 An introduction
During the construction of the 2000MW Loy Yang A Power Station (now known as Loy Yang Power) it was recognised that safe working practices were essential to the effective operations of the station. A computer based Permit to Work System was developed and implemented by the then State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV). This system was highly effective and used for many years at Loy Yang.
Designed upon a wealth of operational experience
The privatisation of the electricity industry in Victoria during the mid 1990s led to many changes including the change of ownership of Loy Yang Power (LYP). By this time, the original permit system was quite old and the underlying technology had become cost prohibitive to operate and maintain. In 1997 LYP decided to shut down the old permit system and use a manual process until a suitable replacement could be found.
LYP engaged Sage Technology to develop a specification for a permit system that specifically met the needs of the operations’ team, whilst maintaining the integrity of safe plant access processes. LYP operators and Sage Technology analysts worked closely together for many months to compile the specification. LYP then undertook a global search for a system that would meet the specification, but was unable to find any that met their rigorous safety standards.
Carefully developed and implemented to ensure a safe workplace
After the unsuccessful search, LYP engaged Sage Technology in 1998 to custom develop the new system. Over the next two years, Sage business analysts, designers and software developers, in conjunction with LYP personnel, built and tested the new system known as the Permit Administration System (PAS). PAS features extensive permit and isolation cross-checking to prevent permit conflicts; hazardous materials register; audit capabilities and a unique security access method.
Several months of detailed testing was undertaken by the operations’ personnel at LYP to ensure that there were no defects and that PAS complied with all LYP Plant Access and Confined Space procedures. PAS was successfully implemented and has now been an integral part of the Permit to Work process for several years.
PAS delivers industry superiority and maximum efficiency
PAS has proven itself, not only in day to day operations, but also in large outages. LYP has undertaken several large outages with PAS managing all the permits. Such outages typically require more than 1000 permits each. LYP and PAS have achieved zero permit breaches and zero lost time injuries for these outages. PAS has proven itself to be an effective tool in risk management for LYP by protecting people and plant.
The potential of PAS was recognised from the beginning. LYP and Sage Technology entered into an agreement to enable all industries to benefit from the inherently safe working practices supported by PAS. PAS has now been implemented in other industries around Australia and internationally.
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