1. Training and orientation
All employees – both in-house and third-party – must be trained and instructed in the company’s principles of safe work practices. During major annual maintenance shutdowns, a dedicated safety orientation is also provided for everyone involved. These orientations cover, among other things, site-specific safety requirements, work permit procedures, emergency exits, emergency protocols, and the process for reporting deviations and hazardous situations.
In addition, employees must be provided with sufficient training to perform their work tasks safely. In order to strengthen the safety culture, it is also important to emphasize why various safety practices and instructions must be followed – not only what will be done
2. Work permit policy
Work permit systems are widely established across industrial sectors to ensure the safe execution of maintenance activities. In addition to standard work permits, special permits are required for high-risk tasks such as hot work, confined space entry, and tank operations.
Permits to work typically include checklists, application of the LOTO (Lock-Out Tag-Out) procedure, and specified physical and technical safety measures such as personal protective equipment (PPE). The permits define the conditions under which work can be safely carried out, and their approval often requires authorization from multiple responsible parties before the work may commence.
3. Risk Assessments and Worker-Initiated Last-Minute Checks
For demanding and high-risk tasks, a preliminary risk assessment is conducted to identify potential hazards—such as exposure to chemicals, working at heights, or complex lifting operations—and to define appropriate control measures. These assessments are carried out collaboratively between supervisors and employees, using established methods such as HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) and JSA (Job Safety Analysis).
In addition, employees perform a so-called Take 5 rapid risk assessment—essentially a moment to pause and reflect—before starting any task. The purpose is for the worker to personally evaluate any potential risks on-site. This helps ensure safe work even in changing conditions and takes into account any risks the task may pose to others.
4. Physical and technical safety measures
One of the most critical safety measures during maintenance shutdowns is the LOTO (Lockout/Tagout) procedure. Its purpose is to prevent the unexpected startup of machinery or the release of hazardous energy during maintenance and repair operations. All energy sources must be isolated using approved lockout devices or other validated isolation methods. Each employee attaches their personal lockout and tagout device to the energy isolation point. After isolation, it is essential to verify that the equipment cannot be restarted before maintenance begins. LOTO procedures are typically documented in work permits and tracked in dedicated monitoring logs.
A clean work area is also a fundamental prerequisite for safe operations. Work areas and their surroundings should be thoroughly cleaned before any tasks begin. Clutter, spills, or debris can lead to slips, trips, falls, or collisions—hazards that are especially likely to go unnoticed during high-paced shutdown activities.
Safety equipment and personal protective gear are essential components of workplace safety. Employees are provided with the required personal protective equipment (PPE) based on the specific demands of their tasks—such as safety glasses, respirators, harnesses, fall protection systems, and gas detectors.
Area management is used specifically to demarcate work zones to ensure that hazardous or demanding tasks can be performed safely. Demarcation is commonly applied in situations involving high-risk activities, such as hot work or heavy lifting operations.
5. Communication, Monitoring and Continuous improvement
The safety status is monitored during maintenance outage meetings, where the current progress, identified hazards, and other site-specific considerations are discussed. Clear communication of key points during these meetings is essential to ensure that all stakeholders receive the necessary information.
Safety observations and deviations should be reported systematically to support the continuous development of safety practices.
Regular audits and safety walkthroughs conducted by site management and safety personnel demonstrate that safety is a shared responsibility across the entire organization—not just the duty of individual workers.
All safety-related information and observations should ultimately be compiled and used to support the planning of future maintenance outages. This contributes to building a learning and continuously improving safety culture.
Safety during maintenance shutdowns is built on proactive planning, constant oversight, and open communication. Maintaining safety is a collective responsibility across the entire organization.
🔜 In our next blog post, we will explore how these safety practices can be further enhanced through the use of modern digital tools—such as Tool4pro—for planning, communication, permit management, and real-time safety monitoring during maintenance outages. ..
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