Free tool · permits to work
Which permits do I need today?
Permits get missed because nobody realises the task needs one until somebody asks. Tick what is actually happening on site and find out what should have a permit behind it — before the crew starts, not after.
Why permits get missed
Rarely because somebody decided to skip one. Usually because the task did not feel like the sort of thing
that needs a permit. Cutting a small penetration. A quick grind on a handrail. Popping the lid off a pit
to have a look. Each of those has a permit behind it on most sites, and each is the sort of five-minute job
that starts before anyone thinks to ask. The moment to check is when the task is planned, not when
somebody with a clipboard walks past.
Questions
Are these permits legally required?
Permits to work are generally a site control rather than a legal document in themselves. What needs one is set by the principal contractor and your safety management system. Some of these activities do carry specific regulatory requirements — confined space entry in particular — and those are flagged.
Who can issue a permit?
An authorised issuer nominated by the principal contractor, competent for that permit type. Not whoever happens to be in the office when you need one.
How long does a permit last?
For the work, the location and the time window it was issued for. A permit from last week for the same task is not a permit for today, and a permit for level 3 is not a permit for level 4.
Does this store anything?
Your selections stay in your browser on your device.
Related free tools
A permit that blocks the work, not a form in a folder
Obras carries 40 permits to work, each with a QR band. Scan it on the deck and the live record says whether it is issued, open or closed — so an unissued permit stops the job instead of being noticed afterwards.
