Workflow Template

Permit to Work Workflow

Manages the end-to-end lifecycle of a permit to work for higher-risk site activities: application intake, safety approval, pre-start check with rework loop, active work, and site hand-back closure, with status tracking and notifications throughout.

Higher-risk site work needs a permit process that catches unsafe conditions before work starts and confirms the site is safe when it ends, but chasing approvals and pre-start checks across emails and spreadsheets makes that hard to control. This workflow takes a permit application from submission through safety approval, a pre-start check with a built-in rework loop for failed controls, active work, and site hand-back closure, updating the permit status and notifying the applicant at each stage. Safety approvers, site supervisors and the applicant's team each carry out their part directly through tasks and forms tied to the permit record.

Business Outcomes

Fewer permits progressing to active work without a completed safety review
Clearer visibility of where each permit sits, from submitted to closed
Faster turnaround on rework when a pre-start check identifies failing controls
Less manual chasing for approvals, pre-start checks and hand-back confirmation
A consistent record of pre-start results, corrections and hand-back notes for each permit

Workflow Steps

Steps

1
Create Permit Recordcreate record
Creates the permit record from the submitted application.
2
Set Status: Submittedupdate record
Sets the permit status to Submitted.
3
Send Acknowledgement Emailsend email
Emails the applicant an acknowledgement with their permit reference number.
4
Safety Approver Reviewrequest approval
The safety approver reviews and approves or rejects the permit application.
5
Route Approval Outcome
Routes the workflow based on the safety approver's decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Set Status: Issued
approval_status: "rejected"→Set Status: Rejected
Default→End
6
Set Status: Rejectedupdate record
Sets the permit status to Rejected.
7
Send Rejection Emailsend email
Emails the applicant that the permit was not approved.
8
Set Status: Issuedupdate record
Sets the permit status to Issued.
9
Send Issued Emailsend email
Emails the applicant that the permit has been issued.
10
Pre-start Checkcreate task
Site supervisor carries out the pre-start check and records the result and notes.
11
Save Pre-start Check Resultupdate record
Saves the pre-start check result and notes to the permit record.
12
Route Pre-start Check Result
Routes based on whether the pre-start check passed or failed.
prestart_result: "Pass"→Set Status: Active
prestart_result: "Fail"→Correct Controls
Default→End
13
Correct Controlscreate task
Applicant's team corrects the controls identified as failing the pre-start check and records what was corrected.
14
Save Correction Notesupdate record
Saves the correction notes to the permit record.
15
Return to Pre-start Checkrestart from step
Restarts the workflow from the pre-start check step after corrections have been made.
16
Set Status: Activeupdate record
Sets the permit status to Active after the pre-start check passes.
17
Site Hand-backcreate task
Site supervisor hands the site back once the work is complete, confirming the site is safe and recording hand-back notes.
18
Save Hand-back Resultupdate record
Saves the site-safe confirmation and hand-back notes to the permit record.
19
Set Status: Closedupdate record
Sets the permit status to Closed.
20
Send Closed Emailsend email
Emails the applicant that the permit is closed.

Fields

Show all 17 fields

FormPermit to Work Application

Applicant Name*· Text
Applicant Email*· Email
Job Description*· Long text
Location*· Text
Work Type*· Choice
Contractor or Team*· Text
Start Date*· Date
End Date*· Date
Hazards*· Long text
Required Controls*· Long text
Isolations*· Long text

TaskPre-start Check

Pre-start Check Result*· Choice
Pre-start Check Notes· Long text

TaskCorrect Controls

Corrections Made*· Long text

TaskSite Hand-back

Site Confirmed Safe*· Checkbox
Hand-back Notes· Long text

Other fields

Permit Status· Choice

Applicant Name*
Applicant Email*
Job Description*
Location*
Work Type*
Contractor or Team*

Forms

Permit to Work Application

11 fields

Data Views

Permit Register

location, work_type, start_date, end_date +1 more

Dashboard Widgets

Permits by Status

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

Send email in the workflow
AWS SES

permit to workwork permitPTW workflowsafe work permithigh risk work

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FAQs

How do I set up this permit to work workflow for our site?

Publish the template in your workspace and it's ready to run live permits straight away, no installation or development project needed. You can adjust the request form fields or task steps in the workflow editor to match your site's requirements before or after publishing.

Who needs to be involved for this workflow to run day to day?

You need a safety approver to review and approve or reject applications, a site supervisor to carry out the pre-start check and the site hand-back, and the applicant's team to correct any failing controls when needed. These are all workspace members assigned tasks on the permit record; applicants take part through the public request form and emailed updates without needing an account.

What happens if the safety approver rejects a permit application?

The permit status is set to Rejected and the applicant is automatically emailed to let them know the permit was not approved. The rejection is reflected in the permit record's status and timeline, so anyone reviewing that record can see the outcome.

How does the pre-start check rework loop work?

The site supervisor records a Pass or Fail result with notes, and the workflow waits for that result before continuing. If it fails, the applicant's team records what was corrected, and the workflow returns to the pre-start check step so the supervisor can check again before the permit can move to Active.

Can we change the request form fields, like adding site-specific hazard categories?

Yes. You can describe the change you want in plain English or edit the form and steps directly in the workflow editor, and earlier versions of the workflow are kept. This is useful for adding fields like additional isolation types or site-specific hazard categories without needing a developer.

What gets recorded on the permit at each stage?

Every task the workflow waits for saves its answers directly to the permit record's timeline: the pre-start check result and notes, the correction notes if there's a rework loop, and the site-safe confirmation and hand-back notes at close-out. This gives each permit a running record of what happened and when, alongside its status.

Does the applicant need to log in to track their permit?

No account is required. The applicant submits the initial application through a public request form, and after that receives email updates at acknowledgement, approval outcome, and closure, each referencing their permit reference number.

Can we see all permits by status across the site?

Yes. Table views and dashboards show permits by status, so you can see at a glance which are Submitted, Issued, Active or Closed. Each permit also has its own reference number and timeline showing every step it has been through.

Does this workflow make sure we meet our permit to work compliance obligations?

The workflow records statuses, approver decisions, pre-start check results, correction notes and hand-back confirmations in each permit's timeline, which supports your record-keeping. Each business should confirm with its own safety or compliance advisers that this record-keeping meets its specific obligations.

Can we send permit notifications by SMS as well as email?

The workflow sends email notifications as described, and a workspace can optionally send email through its own AWS SES account or connect AWS SNS or Twilio for SMS. Adding an SMS step would need to be built into the workflow using the editor.

Ready to use this workflow?

Create a free account and customise this workflow for your business.