Permit-to-Work Checklist: Pre-Start, During-Work, Close-Out, and Audit

Every permit to work form has a checklist section. But a permit to work checklist should cover more than just the pre-start precautions. The most robust systems include checks at four stages: before the work starts, while it is underway, when it finishes, and during periodic audits. Miss any of these stages and gaps appear — gaps that show up during HSE inspections or, worse, after an incident.

This guide provides a universal checklist that applies across all permit types — hot work, confined space, electrical isolation, working at height, excavation, and general high-risk work. You can adapt it to your specific permit templates and site conditions. If you want a checklist tailored to your work types, our safety checklist generator builds one in minutes.

Why a Checklist Matters

HSG250, the HSE's guidance on permit-to-work systems, describes the precautions checklist as the core of the permit. It is the mechanism that ensures controls identified in the risk assessment are actually in place before work begins — not assumed, not planned, but confirmed.

The checklist also provides evidence. When an inspector or auditor asks how you ensured the area was safe before hot work started, the checklist — with individual items confirmed and initialled — is your answer. A checklist where everything is bulk-ticked in the same pen stroke, at the same angle, provides no evidence at all. It just proves someone held a pen.

Pre-Start Checks (Before Work Begins)

These checks must be completed and confirmed before the permit is authorised and before any high-risk work starts. The permit authoriser should verify these items during their area inspection.

General checks (all permit types)

• Risk assessment completed, current, and specific to this task and location
• Method statement reviewed and briefed to the work team
• All personnel listed on the permit are present and briefed
• Work area inspected by the permit authoriser (not just reviewed from the office)
• Time limits and validity period clearly stated on the permit
• Location described with enough detail that anyone could find the exact area
• Other trades working nearby have been notified
• Barriers, signage, or exclusion zones in place where required
• Correct PPE identified and available for all personnel
• Emergency equipment in place and accessible (first aid, fire extinguisher, rescue kit as applicable)
• Communication method confirmed (radio, phone, line of sight)
• Escape routes clear and known to all personnel on the permit

Permit-type-specific additions

The general checks above apply to every permit. Each permit type also has specialist checks. Here are the key additions — for full section-by-section detail, see the dedicated templates.

Hot work (template):

• Combustible materials removed or protected within the required radius (typically 10m)
• Fire extinguisher present within 5m — correct type for the work
• Fire-watch person designated and briefed
• Fire detection / sprinkler systems isolated, monitoring company notified

Confined space (template):

• Atmospheric testing completed — O2 (19.5-23%), flammable gas (<10% LEL), toxic gases within limits
• Standby person in place, trained, and not assigned any other duties
• Rescue plan and equipment in place
• All mechanical and electrical isolations completed and locked off

Working at height (template):

• Access equipment inspected and in good condition
• Edge protection, guardrails, or netting in place
• Fall arrest equipment inspected, in date, and correctly fitted
• Weather conditions checked and within safe limits

Electrical isolation (template):

• Circuit identified, isolated, and confirmed dead (prove-test-prove method)
• Lock-out/tag-out applied with unique lock and tag
• Adjacent live conductors identified and barriers in place

Excavation (template):

• Buried services located using plans and CAT/Genny scan
• Shoring or battering in place for excavations deeper than 1.2m
• Edge protection and access/egress provided

During-Work Checks (While the Permit Is Live)

Once work has started, the permit is not a "set and forget" document. Conditions change, and the permit system needs to account for that.

Checks for the permit holder

• Working within the conditions stated on the permit (location, time, scope)
• Precautions remain in place — nothing has been moved, removed, or changed since the pre-start check
• No new hazards have appeared (different conditions, unexpected findings, weather changes)
• If hot work: fire-watch person still in position and focused on that task
• If confined space: atmospheric monitoring at scheduled intervals, results within safe limits
• If working at height: equipment still secure, no deterioration in conditions

Checks for the permit authoriser or site manager

• Active permits reviewed — are any approaching their expiry time?
• Multiple permits in the same area — any potential clashes or interactions?
• Spot-check on at least one active permit: are the conditions on the ground consistent with what the permit describes?
• Any scope changes reported? If the work has changed from what was originally permitted, the permit should be closed and a new one issued.

Stopping work

If any of the following occur, work should stop and the permit authoriser should be contacted:

• Conditions have changed from what the permit describes
• A new hazard has been discovered
• The time limit on the permit has expired
• An emergency alarm sounds
• The permit holder or authoriser is no longer available
• Any person on the permit has concerns about safety

HSG250 makes clear that anyone involved in permitted work has the authority — and the responsibility — to stop work if they believe conditions are unsafe.

Close-Out Checks (When the Work Finishes)

The close-out is the most commonly missed step on paper-based permit systems. Work finishes, the team moves on, and the permit stays open in the book. This creates gaps in your audit trail and means that post-work checks may not have been completed.

Checks for the permit holder

• Work completed (or formally suspended if it will continue later under a new permit)
• Work area inspected and left in a safe condition
• All tools and materials removed from the work area
• Temporary isolations removed and systems re-energised (or formally handed over)
• If hot work: fire-watch completed for the required period (minimum 60 minutes, or as specified by site rules / insurer requirements)
• If confined space: all personnel out, equipment removed, space secured
• Fire detection and alarm systems re-activated (confirmed with the monitoring company if isolated)
• Barriers and signage removed or updated as appropriate
• Any incidents, near-misses, or unexpected findings recorded

Checks for the permit authoriser

• Permit holder's close-out information reviewed
• Area re-inspected (or satisfied that the permit holder's report is accurate)
• Permit formally closed with date, time, and signature
• Completed permit filed in the permit register (paper) or marked as closed (digital)

Audit Checks (Periodic Review)

Individual permits should be reviewed regularly, and the overall system should be audited at least annually. Our permit-to-work audit guide covers the full audit process, but here is a checklist for the key items:

Individual permit review

• All sections of the permit form completed — no blank fields
• Signatures present for both applicant and authoriser (issue and close-out)
• Time limits respected — work did not continue beyond the permit's validity
• Checklist items individually confirmed, not bulk-ticked
• Close-out completed on the same day (or shift) as the work
• Location description is specific enough to identify the exact area
• Hazards listed are relevant to the actual work, not copied from a generic template

System-level audit

• All high-risk activities are covered by the permit system — no gaps
• Permit templates are current and aligned with HSG250
• Training records are up to date for all permit holders and authorisers
• Authorisers have been assessed as competent (not just attended training)
• Permit register is maintained and permits can be retrieved quickly
• Close-out completion rate is above 95% (anything lower suggests a systemic problem)
• Lessons from incidents and near-misses have been fed back into the system
• System has been reviewed within the last 12 months

Using This Checklist

You can use this as a standalone reference, or adapt it into your own permit forms. If you want a version tailored to your specific work types and site conditions, our safety checklist generator builds a customised checklist based on your inputs.

For help setting up the permit system around these checklists, see our permit-to-work implementation guide. And if you want to understand the regulatory framework that drives these requirements, our guides to HSG250 and CDM 2015 cover the key legislation.

PermitPad is building a digital permit-to-work system that embeds these checklists directly into the permit workflow — structured fields, mandatory items, and guided completion on any phone or tablet. Join the waitlist to be notified when it launches.