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permit to work systems

English translation: permit-to-work systems (cf. lockout/tagout, etc.)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:permit to work systems
Selected answer:permit-to-work systems (cf. lockout/tagout, etc.)
Entered by: Tony M

11:24 Aug 25, 2013
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2013-08-28 12:54:10 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Management / company policies & procedures
English term or phrase: permit to work systems
This is a question in a company governance survey (broadly referring to oil&gas service providers)

"Does the company have any permit to work systems?"

I would live with "certification to work systems", but never heard of such a permit.

(Always to mind a speech to text misrecognition?)

Any ideas?

Cheers!
Maxim
Maxime Bujakov
France
Local time: 07:28
permit to perform certain specific tasks.
Explanation:
In complex industrial systems, such as petro-chemical, nuclear, etc., safety is obviously of paramount importance, and managing that safety can be very complex, where there many different disciplines involved and/or different teams working in parallel.

For this reasons, certain specific systems are set up, one of them being lockout/tagout systems to ensure systems are isolated, and various 'permits', to ensure that hazardous work, for example, does not clash with other work nearby 'because no-one knew', or to ensure that appropriate safety supervision measures are in place.
In a document I translated recently, we had 'permits to work' at height, in confined spaces, special permits for hot working and for the use of radioactive substances or procedures.
From your mention of 'fire safety' in your document, I feel sure we are talking about this H&S context here — and no, it is absolutely NOT a mistake by the writer!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2013-08-25 12:12:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You need to consider it as 'permit-to-work', which is of course quite different from a 'work permit' in other contexts!
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 07:28
Grading comment
thank you, Tony (and everybody who responded)!
lockout/tagout example is especially sharp!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +4permit to perform certain specific tasks.
Tony M
3official permission to perform certain services
Martin Riordan


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
official permission to perform certain services


Explanation:
There is not enough context to be sure but, in the field of oil and gas, I imagine there are certain critical services for which some sort of official permission or authorisation is needed in order to perform them.

So the phrase (which is obscure) could refer to such permits, licenses or authorisations.

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 02:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you! Sorry, no more relevant context in this 20-page document, no more entries for 'permit'. There are 'certificates in fire safety' etc. though. Most of all I wonder if this is a valid expression, or really a mistake/poor language by the author (an English native by all indications)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: I don't think so, Martin... this is special H&S stuff / Indeed, but I was more than anything worried by 'services', which tends to take it a different way. "Have any ... systems?" seems strongly to suggest H&S
34 mins
  -> It could be H&S, which my answer doesn´t exclude. Our answers are not a million miles apart. :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
permit to perform certain specific tasks.


Explanation:
In complex industrial systems, such as petro-chemical, nuclear, etc., safety is obviously of paramount importance, and managing that safety can be very complex, where there many different disciplines involved and/or different teams working in parallel.

For this reasons, certain specific systems are set up, one of them being lockout/tagout systems to ensure systems are isolated, and various 'permits', to ensure that hazardous work, for example, does not clash with other work nearby 'because no-one knew', or to ensure that appropriate safety supervision measures are in place.
In a document I translated recently, we had 'permits to work' at height, in confined spaces, special permits for hot working and for the use of radioactive substances or procedures.
From your mention of 'fire safety' in your document, I feel sure we are talking about this H&S context here — and no, it is absolutely NOT a mistake by the writer!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2013-08-25 12:12:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You need to consider it as 'permit-to-work', which is of course quite different from a 'work permit' in other contexts!

Tony M
France
Local time: 07:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
thank you, Tony (and everybody who responded)!
lockout/tagout example is especially sharp!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Tony, this fully answers my question!

Asker: > as 'permit-to-work' exactly! "permit-to-work systems" e.g. lockout/tagout Omitting dashes is an unfortunate practice.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  claude-andrew
2 mins
  -> Thanks, Claude!
agree  David Moore (X): It must be remembered that someone with a certificate doesn't necessarily hold a permit - merely that they are 'competent to do something'; to be ALLOWED to do something is altogether different! (and will often be subject to holding a certificate!)
26 mins
  -> Thanks, David!
agree  AllegroTrans: mmm....convincing enough in view of the industry concerned, where H&S is overriding
11 hrs
  -> Thanks, C! My feeling exactly...
agree  Phong Le
14 hrs
  -> Thanks, Phong Le!
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