The whole sentence, especially "a permit to work system"

[JACEK1]

Hello.

The sentence in question is "The company is to introduce and maintain a permit to work system to control and coordinate key repair activities".

I think that the sentence should read "The company is to introduce and maintain a permit to work a/the system in order to control and coordinate key repair activities" and the meaning is that "The company is to put in place/implement and keep a permit to operate/run a/the system in order to control and coordinate key repair activities".

What do you think?

Thank you.

 

[Johnyxxx]

Not a teacher

I think, in this case work is not a verb but an adjective. The company is to introduce and maintain a permit to (its) work system. So I think the sentence is OK.

 

[JACEK1]

I do not think you are right but I may be wrong. What do others have to say?

 

[JACEK1]

On second thoughts, I realised that the sentence might mean "The company is to put in place/implement and keep a "permit to operate" system in order to control and coordinate key repair activities".
In other words, a "permit to operate" system is a system which allows operating something.

 

[Johnyxxx]

If you google the phrase "permit to work system" with commas, you will get responses like:

The Permit to work system aims to ensure proper consideration ...
A permit to work system is an integral part of a safe system of work ...
A permit to work system is a formal method of ensuring that authorised ...
Etc.

Permit to work system has also an abbreviation PTWs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permit_To_Work

 

[JACEK1]

It is not what you suggested in your first post. The permit to work means the permit to perform work.

 

[Johnyxxx]

Have you read the wiki article? The first line is, "Permit To Work (PTW) systems are used in hazardous industries to request, review, authorise, document and most importantly deconflict tasks to be carried out by frontline workers."

 

[JACEK1]

Since neither of us is an English-speaking person, let's wait for professionals.

 

[Johnyxxx]

I am on the same page with you on this.

 

[JACEK1]

So to sum up. A permit to work system = a system of work permit = a work permit system. Are you of the same opinion? My previous posts are completely wrong and mistaken.

 

[Johnyxxx]

"A permit-to-work system is a formal recorded process used to control work which is identified as potentially hazardous."

Try the site below

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg250.pdf

 

[Eckaslike]

I know this is essentially the idea you both have been working towards, and I think you have reached the right conclusions, but hopefully this will clarify things.

My understanding from the links posted so far is that it is a system which controls which team can work in a particular area at any one time. The idea is that via the system a permit to work is issued to one team, but not to another, so that the first team can work on a job safely without the other team interfering, often dangerously, with what that first team is trying to achieve.

Permits to work are issued to a team and recorded (hence a system), so that someone in charge knows exactly what is happening at any point in time, and therefore it is hoped that no disaster can occur from two, or more, teams operating on different activities within the same area.

Therefore the OP's original sentence does not require "a" or "the" before system. It is correct as it is as "a permit to work system".

The best example of why this system is needed, I think, is on the link Johny posted:

"USS Guitarro a submarine of the United States Navy sank alongside when two independent work groups repeatedly flooded ballast tanks in an attempt to achieve conflicting objectives of zero trim and two degree bow-up trim; a result of failing to have a single person aware of and authorising all simultaneous activities by a permit to work system.[SUP][2][/SUP]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permit_To_Work#cite_note-5

(Both teams had been assigned different calibration tasks to achieve. One team added water behind the ship's pivot point, while another added water in front it. Eventually, the first team finished their work and emptied the water from the rear of the ship. This lead it to dip forward into the water because the front tanks had not been emptied. It then took on a great deal of water through open hatches at the front. This caused it to sink in the shipyard.)

 

[MikeNewYork]

Johny, you are forgetting to include "not a teacher" in your posts. You can put it in your signature.

 

[Johnyxxx]

Thanks for the tip.