Do it cold if you can
Ask whether the job can be done cold, by mechanical joining or cold cutting, or moved to a designated hot work area. If it can, do that instead.
Free toolbox talk · PDF, Word & Excel
Free hot work toolbox talk.
A ten-minute hot work talk to give before welding, cutting or grinding starts. It has five key points, three questions for the crew, room for your own site notes and an attendance sign-off.
Free. PDF, Word and Excel.
- Printable PDF, editable Word and Excel
- One page, ten minutes
- Five key points, three crew questions
- Attendance sign-off for 24
Why this talk matters
Hot work fires often start after the crew has gone
Sparks and slag from welding, cutting and grinding go further than you'd think, and they can smolder unnoticed in dust, insulation or a gap in the floor. OSHA treats 35 ft (11 m) around the work as the area to clear of combustibles or protect. Where a fire watch is required, the general industry standard keeps it in place for at least 30 minutes after the work ends. NFPA 51B, 2019 and later editions, calls for an hour.
The talk walks the crew through the decisions in order. Don't do hot work if you can avoid it. If you can't, control it with a permit, a cleared area and a fire watch.
When hot work is routine on your site, Zentri Permits issues, tracks and closes each permit on one live record.
The key points
Five key points, explained
Get the permit first
The permit confirms someone has inspected the area and the precautions are in place. A permit covers one job for one shift, so a new shift needs a new permit.
Clear 35 ft (11 m)
Move anything that can burn out of the 35 ft (11 m) radius, or cover it with fire resistant shields. Check the other side of walls and the floor below as well.
A fire watch with no other job
The fire watch has an extinguisher, knows how to raise the alarm and does nothing else. They stay at least 60 minutes after the work ends, never less than 30.
Stop if things change
New combustibles, a sprinkler out of service or a vapor smell mean the permit no longer covers the work. Stop and look at it again.
Ask the crew
Three questions, and what to listen for
Ask each one and give the crew time to answer.
Where could a spark from today's job land that we can't see from here? Listen for: openings, ducts, the other side of partitions, the floor below.
Who's on fire watch today, and what else are they doing? Listen for: nothing else. Fire watch is their only job.
What would make you stop this job partway through? Listen for: something changing on site, a new hazard, or the fire watch being called away.
This talk is provided as general guidance. Site-specific procedures and the requirements of the authority having jurisdiction and your insurer take precedence. Have a competent person review and adapt it before use.
FAQs
Hot Work toolbox talk FAQs
A ten-minute briefing before welding, cutting, grinding or brazing starts. It covers whether the job can be done cold, the permit, clearing the area and the fire watch.
Where a fire watch is required, OSHA general industry rules require at least 30 minutes after the work ends. NFPA 51B, 2019 and later editions, calls for an hour, followed by further monitoring. Your site, your insurer or the hazard assessment may require longer.
No. The talk briefs the crew, and the permit authorizes the job and records the precautions. You need both. Our free hot work permit template covers the precautions, fire watch and closeout.
Yes. The Word and Excel versions are editable. Add your designated hot work areas and recent near misses in the On this site box.
More resources
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Hot Work Permit Template
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Download the free hot work toolbox talk
Running hot work permits on paper? Zentri issues, tracks and closes them on one live record.