Hot Work Safety Policy

Hot work is an operation that includes welding, flame cutting or other fire-producing work, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA's hot work safety policy guidelines primarily concern the maritime industry, but also include the construction and general industries.

Clothing

• It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that workers involved in hot work are not wearing clothing with flammable materials on them such as oil, grease or fuel.

Signs

• All hot work areas must be prominently marked with warning signs. All workers are trained to understand the potential hazards in a hot work area.

Authorized Locations

• Hot work can only be performed in areas deemed safe by certified inspectors. Approved areas include those with proper ventilation and areas that do not contain gas lines or flammable substances.

Fire Watch

• An employer's fire protection plan must provide a fire watch in a hot work area. Employees assigned to fire watch are required to be properly trained, be able to communicate with all employees in the hot work area and have no other duties while on fire watch.

Disable Fire Suppression

• Before hot work starts, all automatic fire suppression systems must be disabled. Fire suppression systems use chemicals that quench the fire by eliminating the oxygen in the air. This creates an extreme hazard for the workers in the area.