiography Permit Issued for routine/non-routine maintenance and inspection jobs involving radioactive source.

Excavation Permit Issued for routine/non-routine excavation (drilling, digging etc.) jobs. It ensure the safety of underground facilities that include electrical wires, water lines, process control lines etc.

Electrical Isolation/De-isolation Permit Issued for routine/non-routine electrical isolation during maintenance or inspection jobs on the electrical equipments or in the vicinity of electrical equipments.

Mobile Machinery/Vehicle Entry/Road Closure Permit

Issued for all the routine/non-routine Mobile Machinery/Vehicle Entry/Road Closure in the hazardous area

References:

Parco HSE Manual

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