Permit to work · 8 precautions · 4 critical

Temporary Works
permit to work

Propping, falsework, formwork loading, temporary structures, or any temporary works requiring TWC sign-off.

These are the precautions the issuer confirms before signing. Each one says what good looks like, when it passes, the regulation it rests on and how it usually fails. Critical precautions are marked: if one cannot be confirmed, the permit is not issued.

Precautions before issue

  1. 1.
    Temporary Works design checked by TWC
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forDesign produced by qualified TW designer (chartered structural / civil engineer for higher categories), independently checked at the appropriate Category 0/1/2/3 level per BS 5975:2019. Cat 0 = self-check standard solution; Cat 1 = different person, same office; Cat 2 = different organisation; Cat 3 = independent designer. Categorisation matches the consequence of failure. TWC (Temporary Works Coordinator, ICE TWC course or equivalent) signs off the design AND the categorisation.
    Acceptable whenBS 5975:2019 Category appropriate to consequence (Cat 3 for high consequence, propping below an occupied space, falsework supporting a heavy slab, mast climbers near public). TWC signs off. Designer chartered for Cat 2/3.
    StandardBS 5975:2019 Code of practice for temporary works procedures. CDM 2015. CIRIA C754 (temporary works toolkit).
    Common defectsDesign self-checked at Cat 1 when consequence demands Cat 3TWC signature missing, accountability gapDesigner not chartered for the level of designCategorisation not recorded, rationale not auditableGeneric standard solution used outside its design envelope
  2. 2.
    Design brief and drawings available on site
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forStamped drawings (rev controlled) at the work location, not just in the office. Design brief / risk assessment alongside. Erection sequence drawings, loading limits, removal sequence all on site. Site personnel can identify the latest revision and confirm there are no superseded drawings in use.
    Acceptable whenLatest rev only on site. Drawings stamped/dated. Erection AND removal sequences shown. Loading limits visible. Superseded drawings withdrawn.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CDM 2015 reg 8.
    Common defectsDrawings rev A on site, design now rev C, site building to outdated designDrawings only in office, operatives erect from memoryRemoval sequence missing, operatives improviseLoading limit not on drawing, assumedDrawings illegible at A4, needs A1 print at workpoint
  3. 3.
    Materials match specification
    What to look forMaterials checked on delivery against the design specification (e.g. propping rated 100kN matches the design demand). Mill certs / MTRs (Material Test Reports) for structural steel, certificates of compliance for proprietary kit (e.g. RMD Kwikform, Peri, Doka). Damaged or non-compliant items rejected. Storage prevents corrosion / damage.
    Acceptable whenMill certs / MTRs for structural elements. Proprietary kit serial-number-tracked. Visual inspection on delivery. Rejected items removed from site (not just to one side). Storage on hardstanding, off ground.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. BS EN 10204 (mill certificate types). Manufacturer specifications.
    Common defectsSubstituted prop (lower SWL) used because the right size was unavailableNo mill cert for structural steel, material grade unverifiableDamaged proprietary panel still in serviceStored on bare ground, corrosion, mud-fouled connectorsMixed kit from different manufacturers without compatibility check
  4. 4.
    Erected by competent persons
    What to look forErectors with formal training and demonstrable experience: CITB / CISRS scaffolders for scaffold; manufacturer-trained erectors for proprietary falsework (RMD, Peri, Doka issue card-based competence); CPCS for ground works. Supervisor holds CITB / CISRS supervisor card. Erection witnessed and signed off by TWS (Temporary Works Supervisor) where designated.
    Acceptable whenCISRS for scaffold. Manufacturer card for proprietary kit. CPCS for plant-driven elements. TWS sign-off where applicable. Site induction includes TW briefing.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CDM 2015 reg 8 + 13. CISRS / CITB / CPCS schemes.
    Common defectsScaffolder labour-only, no CISRS, competence claim cannot be evidencedProprietary system erected by labour with no manufacturer trainingTWS sign-off omitted, no formal "ready for use" gateNew starter erecting unsupervised, incorrect bracing
  5. 5.
    Inspection before loading/use
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forPre-use inspection by TWC / TWS / authorised competent person, before any load is applied. Checks against the design: bracing in correct positions, all bolts torqued, baseplates bearing, plumb within tolerance, ties to permanent works fitted. Permit-to-load issued with explicit sign-off. No load placed before that sign-off. Re-inspection after any modification, after high winds, or after any unplanned event.
