Reduce Exposure with Control of Work Best Practices

Non-routine tasks often expose teams to hazardous energy, simultaneous operations, and shifting site conditions. EHS managers can mitigate that risk with a strong plan that defines how hazardous work is planned, authorized, executed, and handed back safely. Meticulously craft and effectively implement a plan that increases visibility, clarifies expectations, defines roles, and resolves conflict before crews start with our Control of Work best practices. 

Table of Contents 

• How Control of Work Impacts Non-Routine Work
• Permits are Only a Control Point
• What Does Control of Work Include?
• Five Control of Work Best Practices for EHS Managers
• Improve Implementation for Maximum Effectiveness
• The Case for Digitizing Control of Work
• FAQs 
  

How Control of Work Impacts Non-Routine Work 

Non-routine tasks might include tasks performed for the first time, infrequently, by an employee not typically responsible, or differently than documented procedures. These variables lead to higher risk levels than usual. In one study, 53% of all incidents occurred during non-routine tasks, although they took only 10% of time. Another determined that 31 of 47 process facility major accidents (66%) examined were related to non-routine activities. 

Control of Work is a formal framework used to manage hazardous tasks, so work is completed safely, at a defined time, with verified precautions in place. It restores discipline by forcing clear answers to the questions that matter most: 

• What can harm people in this location and at this moment?

• What barriers are in place and who confirmed them?

• What other work could conflict with this job?

• Who is accountable for monitoring conditions and stopping work if needed? 

Control of Work best practices are a key part of a strong EHS program that takes your organization beyond compliance. They should span permits, risk assessment, authorization, isolation management, Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS) coordination, competency verification, and handover.

Permits Are Only a Control Point

Higher risk, non-routine tasks often require permits from government agencies. Common examples include hot work, confined space entry, line breaking, electrical work, excavation or ground disturbance, lifting and rigging, and energy isolation and lockout tagout. These permits create formal checkpoints where hazards are reviewed, barriers are confirmed, and responsibility is assigned before work begins. 

While permits often intersect with Control of Work, they’re not the same. Permits document what's been planned, but they don't ensure conditions remain safe once work starts, or when the job changes, or when multiple crews overlap. Without a Control of Work plan, permits aren’t enough to give leaders a clear view of active isolations, SIMOPS conflicts, competency status, or whether field verification has happened appropriately and on schedule. 

In strong programs, permits function solely as recording instruments that exist within a broader governance process. 

What Does Control of Work Include? 

Control of Work best practices support mature EHS and ESG programs and typically include:

• Clear definitions of work types that require permits or additional controls

• Standard risk assessment expectations (job hazard analysis, pre-task risk reviews, toolbox talks) tied to the work type

• Role definitions for issuer, performing authority, area authority, and supervisors

• Isolation and energy control requirements with traceability and verification

• SIMOPS coordination and conflict checks across areas and crews

• Defined rules for suspending work, extending permits, and cancelling permits 
  

• Formal handover and hand back procedures to ensure continuity across shifts

Systems should reflect what’s live, what’s changed, what conflicts exist, and what needs the attention of leadership.  

Five Control of Work Best Practices for EHS Managers

Try these five best practices to strengthen Control of Work by turning permits and procedures into field verified safeguards, improving visibility into active risk, and reducing the gaps that show up when conditions change, crews overlap, or shifts turn over.

1. Integrate Risk Assessment with Permitting

A permit isn’t permission to take on more risk. It’s a record that hazards were identified, and controls were confirmed before work began. 

Action Steps:

• Embed Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) directly into the permit workflow, so it is not a separate document that may or may not be referenced.

• Tie hazards to required controls so the permit can’t be approved without selecting the barriers that match the hazard profile.

• Require a “change trigger” step when scope, equipment, area conditions, or timing changes.

• Include a verification moment where the performing authority confirms that controls are in place at the job site, not only on the form.

2. Manage SIMOPS with Conflict Visibility

Safe jobs can become dangerous when performed near each other or at the same time. Hot work near venting gases is the classic example, but conflicts show up in other forms including line breaking, crane lifts, energized testing, confined space entry, and vehicle traffic patterns.

Action Steps:

• Use an incompatible operations matrix to flag conflicts before work begins.

• Require coordination and documented resolution when conflicts appear.

• Assign a responsible role for SIMOPS review during high volume periods like shutdowns and maintenance windows.

• Maintain clear boundaries so crews understand exclusion zones, sequencing rules, and stop work triggers.

