A sign-off confirms that a task, process, or safety measure is complete and
meets the required standards. It serves as an acknowledgement given by
authorized personnel allowing work to move forward. For the work safety
objects that are permits, isolation orders and isolation, a structured
sign-off process ensures that critical decisions are reviewed and approved
by qualified individuals. This process enhances regulatory compliance, audit
readiness, and workplace safety while maintaining clear accountability. To
achieve an effective sign-off system, three key components can be used
defined: Sign-Off Points, Sign-Off Roles,
and Sign-Off Chains;
A sign-off point is a designated stage or status in the workflow where an authorized individual verifies, approves, or acknowledges that specific safety-related task or conditions have been completed or met for work safety objects to progress.
Permits require can have the following sign-off points:
Isolation orders can have the following sign-off points:
Isolations can have the following sign-off point:
Sign-Off roles define who is authorized to approve, validate or acknowledge tasks at designated sign off points in work safety objects within a work safety system. Only personnel directly assigned to the sign-off role, or those who possess all required competencies and certifications for that role, can perform a sign-off.
Sign-Off chain defines the order of sign-off steps for the work safety objects. It ensures that sign-offs occur in a structured and controlled manner, with specific roles assigned to each step. The order of sign-off stages must be completed in a predefined sequence for a task or workflow to progress. For parallel sign-offs, step number should be the same. Note that the same personnel cannot do multiple sign-offs for a single sign-off point.
To reach a sign-off point, work safety objects should be in the required prior status. For example, before a permit is Released, it should pass the Preparation Approved stage. Authorized personnel should complete approvals sign-offs at each stage to move the permit forward. However, the users can cancel and revise a permit without completing previous sign-offs.
During or after the sign-off process, if the work safety objects are set to an earlier status, all previous sign-offs are removed. For example, if a lead supervisor rejects a permit after a supervisor has approved it, the permit can be reset to an earlier status, removing all prior sign-offs while keeping the sign-off chain intact.
Sign-off steps for work safety objects are determined by permit type, isolation type, and site configuration. For example, for the site configuration, if a site supervisor disables sign-offs for cancelling permits, permits at that site can be canceled without requiring sign-offs.