What is a Permit to Work? A UK Construction Guide

Pro Site Docs · Guide

Some construction tasks are so hazardous that a RAMS on its own is not enough. For those, UK sites use a permit to work — a formal, signed document that authorises a specific high-risk task, for a specific place and time, under specific controls. This guide explains how permits work and which tasks normally need one.

What a permit to work actually does

A permit is a control system, not just paperwork. Before the task starts, a competent authorising person checks that the precautions in the RAMS are actually in place — isolations locked off, gas testing done, rescue arrangements ready — and signs to release the work. When the task ends, the permit is signed off and closed. Nothing starts, and nothing is re-energised, without a signature.

Tasks that normally need a permit

• Hot works — grinding, welding, or any naked flame, with a fire watch after the task
• Confined spaces — chambers, shafts, tanks and deep excavations with restricted access
• Excavation / breaking ground — where buried services may be present
• Electrical work — isolations and live testing
• Working at height — certain roof access and fragile-surface tasks
• Lifting operations — complex or tandem lifts on some sites

Who issues and who accepts

Every permit has two key signatures: the issuer (a competent person who confirms the controls are in place) and the acceptor (the person doing the work, who confirms they understand the conditions). They should never be the same person. Time limits matter too — a permit is only valid for the period stated on it, and must be re-issued if the shift changes or conditions change.

The permit register

A live register of every permit — open, extended and closed — is what keeps the system honest. It shows at a glance what high-risk work is happening right now, and it is one of the first things an HSE inspector or principal contractor's auditor will ask to see.

Get the documents ready-made

Our Permit Systems Pack includes ready-to-use permits for hot works, confined spaces, excavations, electrical isolation and more, plus the permit register to track them. If you just need one form, every permit is also available in single documents.