Construction
Signing that it can reopen
At five in the morning somebody has to say the service can resume. That signature rests on what others did overnight.
When the window ends, somebody has to say the thing can be used again. **That person has executed nothing**: they have been coordinating, watching and waiting, and now they must sign on the basis of work done by four different firms over four hours, at night, some of it in places that can no longer be seen. It is the signature with the least room and the most consequence in the whole operation.
What that signature actually rests on
| What exists | When it is generated | If it was not generated |
|---|---|---|
| What was checked at the end | In the window | There is no going back |
| What each firm recorded | While executing | You sign on their word |
| What was left visible | At the end | It can be looked at again |
| **What was covered up** | **Before covering it** | **It no longer exists** |
Important
**The decision about what gets recorded during the window cannot be taken by whoever signs at the end: it is taken by the firms while executing, hours earlier.** That lag is the whole problem in this position. At five in the morning you can only sign with what exists, and what exists was decided at two, when nobody was thinking about the signature. Which is why what must be agreed before the window is not only the work: it is what evidence each party leaves.
What to agree before going in
- 1
What checks are made and who makes them
With names and times, so the sequence can be reconstructed.
- 2
What is recorded for each one
Enough that the signature does not rest on a recollection.
- 3
What happens if something cannot be checked
It is the hard case and must be decided beforehand, not at five.
- 4
And how all that reaches whoever signs
If it is on four different phones, it does not reach them.
Watch out
The situation that defines this position is **signing with a reasonable doubt and no time**. Something is not entirely clear, the firm that did it says it is fine, and in twenty minutes the service must resume. There is no general answer to that —it depends on the risk and the installation— but there is an enormous difference between taking that decision with the record of the work in front of you and taking it blind. The first is a judgement; the second is an act of faith with a signature on it.
Worth knowing
Who may certify the resumption of a service, what checks are mandatory and what liability that signature carries **is determined by the applicable rules and the facility owner, and settled by your adviser or professional body**. Here we cover the organisational part: how to get the evidence of what was executed to whoever must sign, inside the window.
›Can I sign relying on what I am told?
It is what happens in practice; with the record in front of you it becomes an informed judgement.
›What if something could not be checked?
Put it on record. A documented limit protects far more than silence.
›How does the evidence arrive in time?
By capturing it on the spot, not transcribing it afterwards.
A real case
The situation
At five the signature is due and the evidence is on four phones.
What you do
- Gathers what everyone captured into one file
What you get
Whoever signs sees the work rather than hearing about it.
The situation
A check could not be made and nothing is on record.
What you do
- Allows recording the limitation alongside the rest
What you get
The doubt is documented rather than forgotten.
The situation
It is unclear who made each check and at what time.
What you do
- Records author and time on every capture
What you get
The night's sequence can be reconstructed.
The situation
What was covered during the window was not recorded.
What you do
- Makes capturing easy at the workface before covering
What you get
What disappears leaves a trail.
The situation
The next day questions arrive and four firms have to be called.
What you do
- Keeps the window's complete file
What you get
It is answered from what is stored.
The situation
Evidence is transcribed in the morning and loses detail.
What you do
- Records at the moment and on the spot
What you get
What is stored is what was seen.
This article answers
- certifying reopening after works
- who signs the return to service
- what evidence is needed to reopen
- checks before resuming service