The origin of Permit-To-Work (PTW) systems

In the 1970s, the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) introduced a permit to work system as part of its guidance on the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations. This system required companies to obtain permits before carrying out certain types of work, and included detailed procedures for hazard identification, risk assessment, and permit issuance.

How iPlanSTO can help you streamline your STO events and achieve optimal performance

STO (Shutdown – Turnaround – Outage) events can be extremely challenging for companies, often resulting in significant downtime (planned & unplanned), lost revenue from loss of production (planned & unplanned), and an increase in safety risks. Here at IAMTech, we've developed a software solution that simplifies the planning and execution of STO events and helps you minimise downtime, reduce costs, and ensure compliance. With iPlanSTO, we're confident that we can help you streamline your STO events and improve your events performance.

Why we chose to combine Isolations & Permit To Work management into a single system

In many cases, a Permit To Work will require the use of Isolations to ensure the safety of workers during the work activity. For example, if a worker needs to carry out maintenance on a piece of machinery that involves hot work, they will need to obtain a PTW to ensure that the work is planned and carried out safely. As part of the PTW process, the worker will need to ensure that the machinery is isolated and locked out using Isolations procedures before commencing work.

Work Packs: Reducing Risks of Injury to Maintenance Workers During Process Plant Shutdowns and Turnarounds

One of the main challenges during shutdowns is managing the health and safety of maintenance workers who are exposed to various hazards. In this context, the implementation of work packs can significantly reduce the risk of injury to maintenance workers. This article will discuss the benefits of work packs in mitigating risks during process plant shutdowns and turnarounds.

What are the benefit's of moving from a paper based permit to work system, to a software based permit to work system?

Many industries, such as construction, manufacturing, and oil and gas, have traditionally relied on paper-based permit systems, and some organisations may still be using paper-based systems due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of awareness about software-based solutions, budget constraints, or resistance to change; however, digitizing processes in industry can help organisations operate more efficiently, safely, and effectively, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing business environment.

Activity Duration versus Activity Manhours – Is one more important than the other?

When building a schedule in Primavera for a process plant turnaround, both the total manhours and the total duration of each activity are important factors to consider, but they serve different purposes.

Monte Carlo Risk-Based Simulation: An Effective Tool to Determine Optimum Scope in Turnaround Worklist

To ensure that the turnaround is successful, it is essential to plan and execute it efficiently, considering the various risks and uncertainties associated with the process.

3 Operator/Contractor STO Co-working Challenges (and how to overcome them)

In this blog we look at the increasing dependence on external contractors to help execute the majority of STO’s, the pitfalls, and how to avoid failure when executing your next turnaround! The key challenges we look at are: ● Skills and Coordination ● Lack of Asset Knowledge ● Measuring and Optimising Productivity We will then look at how to overcome these challenges to dramatically increase your productivity and create robust working relationships with your contractors using iPlan from IAMTech

How To Avoid Scope Creep in Your Next STO

In this blog we look at what scope creep is and 5 ways to avoid it when planning for your next shutdown turnaround outage project. Five key areas covered are: 1. Establishing the needs and parameters 2: The importance of thorough planning 3: Using technology and automation to increase efficiency 4: Choosing the right team, clearly defining their roles, empowering them, and giving them the required working time for the role 5: Adhering to your Management of Change process

The Zen Guide to a Stress Free Shutdown Turnaround Outage

Shutdowns Turnarounds Outages (STO) are pretty intense, and can take a toll on mental health if they are not going to plan. However, they are vital, to ensure the smooth running of business critical assets, such as - chemical plants, refineries, power stations and more. The key to a less stressful shutdown turnaround outage is how they are planned, managed, and ultimately, executed. At IAMTech, our software has managed hundreds of successful shutdowns, turnarounds, outages, for the world's leading companies like ALTRAD, BP, INEOS, SHELL and many others. This first hand experience, not theory, allows us to help others improve their STO’s. Find out how IAMTech’s iPlanSTO software has been engineered to take the pain out of your STO’s. Contact us for a free demo today via sales@iamtech.com Here are some simple tips on how to reduce stress managing your shutdowns turnarounds outages.

