Principal Contractor Advisory Support

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37 Critical document templates for Principal Contractors: User Manual Index

Purpose and outcome

This Permit to Work (PTW) template is a simple way to put positive control around higher-risk site activities (e.g., hot works, confined spaces, excavations, isolations, roof work). It is your “job authorisation”: it confirms the job is planned, the right controls are in place, and everyone understands what’s happening before work starts.

Good completion looks like: one clear job, one clear location, clear time window, correct isolations, competent people named, interfaces controlled, emergency arrangements written down, and a proper close-out showing the area was left safe and services handed back.

Site rule: No valid permit = no work. If anything changes, stop and review.

Who uses it (roles and responsibilities)

Role	Main job	Typical examples
Permit Issuer (Authorising person)	Checks planning and controls, confirms isolations (where needed), authorises start, signs extensions/handovers, closes the permit.	Site manager, working foreman, principal contractor (PC) supervisor, client FM lead (where agreed).
Supervisor / Person in charge	Runs the job on the ground, briefs the team, keeps controls in place, stops work if conditions change, signs close-out as “job complete”.	Trade supervisor, lead operative, subcontractor foreman.
Workers doing the task	Follow the permit and RAMS, sign competence section, raise issues early, stop if unsafe.	Operatives, welders, electricians, groundworkers, roofers, plant ops.
Others affected (interfaces)	Are told what’s happening, what areas are restricted, and any service impacts.	Other trades, neighbours, building users, delivery drivers, security.

When to use it (trigger points)

Use a PTW when the job needs tight control (higher risk, shared area, service isolation, public interface, or potential for serious harm).
Typical controlled activities: hot works, confined space entry, excavations/groundworks near services, service isolation/tie-in, roof work/work at height, lifting operations, demolition, any unusual high-risk task.
Issue before work starts (not after). The permit time window should match the job/shift.
Re-issue if the location changes, the task changes, the team changes, conditions change, or you stop and leave the job unattended.

Before you start (what you need in your hand)

RAMS for the task (and evidence the team will be briefed on it).
Site information: drawings, service/utility plans, asbestos info (where relevant), lift plans, COSHH, manufacturer instructions.
Access and edge protection arrangements (scaffold tags/inspection, MEWP checks, ladder use plan, fragile roof plan).
Isolation plan (what is being isolated, where, how locked off, who controls keys, how it will be proved dead/tested).
Competence evidence: cards/tickets/training for the people and plant involved (e.g., hot works training, confined space, CAT & Genny, plant tickets, PASMA/MEWP, electrical competence where needed).
Emergency details: correct site address, access point, first aider, fire points, rescue plan where required (confined space/roof/MEWP).
Interface plan: who else is working nearby, how you will separate work areas, public protection, deliveries and traffic routes.

How to complete it (step-by-step)

Step 1 — Define the job clearly (Template Section 1: Permit Details)

Write the exact location (not just “Site”). Example: “Unit 4, rear yard, trench line along fence, bays 3–6”.
Tick the controlled activity that matches the work. If it’s not listed, tick “Other” and name it.
Set a realistic validity period (shorter is better). Don’t run open-ended permits “for the week”.
List the linked documents you are actually using (RAMS, drawings, utility plans, etc.).

Step 2 — Do the pre-start checks properly (Template Section 2)

Physically check the area: access/egress, lighting, ventilation, housekeeping, barriers, signage.
Confirm the RAMS briefing has happened and people understood it (not just “handed out”).
If anything is “No”: stop, fix it, and only then proceed to authorisation.

Step 3 — Control isolations (Template Section 3: Isolations & Services)

List every service isolation needed (electric, gas, water, air, hydraulics, other).
Record isolation point/location, method (lock-off/remove fuse/cap/blank), and who applied and verified it.
Keep isolation keys under control (e.g., named key holder / key safe). Avoid “everyone has a key”.
If any work is planned on or near live services, use the Live Work confirmation and write extra controls. If you can’t justify it safely, re-plan the job.

Step 4 — Confirm competence and supervision (Template Section 4)

Write names, roles, and the specific ticket/training that matters for this job (avoid vague entries like “CSCS”).
Set a named supervisor and agree limits: max people in the area, briefing time, and any restrictions.

Step 5 — Manage interfaces (Template Section 5)

Think two ways: who we could affect and who could affect us.
Agree controls you can actually deliver: barriers, timed work windows, banksman, shared isolation tags, neighbour notices.
If other trades need to know, tell them before you start (and note it on the permit).

Step 6 — Write the emergency arrangements (Template Section 6)

Fill in the 999 address and the best ambulance access point. Don’t assume “everyone knows”.
Confirm first aid and fire arrangements are suitable for the task (hot works needs the right extinguishers and fire watch).
If a rescue plan is needed (confined space, MEWP, roof edge), attach it or summarise it clearly.

