1. Who we are
PTW Solutions ("PTW Solutions", "we", "us", "our") is a specialist provider of Permit to Work systems based in Dunfermline, Scotland, United Kingdom. We operate the website at https://ptwsolutions.com (the "Website"), the PermitPro web portal (the "Portal"), and the PermitPro mobile application for iOS and Android (the "App"). Together these are the "Services".
For the Website, PTW Solutions is the data controller. For PermitPro, the customer organisation that has subscribed to PermitPro (your employer or the site operator that invited you) is normally the data controller for permit data, and PTW Solutions acts as its data processor. Where we decide how and why account data is used (for example, to secure and support the Services) we act as a controller.
Questions about this policy can be sent to colin@ptwsolutions.com.
2. Scope
This policy applies to visitors to the Website and to users of PermitPro. It does not cover third-party websites that we link to, such as LinkedIn or Instagram, which have their own privacy policies.
3. What personal data we collect
3.1 Website visitors
The Website does not use analytics tools, advertising trackers, or marketing cookies. When you submit the contact form we collect:
- your name;
- your email address;
- your company name (optional);
- the message you write to us.
Contact form submissions are delivered to us by email. They are not stored in a database on the Website.
Our hosting provider records standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type, and the time of the request) to keep the Website running securely. We use these logs only for security and troubleshooting.
3.2 PermitPro users
PermitPro is a business tool. You use it because your organisation has subscribed to it and given you access. To provide the Services we collect and process:
| Category | Examples | Why we need it |
|---|---|---|
| Account details | Name, work email address, password (stored only as a secure hash), job role, organisation, the sites or zones you are assigned to | To create and secure your account and apply the correct role |
| Electronic signature | An image of the signature you draw in the App or Portal | To sign permits at issue, revalidation, and completion, as required by the permit-to-work process |
| Permit records | Permit forms you create, approve, or sign, including your name, role, and the date and time of each action | To operate the permit-to-work workflow and keep an audit trail |
| Photos and documents | Site photos taken with the camera, images chosen from your photo library, and files you attach to a permit | To evidence site conditions and controls for a permit |
| Device and push data | Push notification token, device type, operating system version, app version | To send permit notifications and diagnose problems |
| Support communications | Emails you send to us and our replies | To answer your questions and support your organisation |
The App asks for permission to use the camera and photo library only when you choose to attach a photo. It does not access your location, contacts, microphone, or health data. PermitPro does not contain advertising or third-party analytics SDKs.
3.3 Data we do not collect
- We do not collect payment card details. Subscriptions are invoiced to the customer organisation.
- We do not track your precise or approximate location.
- We do not sell personal data, and we do not share it with advertisers.
4. How we use personal data
We use personal data to:
- respond to enquiries sent through the Website;
- create, authenticate, and manage PermitPro accounts;
- run the permit-to-work workflow, including approvals, signatures, revalidation, and closure;
- send notifications about permits that need your attention;
- generate permit PDFs and reports for your organisation;
- provide support, investigate faults, and keep the Services secure;
- comply with legal obligations, including health and safety record-keeping duties that apply to our customers.
5. Lawful basis (UK GDPR)
We rely on the following lawful bases under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018:
- Contract: to deliver PermitPro to the customer organisation and to the people it authorises to use it.
- Legitimate interests: to answer enquiries, keep the Services secure, prevent misuse, and improve reliability. We balance these interests against your rights.
- Legal obligation: where health and safety law or other regulation requires records to be kept.
- Consent: for optional device permissions such as camera and photo access, which you can withdraw at any time in your device settings.
6. Who we share data with
We share personal data only with:
- Your organisation: administrators, coordinators, and other authorised users in your organisation can see permit records, names, roles, and signatures as needed for the permit process.
- Service providers who host and run the Services on our behalf, listed in section 7.
- Authorities where we are legally required to do so, for example following a workplace incident investigation.
7. Service providers and international transfers
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Google Firebase (Google LLC) | Authentication, Firestore database, Cloud Storage for photos, documents, and signatures, and push notification delivery |
| Vercel Inc. | Hosting for the Website and the Portal |
| Apple Inc. and Google LLC | App distribution through the App Store and Google Play, and push notification delivery to your device |
| Email service provider | Delivery of contact form messages and support email |
Some of these providers process data outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. Where that happens we rely on the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or an adequacy decision, together with the provider's own security commitments.
8. How long we keep data
- Contact form messages: kept in our email system for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry, then deleted.
- PermitPro accounts: kept while your organisation has an active subscription and your account is active. Your organisation's administrator can deactivate your account at any time.
- Permit records, signatures, photos, and documents: kept for the period your organisation requires to meet its health and safety record-keeping obligations. Because these are safety records, your name and signature on a historical permit are normally retained even after your account is closed.
- Server and security logs: kept for a short period and then automatically deleted.
9. Security
We protect personal data using encryption in transit (TLS), encryption at rest provided by our hosting platforms, role-based access controls inside PermitPro, database security rules that restrict each organisation to its own data, and secure credential storage on mobile devices. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we review our controls regularly.
10. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate data;
- ask us to delete data, subject to record-keeping obligations;
- object to or restrict certain processing;
- receive a copy of data you provided in a portable format;
- withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis;
- complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
If you are a PermitPro user, please raise requests about permit data with your organisation first, because it is the controller for that data. We will support your organisation in responding. For anything else, email colin@ptwsolutions.com. We aim to respond within one month.
11. Account and data deletion
PermitPro accounts are created and managed by your organisation. To close your account, ask your organisation's PermitPro administrator, or email us at colin@ptwsolutions.com from your registered email address. We will remove your login and profile. Permits you signed remain in your organisation's records as described in section 8.
12. Children
The Services are intended for working professionals and are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed. For significant changes we will tell PermitPro customers directly.
14. Contact
PTW Solutions
Dunfermline, Scotland, United Kingdom
Email: colin@ptwsolutions.com
See also our Terms & Conditions.