How To Avoid Scope Creep in Your Next STO

In this blog we look at what scope creep is and 5 ways to avoid it when planning for your next shutdown turnaround outage project. Five key areas covered are: 1. Establishing the needs and parameters 2: The importance of thorough planning 3: Using technology and automation to increase efficiency 4: Choosing the right team, clearly defining their roles, empowering them, and giving them the required working time for the role 5: Adhering to your Management of Change process

The Benefit of Using Norms in iPlanSTO

Anyone in the Turnaround Maintenance planning game knows that a) accurate & b) consistent, task estimation is a challenge. This is then further complicated when calculating the duration, effort & cost of 10000’s of activities of a major capital project – a daunting prospect! From decades of experience, we have seen how wildly activity estimates can range, even amongst the most experienced of planners and estimators. This is due to the immense complexity and scale of capital projects, and a little known phenomenon called anchoring. In this blog we look at how norms can increase the accuracy of our estimation and refine your estimates to achieve a plus or minus accuracy of 10%.

The benefits of Plant Turnaround benchmarking

Benchmarking is a key aspect in optimizing your plant turnarounds! It allows you to compare the performance of prior TAs and use this information to improve future planning by assessing historical costs and improving the accuracy of future estimates. Turnarounds are resource intensive, and it is critical to optimize processes to gain the most value from these events, reducing the time the plant is offline. In this blog, we will look at what Plant Turnarounds are, and how benchmarking can help improve your efficiency, reduce costs, and cut down the time they take to increase production revenue.

CEO Q&A: Key Benefits of iPlan Turnaround & Maintenance Software

In this Q&A, Ross Coulman, CEO of IAMTech, shares his 3 favourite benefits of the company's flagship product, iPlan...

12 must-have Turnaround Software Features

Are you in the market for software to help you manage your Shutdowns, Turnarounds and Outages (STO’s)? If so, these tips should help you select the right software, for your organization!  

How IAMTech’s iPlan Mobile app can improve your STO efficiency

Oil, gas, chemical & energy industries, like the rest of the world, are still feeling the lingering impact of COVID-19. Organisations from all industry sectors are now starting to understand the long-term implications and are quickly adopting new ways of working, to help minimise the effects on their work force and assets...

3 key questions to ask when choosing your STO (Turnaround, Shutdown, Outage) software solution

Choosing the right turnaround software can be a daunting task. The right choice is critical for ensuring maximum return on investment can be achieved. In this blog we look at the key questions you should ask, to help you select a solution that is most suited to your business.

Turnaround Best Practices

What is a Turnaround, anyway? The vehicle to change the competitive position of an asset and/or the restoration of lost asset capacity. The Down Side: Plant shutdowns for scheduled major maintenance work are the most expensive and time-consuming of maintenance projects because of the loss of production and the expense of the Turnaround itself.

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Systems & Processes

Maintenance, turnarounds, and ongoing capital modifications of large assets / plants are complex undertakings that involve a collaborative effort of hundreds or even thousands of skilled workers and management.

Industrial maintenance management software: The competitive advantages

Industrial maintenance always comes with challenges. Ensuring your maintenance team and the equipment it manages are safe and efficient should be your number one priority.

The evolution of turnaround/maintenance management software in the oil and gas sector

STO Software: The Future of Turnaround Management

What are Risk Assessment Method Statements (RAMS) and how do they differ from normal Risk Assessments?

4 benefits of mobile apps for field asset management

How to convince management that you need a CMMS (Computerized maintenance management system)

Shutdown, turnaround, and outage events: How to make them successful

The Digitisation of Permitting / Permit to Work (PTW) systems

What is a permit to work system (and why you need one!)

The power of norms to estimate maintenance activity duration (and why you shouldn’t live without them)

How ALTRAD UK is building its digitised future

Integrated permit to work versus allowing your contractors to operate their own system(s)

Human Error Analysis in a Permit to Work System: A Case Study in a Chemical Plant

The largest oil deposit ever found in America was just discovered in Texas

Oil Rig Transocean Winner Successfully Towed Off Rocks in Outer Hebrides

BP Boss Faces Backlash Over 20% Pay Rise

Top 10 Oil and Gas Business Drivers for 2016 from Modal Point

Update your activity control chart in a single click with in built permissions

IAMTech presents at Shutdowns & Turnarounds 2016 Rotterdam