Step 7 — Complete the task-specific controls (Template Section 7)

Tick only what applies, but make sure you’ve covered the real risks for the task.
Hot works: combustibles cleared/protected, extinguishers present, fire watch during and after, detectors managed and reinstated.
Confined space: assessment/entry plan, gas testing recorded, ventilation, trained top person, rescue equipment ready.
Excavation: plans briefed, CAT & Genny scan and mark-out, hand dig/trial holes, support, edges protected, spoil set back, daily checks.
Roof/work at height: correct access method inspected, edge protection or fall arrest plan, fragile roof controls, weather stop criteria, dropped object controls.
Isolation/tie-in: what stays live vs isolated, lock-off/tags and key control, prove dead/test before touch, safe re-energisation plan.

Step 8 — Authorise start (Template Section 8: Permit Issue)

Issuer and supervisor sign only when controls are in place and the team is briefed.
Keep the permit available: on a permit board, in the supervisor’s folder, or at the workface (protected from weather).

Step 9 — Control changes, handovers, and extensions (Template Section 9)

Use this section whenever something changes: conditions, weather, access, services, team, sequence, or overlapping trades.
If you can’t clearly describe the change and controls, stop and re-issue a new permit.
Record stop-work events and who authorised restart.

Step 10 — Close out properly (Template Section 10)

Do a final area check: tidy, safe, barriers removed or left in place with notes.
Confirm isolations are removed only when safe and people affected are told.
Supervisor signs “job complete”; issuer signs “permit closed”. File it.

Review and approval (what “good sign-off” means)

Permit Issuer should challenge anything unclear: vague location, missing isolations, no competence evidence, weak interface controls, no rescue plan where needed.
Supervisor should only accept the permit if the controls are genuinely in place and the team has been briefed.
Escalate when the risk is high or outside normal site control (e.g., live electrical work, complex confined space, major service tie-in affecting occupants, fragile roof with limited edge protection options).

Recordkeeping (storage, retention, audit readiness)

Keep the original signed permit in the site file (paper) until the job/package is complete.
Scan/photo and save to the project folder (e.g., Site Records > Permits to Work > PTW-###).
Keep permits with related evidence: RAMS version, brief records, isolation notes/photos, gas test records, scaffold/MEWP inspections, any stop-work notes.
Retention: keep at least until project completion and handover, and then in line with your company/client retention period (many keep for several years for claims and investigation needs).

How often it should be reviewed or updated

Every shift/day the permit is live: confirm conditions haven’t changed (especially weather, access, other trades, services).
Immediately when anything changes: stop, review, record the change/extension, or re-issue.
After incidents/near misses: review whether the PTW controls were suitable and update your approach/RAMS if needed.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Common pitfall	How to avoid it (practical fix)
Permit is treated like paperwork done after the job starts	Make it a hard rule: permit issued and signed before tools come out. Do the check at the workface.
Vague location or description (“roof works”, “plant room”)	Write a location someone else could find in 30 seconds. Add level, room, gridline, bay, or landmark.
Isolations listed but not verified (or keys not controlled)	Record “applied by” and “verified by”. Use lock-off/tag and keep keys with a named person.
Competence box filled with generic info	Write what matters for the task (e.g., “Confined Space Medium Risk + rescue”, “CAT & Genny trained”, “IPAF 3a/3b”).
Fire watch not done (or “60 mins” ticked but nobody assigned)	Assign a named person and confirm time. Do a final check before leaving.
Permit runs all week and gets forgotten	Short validity windows. Review daily/each shift. Re-issue when the job changes.
Interfaces missed (other trades walk through the work area)	Set barriers and signage, and brief other trades at the daily coordination point.
No clear close-out (area left unsafe; isolations not handed back properly)	Close-out walkdown: tidy, remove/leave barriers with notes, confirm handback and notify affected people.

Worked example (quick scenario)

Job: Torch-on felt repair to a flat roof over an occupied office.

Permit Details: Exact roof access point and work zone marked; validity 08:00–12:00.
Pre-start: Access checked, edge protection confirmed, exclusion zone below set up, RAMS briefed.
Isolations: Agree smoke detection isolation with building responsible person (where applicable); record who isolates and who reinstates.
Competence: Named roofer in charge; confirm hot works competence; anyone using access equipment listed with relevant training.
Interfaces: Office informed; work timed to avoid peak entry; barriers/signage at ground level.
Emergency: Correct site address, extinguisher location, assembly point recorded.
Hot works controls: Combustibles cleared, extinguishers present, fire watch during works and for agreed period after; final inspection before leaving.
Close out: Area checked for heat/smoulder, detectors reinstated, roof left tidy, permit closed and filed.

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