Work Clearance Management (PM-WCM)

Purpose

Necessary work on technical objects, such as inspections, repairs, or preventive maintenance work, can only be executed once all the measures to ensure a safe working environment have been implemented. These safety measures can include, for example, lockout/tagout , fire protection, and radiation protection.

In lockout/tagout, for example, technical objects are isolated electrically or separated mechanically from other parts of the technical system while maintenance work or special tests are performed. Work on these technical objects can then be performed safely.

You can use the Work Clearance Management (PM-WCM) component to control and monitor the safety measures. You can ensure safe working conditions for the employees in your maintenance department, adhere to environmental protection regulations, and ensure the reliability of your technical systems.

To ensure that the numerous safety conditions in the workplace are observed, work clearance management must be planned exactly and organized consistently.

Safety in the workplace can be influenced by the following factors:

  • Task type

  • Technical specifications of technical systems

  • Employee qualifications

  • Organization within the maintenance department

If you use the Work Clearance Management component, you can ensure the following:

  • Standardized process for enforcing safety measures

Approvals and status tracking

  • Adherence to legal and in-house safety standards

  • Verification (using change documents and time stamp for changes)

Implementation Considerations

The use of the Work Clearance Management component is recommended in all companies where specific safety regulations apply. These regulations can include laws on the maintenance of industrial health and safety standards and requirements for dealing with hazardous goods.

However, the use of this component is also recommended for the following operational requirements:

  • Your employees in plant maintenance work in a critical environment in which they are exposed to a high risk of accidents. This can include high voltage, radioactivity, and gases.

  • Your employees have to work under difficult conditions. These can include restricted space or visibility, heat, noise and dust.

  • There are typical work-related illnesses in your industry which necessitate special health and safety measures.

  • You must perform some work whilst the system is operative.

  • Effective safety devices are not available for all technical systems.

  • You often use external personnel.

  • Other parts of the system must not be affected under any circumstances.

This component is typically used in the chemical, oil, gas, and utilities industries.

Integration

Work Clearance Management is integrated in the Plant Maintenance (PM) component. It is thereby possible to consider aspects of safety in the workplace in addition to the traditional tasks of planning work (material planning, scheduling). Not only must the different tasks be planned exactly, but also how the affected system parts can be processed safely.

Features

The Work Clearance Management component is an open system with different WCM objects and flexible Customizing.

The available functions include:

  • Approving, scheduling, and controlling safety measures

Bundling orders or operations for collective safety measures

Printing of shop papers