Peel ports Group
The Challenge
Peel Ports identified a clear need to modernise how high‑risk activities were authorised and controlled across its port estate. Historical permitting arrangements were paper‑based, inconsistent in quality and content, and lacked any meaningful digital interface or oversight. This limited visibility, increased administrative burden, and made it difficult to ensure consistent safety standards across sites.
To address this, Peel Ports launched a cross‑business collaboration to design a new Authorisation to Work and Permit to Work system capable of managing complex, high‑risk activities safely and efficiently. Representatives from engineering, operations, EHS, marine and safety teams were brought together to define requirements. The focus was clear: create a system that prioritised safety, reduced variability, streamlined documentation and worked effectively in complex port and marine environments.
The Innovation
The result was a fully digitised, bespoke, in‑house designed work‑management package covering Authorisation to Work, Permit to Work and Marine Consents. Rather than adopting an off‑the‑shelf solution, Peel Ports used internal expertise to design the process end‑to‑end before building the system on the Safety Culture audit platform.
The solution manages all major high‑risk permits, including hot work, work at height, confined space entry, electrical work, isolations and line break activities. It is accessible via mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop, enabling real‑time to use at the point of work.
Power BI reporting interfaces with the system to provide live oversight of open and closed permits, identify where permitted activities may interact, and map high‑risk work across sites. This digital visibility has transformed how work is coordinated and controlled across the business.
How It Was Implemented
Success was driven by early and sustained stakeholder engagement. Teams responsible for the legacy paper system were closely involved, helping to define limitations and shape a better solution. With sponsorship from the Group EHS Director, the project team was empowered to design a system tailored to Peel Ports’ operational complexity.
Using an in‑house IT design team, the system underwent extensive testing. The Biomass Facility was selected as a pilot due to its high‑risk activities and multiple contractor interfaces. Over a three‑month period, detailed user acceptance testing took place, including complex scenarios such as biomass hopper cleaning involving multiple permits and contractors.
Following successful testing, the system went live across the business in early 2024. An accredited IIRSM training programme for permit issuers was developed in collaboration with insurers. More than 250 employees have now achieved accreditation, supported by targeted training for each permit category. In total, nearly 900 training courses have been completed.
Result
Since launch, over 19,000 work‑management packages have been created. The business now has clear, consistent control of high‑risk activities at both local and group levels. Contractors receive permits digitally, can access them at the point of work, upload photographs, communicate with permit issuers and confirm safe completion before sign‑off.
Power BI dashboards provide oversight of permit interactions, rejected applications and quality of risk assessments. This has significantly increased confidence in safety controls, compliance and decision‑making.
Conclusion
Peel Ports’ digital Authorisation and Permit to Work system has fundamentally strengthened the management of high‑risk activities. By replacing paper‑based processes with a connected, configurable and transparent digital solution, the business has improved safety, consistency and regulatory assurance.
The system provides Board‑level confidence, reduces operational risk and offers a scalable platform that can evolve as the business grows. It is a clear example of how thoughtful digital innovation can deliver tangible safety and operational improvements in complex port environments.
- Date
- 25/08/2026