3. Treat Isolation Management as Dynamic and Traceable

Isolation of hazardous energy is critical, especially when work spans multiple shifts. Problems often arise when isolations aren’t cross referenced, when work is suspended, or when a permit is closed informally. 

Action Steps:

• Detail each isolation on the permit and tie it to equipment identifiers.

• Cross reference isolations so teams can see whether an isolation affects multiple jobs. 

• Keep permits live until work is cancelled, and isolations are confirmed and documented.

• Ensure re-energization is controlled with clear sequencing and signoffs.

4. Formalize Handover and Hand Back Procedures

Hazards remain after shifts end. Handover is where assumptions multiply. Without a clear process, production pressure can override verification during hand back. Treat handover and hand back like critical controls. When they're skipped, your Control of Work should register it as a governance failure, not a paperwork issue. 

Action Steps:

• Require incoming performing authorities to acknowledge status, hazards, and controls.

• Standardize what must be communicated during handover, including the status of isolations, equipment condition, and open barriers.

• Require formal hand back confirmation that the plant area is safe to return to normal operations.

• Make it clear who has authority to accept hand back and under what conditions.

5. Verify Competency in Real Time at the Point of Permit Issuance

Competency checks fail when they're separated from the work authorization moment. If qualifications are outdated, missing, or not applicable, the permit should not move forward.

Action Steps:

• Verify certifications and training at issuance, not after the fact.

• Ensure contractor requirements match site risk levels and job types.

• Track expirations, so approvals do not rely on memory or last month’s roster.

• Require role specific competence for issuers and reviewers, not only performers. 

Improve Implementation for Maximum Effectiveness 

Even strong Control of Work can falter if implementation is inconsistent. Here's how to turn your model into a day-to-day reality that leads to measurable results.

• Define what non-routine work means at your sites, so teams know when Control of Work applies.

• Standardize roles and authority, so approvals don't depend on who is on shift.

• Reduce the number of steps designated as optional to keep them from being skipped.

• Train supervisors on how to recognize SIMOPS conflicts and when to escalate.

• Audit quality, not volume. Review whether hazards and barriers match the work, not only whether a permit exists.

Once you roll out your Control of Work, these questions will help you be sure everyone is adhering to it in the field: 

• Does the permit reflect current conditions?

• Are isolations verified and traceable?

• Are conflicting jobs visible and well-managed?

• Has handover been documented for ongoing work?

• Is competency verified for the people performing the task? 
  

The Case for Digitizing Control of Work 

Using outdated paper systems or disconnected tools makes it difficult to sustain your control of work best practices across multiple locations, teams, and contractors. In contrast, digital platforms like the EHS-Dashboard™ create audit-ready records, reducing unauthorized changes, and improving visibility into active work. 

The EHS-Dashboard™ supports modern Control of Work with a comprehensive suite of features including:

• Workflow automation to standardize approvals, triggers, and compliance steps so the process does not change by supervisor

• Barrier management and work permit control to strengthen safeguards for high-risk activities and make critical controls visible

• A mobile friendly interface so permits, checks, and verifications happen at the worksite where conditions can be confirmed

• Multi-site visibility so EHS leaders can see where high risk work is active, where conflicts are emerging, and where oversight is needed

Ready to learn more about improving real time visibility and reducing exposure during non-routine work? Our experts can show you how. Schedule a demo today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Control of Work in EHS?  

Control of Work is a structured framework that governs how hazardous work is planned, authorized, performed, and safely handed back. It typically includes risk assessment, permitting, isolation control, SIMOPS coordination, and competency verification.

Is Control of Work the same as a permit to work system? 

A permit to work system is usually one component of Control of Work, which is broader and includes the governance practices around handover, isolations, simultaneous operations, and verification steps that make permits effective. 

What industries use Control of Work?  

Control of Work is common in oil and gas and other high-hazard environments, but it's also increasingly relevant in construction, manufacturing, utilities, industrial processing, and any setting where non-routine work creates changing hazards.

What is the biggest reason Control of Work programs break down?  

Breakdowns often stem from failure to adhere to Control of Work best practices, as well as from communication gaps, poor visibility into active work, and disconnected processes for isolations, SIMOPS, and handover. Paper-based workflows make those gaps harder to detect.

How do digital systems improve Control of Work?

Digital systems can standardize workflows, enforce required steps, provide real time visibility into active work and conflicts, and create audit ready records that reduce reliance on memory or informal processes. 

What should an EHS manager measure to know if Control of Work is succeeding?

Look beyond permit counts. Measure quality indicators such as conflict detection and resolution, isolation traceability, handover completeness, competency verification rates, and field confirmation that controls match the hazards.