Permit to Work and Isolation Policy

Purpose. This policy establishes the permit to work system as the single control for planning, authorising and closing out work on or near live gas infrastructure.

1.Purpose and scope

Work on live mains, services, regulator stations, city gates and storage facilities exposes workers to fire, explosion and asphyxiation. This policy applies to every task that breaks into, isolates, purges, commissions or decommissions any part of the network, whether performed by Gasline staff or by contractors.

2.Policy statement

No person will break into or isolate a live gas asset without a permit to work issued by an authorised permit issuer and accepted by an authorised permit holder. The permit must state the isolation points, the gas monitoring required, the fire precautions and the restoration steps. Work outside the scope of the permit must stop until the permit is amended or a new permit is issued.

3.Roles

Permit issuers are field supervisors or control centre shift leaders who hold the issuer authorisation. Permit holders are the technicians in charge of the work on site. The control centre must be notified before any isolation that will change network pressure or affect customer supply.

• Permit issuer: plans and authorises the work
• Permit holder: controls the site and the crew
• Control centre: records the isolation and approves restoration
• HSE: audits permits and maintains the authoriser list

4.Isolation and restoration

Isolations must be proven by pressure or flow reading at the work face, not assumed from a valve position. Every isolation point must be tagged and recorded on the permit. Restoration must be approved by the control centre and customers affected must be relit by an authorised technician before the permit is closed.

5.Records

Every permit will be recorded in the Permit to Work Register on the day it is issued and closed within 24 hours of the work finishing. Permits will be retained for seven years and will be audited monthly by HSE.

6.Breaches

Working without a permit, working outside a permit or signing a permit without a current authorisation is a serious breach. Breaches will be investigated as incidents and will lead to withdrawal of authorisation while the investigation runs.