Mobile Access
Android mobile application
A vendor-supported Android application is available for the software.
Specialist buyer guide · Process safety & operations
Permit to Work Software (PTW) & Control of Work Comparison Guide
Compare digital Permit to Work (PTW) and Control of Work software used to plan, authorize, coordinate and evidence hazardous work. It turns operational requirements into questions for discovery, demos, RFPs and implementation validation.
Evidence boundary: a recorded capability means TechSelectAI has documented support or a stated condition for the relevant product. A research-pending capability is not yet verified, not unsupported. This guide does not rank products or replace site-specific process-safety design.
What to evaluate
Use the following requirement areas to define scope before comparing products. Critical controls should be tested against your operating model, hazards, isolation philosophy, contractor model, connected work orders and local procedures.
Mobile Access
iOS mobile application
A vendor-supported iOS application is available for the software.
Mobile Access
Mobile web access
The software provides vendor-supported mobile web or responsive browser access.
Safe Work Authorization & Risk Control
Digital permit lifecycle & authorization
Request, review, approve, issue, extend, suspend, hand back, cancel and close hazardous-work permits with controlled authorization and traceable status.
Safe Work Authorization & Risk Control
Hazard identification, JSA/JHA & risk assessment
Identify hazards and controls, attach or execute task/job safety assessments, risk assessments, method statements or pre-job safety checks before work authorization.
Safe Work Authorization & Risk Control
Isolation & lockout/tagout coordination
Plan, authorize, track and release energy or process isolations, LOTO points, certificates and dependencies linked to safe-work permits where explicitly supported.
Safe Work Authorization & Risk Control
Worker/contractor competency & authorization checks
Verify or reference worker/contractor qualifications, training, certification, access status or responsibility before hazardous work is authorized where explicitly supported.
Work Coordination, Visibility & Integration
Audit trail, dashboards & permit analytics
Maintain auditable permit/work histories and provide dashboards, reports, trends, status views or performance analytics for hazardous-work control.
Work Coordination, Visibility & Integration
EAM/CMMS/work-order integration
Integrate permits and control-of-work workflows with EAM, CMMS, maintenance work orders or other operational systems through supported interfaces.
Work Coordination, Visibility & Integration
Mobile & field permit execution
Execute permit, checklist, risk-control or field-verification steps on mobile or portable devices at the job site where explicitly documented.
Work Coordination, Visibility & Integration
Shift handover & work coordination
Carry forward permit/work status between shifts or coordinate planned and active hazardous work through handover-oriented workflows where supported.
Work Coordination, Visibility & Integration
SIMOPS, overlapping-work & conflict detection
Identify simultaneous or overlapping work, spatial/operational conflicts, incompatible permits or elevated combined risk before or during execution.
Work Coordination, Visibility & Integration
Site, plot-plan & work-location visualization
Visualize permit locations, work areas, hazards, isolations or concurrent jobs using maps, plot plans, diagrams, P&IDs, 3D models or comparable visual context.
A practical selection sequence
1. Define work-control scopeSeparate permit types, risk/JSA, isolations, contractor participation, SIMOPS and shutdown or turnaround requirements.
2. Map operational integrationIdentify required connections to EAM/CMMS, work orders, identity, training, site maps, operational logs and reporting.
3. Validate field executionTest role-based authorization, mobile execution, offline constraints, handover, exceptions and escalation in realistic scenarios.
4. Verify assurance evidenceConfirm audit history, reporting, deployment, retention, security, implementation responsibilities and commercial scope in writing.
Current TechSelectAI research set
These profiles are listed because they have recorded, source-backed Control of Work evidence. Coverage is a research-depth measure—not a product score, recommendation or ranking.
EcoOnline
EcoOnline Permit to Work
Digital permit-to-work solution for hazardous-work templates, approvals, handback, risk documentation, energy-isolation work types, contractor participation and real-time permit visibility within EcoOnline Control of Work.
Wolters Kluwer
Enablon Control of Work
Industrial control-of-work solution connecting digital permit-to-work, risk assessment/JHA, isolation management, SIMOPS, mobile field execution, work-area visibility and coordinated hazardous-work operations.
Intelex
Intelex Permit to Work
Configurable permit-to-work application for hazardous-work request, review and authorization with hazard/control data, JSA integration, permit dashboards and platform-level mobile/offline and integration capabilities.
Hexagon
j5 Control of Work
Industrial permit and control-of-work application for configurable permit workflows, isolations, certificates, risk management, mobile execution, visual work planning and CMMS/EAM-connected operations.
Sphera
Sphera Control of Work
Integrated control-of-work suite combining permit-to-work, risk/JHA, isolation management, SIMOPS and job-conflict visualization with mobile execution, operational dashboards and connected enterprise workflows.
