Digital work permits make industrial risk environments safer

During the spring, tests Rottneros pulp mill Vallvik a digital solution that replaces the manual handling of work permits for hazardous work. Behind the innovation is the startup Permitify.

A risk analysis and a work permit. This is required every time a contractor is going to carry out risky work in an industry.

The permit is signed by both the industrial client and the person who will carry out the work, for example an electrician.

Sundsvall company Permitify offers a digital solution that competes with traditional and time-consuming paper-based management.

– The potential for efficiency improvements is great. Not least because costly maintenance stops can be shortened thanks to a better overview of ongoing work and more efficient coordination, says CEO Johan Nylander.

After extensive development work and a series of smaller tests, it is now time to scale up.

Starting in March and lasting ten weeks, the forest industry company uses Rottneros Permitify digital solution at its Vallvik pulp mill in Söderhamn.

After the maintenance work has been risk assessed, an SMS is sent to the person who will be performing the job, who simply confirms with a screen signature on their phone. The work can then begin.

Security Manager Arvid Sjöström sees several advantages in digitizing work permits.

– We get an increased transparency, people from different departments can contribute when we make risk assessments and follow up on the work. The system also collects data that helps us to evaluate how the permit process works and if there is anything we can do better, he says.

The digital solution will be evaluated continuously during the test period. After adjustments, a sharp product will be ready for launch after the summer, according to Johan Nylander.

– In parallel, we are working on bringing in external capital. The tests at Vallvik are opening new doors for us.

He also sees potential in more industries than the industry.

– Since the turn of the year, there has been a new regulatory framework that places stricter requirements on risk assessment, including: construction industry. "That's where our solution can play an important role," says Johan Nylander.