    Acceptable whenPermit-to-load signed by TWC/TWS before any load. Re-inspection after wind events / impact / modification. Inspection record retained.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CDM 2015 reg 22. PUWER 1998.
    Common defectsLoad applied before TWC inspection, design assumptions not yet verifiedBracing missed in inspection, buckling failure under loadNo re-inspection after a forklift impact, local damage propagatesPermit-to-load verbal only, accountability weak post-incident
  6. 6.
    Loading sequence defined and communicated
    What to look forSequence of load application defined in the design (e.g. concrete pour direction, tonnage at each step). Team briefed pre-pour. Load not applied at single point, distributed per design. For falsework: pour rate sized to setting time so load increases match design build-up rate. Stop-points defined for inspection between stages.
    Acceptable whenSequence on the drawings. Pre-pour / pre-load briefing signed. Pour rate matches design (typical 0.6-1.5 m/h vertical rise for falsework). Stop-points for between-stage inspection.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. Concrete Society CS140 (formwork pressures).
    Common defectsConcrete dumped at one end of slab, local overloadPour rate too fast, formwork pressure exceeds design (CIRIA C660)Stop-point ignored, no mid-pour inspectionSequence verbally agreed and forgotten under pressure
  7. 7.
    Maximum load clearly marked
    What to look forVisible load limit signage at the loading point, kg, kN, or tonnes. For propped slabs: "MAX 5 kN/m² LOAD" or similar. For runways/platforms: "SWL 500 kg". Signage matches the design. Operatives reading the sign understand the unit.
    Acceptable whenLoad limit signed at point of application. Units understood by users (kN/m², kg). Signage durable (not paper that fades / blows away). Reflects current design load.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CDM 2015. PUWER 1998 reg 6.
    Common defectsNo signage, operative loads to perceived strength not design strengthSignage in kN, operatives think in tonnes, misjudgeGeneric "Heavy Load" sign, no actual limitSign at one location, multiple loading points
  8. 8.
    Removal sequence defined, cannot be removed without TWC approval
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forRemoval sequence designed BEFORE erection, not improvised at end of job. TWC sign-off required to authorise removal. For propped concrete slabs: backpropping cycle defined per striking time (concrete strength at strike from cube test, typically 70% design strength minimum). Removal sequence reverses the load-bearing path safely (not just un-doing in any order).
    Acceptable whenRemoval sequence on drawings. TWC sign-off before strike. Concrete strike strength verified by cube test (typical 10 N/mm² for striking soffits, 17 N/mm² minimum where reduced backpropping). Backpropping where flexure check fails.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. BS EN 13670 execution of concrete structures. CIRIA C660 + C766 (early-age thermal cracking, formwork pressures).
    Common defectsProps struck on a calendar date without cube test, concrete under-strengthSequence improvised, load redistribution unintendedBackpropping omitted on a long-span slab, deflection / crackingTWC sign-off skipped because "we always strike on day 7"One operative starts strike, others follow, no unified plan

Questions people ask

When is a temporary works permit needed?

Propping, falsework, formwork loading, temporary structures, or any temporary works requiring TWC sign-off. A permit is the right control when the work is high risk, time-limited and depends on specific precautions being in place before it starts and being kept in place while it runs. It does not replace the RAMS; it sits on top of it for that shift. Guidance, not legal advice.

Who issues a permit to work?

An authorised person who is competent for that type of work and is not the one doing it. They walk the job, confirm each precaution, sign the permit, and hand it to the person in charge of the work, who accepts it by signature. Two names, two signatures, a start time and an expiry.

How long is a permit valid?

One shift, or a shorter stated period. If the conditions change, the permit is suspended, not stretched. A new day is a new permit, walked and signed again, because the site is not the same site it was yesterday.

What does critical mean on a precaution?

4 of the 8 precautions here are marked critical. If a critical precaution cannot be confirmed, the permit is not issued and the work does not start. The rest can be conditioned or noted; the critical ones cannot.

How is the permit closed out?

The person in charge hands it back when the work stops, the issuer checks the area is left safe, and both sign the close-out. For hot works that includes the fire watch period after the last spark. The closed permit is kept with the job file.

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