Welding and other hot work are governed by Chapter 35 in the International Fire Code. Any work on campus that will produce sparks, or an open flame will require a hot work permit. EH&S issues hot work permits based on the work being performed. Exceptions to having a hot work permit issued are hot work being conducted in a hot work zone or hot work being conducted outside.
Resources
Hot Work
Hot work is any operation including cutting, welding, brazing, soldering, grinding, thermal spraying, thawing pipe, installation of torch-applied roof systems, or any other similar activity.
Hot Work Area
The area exposed to sparks, hot slag, radiant heat, or convective heat because of the hot work.
Hot Work Equipment
Electric or gas welding or cutting equipment used for hot work.
All gas and oxygen cylinders must be equipped with flashback arresters between the hose and regulator.
All hoses, welding leads, insulators, and electric cords must be in good condition and protected from sparks, slag, etc.
Only use a standard friction spark lighter to ignite cutting torches. Matches and cigarette lighters must not be used.
When hot work will be conducted in areas where other workers are nearby, welding curtains or screens must be erected to protect those workers from welding flash.
Vent hoods, fans, or blowers must be used to eliminate fumes generated by hot work if required.
Personal Protective Equipment
Necessary personal protective equipment must be provided to personnel for them to conduct their work in a safe manner. These items include, but are not limited to:
- Welding goggles
- Safety goggles
- Gloves and body protection
Hot Work Guidelines
Preparing the Hot Work Area
Prior to beginning any hot work, the area must be prepared so that the potential for fire is reduced or eliminated.
- Remove all combustible and flammable materials must be removed from within 35 feet of the hot work area. If combustibles are not moveable, isolate materials from ignition sources by shielding / covering them with approved welding blankets.
- Protect or shut down ventilation and conveying systems that may transport combustible material into the hot work area of hot work ignition sources out of the area.
- Identify and safeguard combustible-lined equipment, piping, or ductwork within the hot work area that has openings that allow the ingress of hot work ignition sources.
- An approved fire extinguisher must be available within 30 feet of the hot work.
Treat the following as hot work high-risk operations and provide additional precautions:
- Hot work on thermally conductive materials at or near a penetration into a combustible building assembly (e.g., remove portions of the building assembly ad install noncombustible replacement materials, monitor temperature of the thermally conductive material before the penetration, temporarily installing a thermal sink on the thermally conductive material before the penetration, or perform fire watch using an infrared camera to inspect the thermally conductive material and wall for hot spots).
- Hot work on combustible building assembly including cutting through non-FM Approved insulated steel deck roof assembly or insulated metal panels (e.g., developing a specific fire emergency response plan, including conditions under which the fire service should be called and verifying fire service access to the site; stopping work immediately if material appears to be smoking; performing fire watch using an infrared camera to inspect the materials for hot spots).
- Torch-applied roofing systems including installation of, repair of, or alteration to the roof cover (e.g., developing a specific fire emergency response plan including conditions under which the fire service should be called and verifying the fire service access to the site stopping work immediately if material appears to be smoking; performing fire watch using an infrared camera to inspect the materials for hot spots; locating the asphalt kettle a minimum of 25 ft. (7.5 m) away from the building or combustible yard storage, and closing all valves on fuel-fired equipment when unattended).
Prepare for Hot Work on/in Equipment
When preparing for permitted hot work on/in equipment, the following precautions may need to be considered in addition to preparing the hot work area around the equipment.
- Identify and isolate interconnected equipment and piping that contain flammable gas, ignitable liquid, or combustible dust/lint.
- Drain ignitable liquid and purge flammable vapor/gas from equipment and interconnected piping .
- Test equipment and /or piping for flammable vapor/gas prior to work and as needed during work. Consider testing even if the equipment does not normally contain this material but could if a process stream is contaminated by a process leak (heat exchanger or wastewater treatment) or decaying organic material (wood pulp).
- Remove combustible debris, dust/lint, and residues from the equipment and interconnected piping.
- Treat hot work on combustible-lined equipment, piping, or ductwork as a hot work high-risk operation (again consider using an alternative cold work method, label combustible-lined equipment, flood equipment with water or continuously wet down the interior during work and post-work, identity access ports upstream and downstream of the worksite and layout firefighting hose, or isolate equipment upstream and downstream of hot work site using non-thermally conductive material for a blanket).
Requirements to Obtain Hot Work Permits
To conduct any hot work, including but not limited to brazing, cutting, grinding, soldering, torch-applied roofing, and welding must be approved by Environmental Health & Safety.
Before requesting a hot work permit, you must enroll and complete the Hot Work online training course. This is an initial requirement for hot work in your area. See the Hot Work online training class below. When you click the class below, you will be prompted to log into CAS and then taken to the Self-Enroll Qualification eform. Once there, you must select the correct class from the "Please Select a Course" dropdown. We also request that you justify why you are enrolling in this course by telling us how it applies to you and your field of study. Once you have completed the Self-Enroll Qualification eform, please sign into Canvas to access the training.
To request a hot work permit, please fill out the hot work request form.
Once the request has been sent, the Fire & Life Safety Officer will review your request and may visit your location prior to issuing a permit. The hot work permit will be e-mailed to the department representative along with the directions to complete the fire watch log.
Upon any stoppage or completion of work, a fire watch must be maintained for one (1) hour. Each fire watch's start time and end time must be recorded. Once all work is complete and the final fire watch complete, the recorded times must be submitted to EH&S at the link provided in the hot work permit email within five business days. The fire watch times may be entered into the online form directly or the printable log sheet (link below) may also be completed and submitted by attaching it to the online form at the link provided in the hot work permit email.
If the work associated with the permit is not performed, another permit request must be completed.
Online Courses
When you click on a class below, you will be prompted to log into CAS and then taken to the MyState Classroom portal where you can self-enroll. Once there, look for the "Canvas Self Enrollment" section. You must then select the correct course from the "Select a Course" dropdown. Once you have selected your course, click "Confirm Enrollment?" and then click "Self Enroll". Your selected course will now be available through your Canvas Courses.
Would you like to enroll your entire group? If you are an instructor, lecturer, or professor that teaches an online, hybrid, in-person course or laboratory and would like to have your class complete one of the online training courses offered by EH&S, please complete the Self-Enroll Instructor Request eform below. Then, each member of the group can individually log into Canvas to complete their training.