STRENGTHENING THE PERMIT

TO WORK SYSTEM TO PREVENT

ACCIDENTS
By: Andres Larry B. Seril, Jr., FPSME, PME, AOSHC
Summary
1. Kentex slipper factory fire accident
2. Failures of Permit to Work System
3. Importance of Permit to Work System
4. Features of Permit to Work System
5. Enhancement of Permit to Work System
Kentex slipper factory fire
accident

Date: May 15, 2015

Fatality: 74
Company: Kentex
Manufacturing
Factory
Location: Valenzuela
City
Kentex slipper factory fire
accident
Cause of Accident: fire broke out when welding sparks
ignited chemicals being stored near the entrance of the
Kentex Manufacturing factory.

Probable Cause of Accident:

1. No/ Incomplete PPE was issued to employees.
2. Improper storage of flammable chemicals.
3. Poor Housekeeping.
4. No proper means of Entry and Exit.
5. No approved Safety Work Permit.
 Failure of Permit to Work
System
•Unauthorized Staff Performing Work
Permit Functions
•Poor Management of Permit to Work
System
•Insufficient monitoring of Work Permit
System
•Wrong type of work permit used
•No Proper coordination between Project
Proponent and Maintenance Personnel/
Contractor
 Failure of Permit to Work
System
•Wrong information about the work
required on the work permit
•Failure to recognize the hazards where
work is carried out
•Instruction of work permit not followed
(e.g. Failure to isolate drain lines of
hazardous substance)
What is Permit to Work
System?
•Permit-to-Work form an essential part of
safe systems of work for many maintenance
activities.

•Permit-to-Work System is a formal

written system used to control certain types of
work that are potentially hazardous.
 Importance of Permit to Work
•Achieved by the careful preparation, supervision
and carrying out of the work.

•Provide a formal procedure to determine,

systematically, what precautions are required,
how this should be communicated, recorded and
monitored and be authorized.
 Importance of Permit to Work
•The aim of the permit to work system is
to ensure that the task is carried out in
accordance with the carefully considered
conditions specified in a permit drawn up
and verified by competent individuals.
Importance of Safety Work Permit
System
 Procedure For PTW System at Philippine Resins Industries Inc.
Approved Work
Request Form WRF received Operator prepared and
initiated by by Maintenance issued Safety Work
Production, will bring to Permit for that particular
Technical & Others DCS job.
For Confined Space
Entry, SHE to
Once the following conduct analysis on Basic requirement
requirements were VCM Gas, O2 and is filled-up by
satisfied, Operator other Flammable
gases.
Operator In-
In-Charge and Charged --------
SM/DCSO will electrical/ valve
sign the SWP For Hot Works, SHE
isolation/ Man entry
to conduct VCM gas
analysis checklist etc. in the
field as witness by
Maintenance or
5S and proper Contractor
Safety Personnel PRII Employees or housekeeping
shall check the SWP Contractors will now should be
if properly filled up sign/ acknowledge the inspected and
and the Isolation was approved Safety signed by
properly done in the Work Permit. Operator In-
Control Building Charge.
 To be filled-up by
Maintenance

To be filled-up by
Operator in-
charge and

Features of Permit to Work System

witness by
Maintenance in
the work site

used in Philippine Resins Industries

Gas/02 testing
requirements to
be done by SHE

Inc. To be signed by
Operator and
SM.
Sign by
employee or
contractor

5S/Proper
housekeeping
sign by operator
in-charge

Terminate by checking if
for renewal or job
completed and must be
signed by SM/DCSO
PERMIT TO WORK SYSTEM
GENERAL PROCEDURE (SERVICING OF PUMPS)
 Operator in-charge shall
relieve the line / vessel
pressure before
dismantling valves and
flanges.
 Safety Staff must check
Electrical and Valve
Isolation Certificate.
 Before leaving the area,
everything must be
checked and cleaned.
5S area before permit
termination.
PERFORMING GAS ANALYSIS PRIOR TO CONFINED SPACE ENTRY

 Operator in-charge should

prepare the tank / vessel for
gas analysis.

 Oxygen content ≥ 19.5%

 VCM content ≤ 5ppm
 Frequency of analysis depends
on the type of vessel / tank.
 There should be 3 gas analysis
points (top, middle and bottom)
Safety Work Permit Monitoring Board
 Enhancement can be made for
Permit to Work System
1. Training of Personnel that uses Permit
to work in the plant
2. Identify permit and non-permit areas in
the plant
3. Evaluation of the Permit System
4. Checking of Safety Equipment
5. Authorizing Safety Officers to verify
the completeness of PTW System.
 THANK Y U
Safety Professionals
for Listening