How to compare responsibly
Compare the evidence states for the requirements that matter to your work sites, rather than treating a generic feature count as a universal ranking. Product scope can depend on modules, configuration, implementation, data quality and operating procedures. Keep any unverified requirement open in your RFP until a vendor demonstrates and documents it.
Digital Permit to Work / Control of Work implementation roadmap
A PTW implementation is a safety-control change. Configuration must be aligned to the organization's approved control-of-work standard, roles, hazards, isolations and emergency arrangements; software should not be allowed to redefine safety policy implicitly.
Why this matters: software selection is incomplete until the buyer can explain how the chosen solution will be configured, integrated, tested, cut over and supported. This framework is vendor-neutral; exact installation commands and sizing must come from the selected vendor and implementation partner.
1. Control-of-work design
Translate approved safety governance into explicit digital requirements.
- Map permit types, hazards, controls, JSA/JHA, isolations, SIMOPS, roles and approval authorities.
- Define site/location hierarchy and work-area conflict logic.
- Identify legal, regulatory and corporate record-retention obligations.
2. Workflow configuration
Configure without weakening policy.
- Build permit lifecycle, approval, extension, suspension, handover and close-out rules.
- Configure risk matrices, mandatory controls, attachments and competency constraints.
- Document every deviation from the approved paper/current process.
3. Isolation & integration
Control energy and external system dependencies.
- Define isolation/LOTO authority, lock/tag data, verification and restoration steps.
- Integrate CMMS/EAM, identity/HR, contractor and operational systems where justified.
- Design offline/mobile behavior and synchronization controls.
4. Validation
Prove that unsafe transitions are prevented.
- Test missing approvals, expired permits, incomplete isolations, overlapping work and emergency suspension.
- Validate audit trail, e-signature, time synchronization and record retrieval.
- Run field trials with issuers, acceptors, area authorities and isolation personnel.
5. Cut-over
Avoid mixed-control ambiguity.
- Define how open paper/existing permits are handled at transition.
- Train all affected roles and verify competency before access.
- Prepare downtime/manual permit procedure and post-recovery reconciliation.
6. Assurance
Measure whether digitalization improves control rather than only speed.
- Monitor overdue permits, extensions, conflicts, overrides, rejected permits and audit findings.
- Review configuration changes through formal safety/change governance.
- Periodically test BCP, access and audit evidence.
Configuration and architecture questions
Use these questions during discovery, solution design, vendor workshops and implementation governance. They are intended to expose hidden dependencies before they become change requests.
Permit lifecycle
- What states exist and who can transition them?
- Which steps require independent verification?
- How are extensions and handovers limited?
Risk & controls
- Are hazards/controls standardized or free text?
- How is JSA/JHA linked to permits?
- Can mandatory controls be bypassed and, if so, how is that governed?
Isolation
- How are isolation points identified and verified?
- Can multiple permits share an isolation safely?
- How is restoration prevented while work remains active?
SIMOPS / conflicts
- How are overlapping work areas and incompatible activities detected?
- What spatial/time model is used?
- Who accepts or overrides a conflict?
Implementation acceptance tests
A demo can establish product potential; acceptance testing must prove the configured solution in the buyer's operating model. These scenarios should be adapted into formal UAT and operational-readiness evidence.
| Scenario | What to prove | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Permit lifecycle | Create, review, approve, issue, suspend, extend, hand over and close a permit with correct authorities. | State history, signatures, timestamps and role evidence. |
| Isolation breach prevention | Attempt progression with incomplete or invalid isolation. | Blocked transition, alert/audit entry and corrective action. |
| SIMOPS conflict | Create overlapping incompatible work in the same area/time window. | Conflict detection, resolution/override workflow and audit trail. |
| Emergency suspension | Suspend affected permits rapidly and prevent unauthorized restart. | Affected-permit list, timestamps, communications and restart approvals. |
| Offline/downtime | Field/mobile or system outage handled using approved continuity procedure. | BCP record, synchronization/reconciliation and missing-data review. |
Implementation evidence pack
Before final acceptance, retain an auditable package covering the following artifacts.
Architecture & scope
- Approved solution architecture
- Environment and responsibility matrix
- Licensed modules / edition scope
- Security and identity design
Configuration & data
- Configuration workbook and change history
- Master-data ownership and migration mapping
- Interface inventory and reconciliation rules
- Known limitations and accepted design decisions
Testing & cut-over
- UAT scenarios, defects and retest evidence
- Performance/resilience/recovery results
- Cut-over schedule and rollback criteria
- Business continuity and manual fallback procedures
Operations
- Monitoring and alert ownership
- Backup/recovery and DR runbook
- Support/escalation matrix and hypercare plan
- Upgrade/patch governance and periodic access review