Hazard Controls for all Persons 

Performing Hot Work  

Procedure for Contractors 

Performing Hot Work

Off Hours Permits

Procedure for UTMB Employees 

Performing Hot Work

Work Processes

Examples and Explanations 

Printer Friendly Procedure   

This procedure is designed to ensure that spark and flame producing construction and maintenance activities do not present an undue fire hazard to people and UTMB property.

This procedure applies to all UTMB and contract personnel managing and performing construction or maintenance work.

This information is designed to define UTMB’s approach to controlling fire hazards resulting from work activities that have the potential for producing sparks, flames or significant heat.  

This policy sets forth the procedure to obtain written authorization to perform such work and establishes the minimum hazard controls that must be utilized during the work.

This policy covers the following types of construction or maintenance work:

• Welding and allied processes

• Heat treating

• Grinding

• Thawing pipe

• Powder-driven fasteners

• Similar applications producing a spark, flame or heat

This procedure does not cover such activities as cooking, the use of electric soldering irons, autoclaves, Bunsen burners or other lab equipment.  This procedure does not cover other activities that normally occur in a building (e.g. cauterizing, other lab work, etc.)

This Procedure does not apply to out door activities when they are suitably located more than 35 feet from buildings of combustible construction.  It does not necessarily apply to unoccupied buildings under construction.

Roles and Responsibilities

All persons involved in the Hot Work process shall recognize their mutual responsibility for safety during hot-work activities.  All persons are also responsible for promptly turning in fire alarms.  Specific responsibilities are as follows:

Each area department is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the Hot Work policy is adapted and enforced

• In conjunction with Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), designating Permit Authorizing Individuals (PAI) to issue permits to UTMB employees performing hot work.OSFP.html

• Scheduling training for PAI's from UTMB, EHS

UTMB Supervisors are responsible for:

• Issuing or having a designated PAI issue Hot Work permits for covered hot work activities
• Ensuring that proper safeguards are utilized before issuing the permit
• Consulting with EHS when questions or concerns arise
• Enforcing this policy with their employees

Each person performing Hot Work is responsible for:

• Obtaining a Hot Work permit from the PAI before performing the work
• Ensuring that combustible materials are not in the vicinity of the work
• Safely handle hot work equipment so as not to endanger lives and property.
• Stopping work immediately should unsafe conditions develop and have EHS reassess/assess conditions
• Following precautions listed on the permit

The contract superintendent of the job is responsible for:

• Properly scheduling hot work and requesting the hot work permit be updated daily
• Ensuring the proper conditions exist to allow safe performance of hot work and following precautions listed on the permit
• Ensuring that the Fire Watch maintains his post for the prescribed period including through breaks and lunches where applicable.
• Enforcing this policy with his employees

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is responsible for:

·         Designating and providing a PAI for contract work (this may be a FOAM trained representative).

·         Periodically auditing the hot work process

·         Providing training to persons who will issue permits, which will include:

o        Hazard controls and surveying areas to write permits

o        Work flow and groups of PAI’s

·         Specifying specific controls to be implemented by contractor personnel before issuance of the permit

The PAI’s principal responsibility is to specify which hazard controls are applicable and appropriate. A PAI will be an appropriately trained UTMB employee or UTMB trained in-house (“nested”) contractor.  Except under specific authorization by the Leader of OS & FP and a Leader of FOAM, contractors may not fulfill this role.  The PAI is responsible to:

·         Determine the presence of combustible or otherwise ignitable materials

·         Ensure the protection of ignitable materials by the following:

o        Have the work moved to a location free from combustible materials

o        If the work cannot be moved, ensure the combustible materials are moved to a safe distance or have the materials shielded against ignition

o        Require other appropriate controls to prevent the ignition of combustibles

·         Verify that a Fire Watch has been assigned

·         Verify that an extinguisher is available in the immediate area where hot work is being performed

·         Has the authority to stop work if unsafe conditions develop

·         Determine when it is safe to not have a separate individual performing fire watch duties during operations

·         Updating long-term permits on a daily basis.

·         Determine the acceptable length of time for the fire watch to remain after work has ceased.  This shall not be less than 15 minutes and is typically 30 minutes with activities such as welding or cutting.

·         Notify EHS when a permit is filled out; this is performed automatically using the electronic copy of the permit

The Fire Watch has the responsibility to:

·         Be aware of the inherent hazards of the work site and of hot work

·         Ensure that safe conditions are maintained during hot work

·         Has the authority to stop work if unsafe conditions develop

·         Have an extinguisher ready and ensure it is ready for use

·         Has the training on the use of extinguishing equipment

·         Be familiar with the facility, procedures for sounding the alarm in the event of a fire and turning in such an alarm immediately when necessary.

·         Watch for fires in all exposed areas and try to extinguish them when they are within the capacity of the fire equipment available.  Should the fire be beyond the equipment/employees capability, the Fire Watch must sound the alarm immediately.

·         Remain in the area where hot work is being performed for at least 15 minutes after cessation of the hot work

Work Processes

This policy recognizes two types of work processes and the difference in fire hazard potential between the two.  These two processes are:

Permit Required Hot Work Performed by Contractors - Construction and demolition activities (e.g. all project related work carried out by an outside contractor).

Permit Required Hot Work Performed by UTMB Employees - Daily UTMB employee maintenance and construction activities (e.g. repairs such as soldering copper pipe).

 UTMB employee activities typically do not present the level of hazard that contractor’s activities do and are typically performed by UTMB personnel very familiar with their work environment, the hazards of the work, emergency procedures and appropriate safety controls.  The PAI for this type of work is the employee’s immediate supervisor, who is trained by EHS.

Hazard Controls for all Persons Performing Hot Work

A fire watch is required for all hot work activities covered by this policy.  The requirement for a fire watch may only be waived by written authorization by a Leader of EHS and a Leader of FOAM or where otherwise exempted in this procedure.  The fire watch’s primary duty is to have a fire extinguisher at the ready, monitor the work for accidental ignition of materials and extinguish such fires where safe to do so.  

A Fire Watch will also be required whenever:

·         Combustible materials are more than 35 ft (11 m) away but are easily ignited by sparks. 

·         Wall or floor openings within a 35-ft (11-m) radius expose combustible materials in adjacent areas, including concealed spaces in walls or floors. 

·         Combustible materials are adjacent to the opposite side of partitions, walls, ceilings, or roofs and are likely to be ignited. 

More than one fire watch may be required if combustible materials that could be easily ignited by the hot work operation cannot be directly observed by the initial Fire Watch (e.g. hot work within/on a multi-story vertical chase).

The following signatures will be required when a permit is issued:

• The superintendent/foreman (for UTMB, a Coordinator) of the workers performing the work.

• The Permit Authorizing Individual.

• Permit Receiver (i.e. the actual person performing the hot work).

Note:  For UTMB performed work, the supervisor and PAI may be the same person.  For contractor-performed work, three signatures must be obtained.  The contractor supervisor and PAI may evaluate the site, complete and sign the permit and then later have the worker receiving the permit receive/sign the permit just before performing the work after having reviewed precautions with his supervisor.

By signing and accepting the permit, the receiving employee and company agree to abide by all the terms and conditions in this procedure and as stipulated on the permit.  UTMB, EHS will perform periodic audits of the worksite and reserves the right to stop work activities if safety conditions warrant such action.

Note: Hot work around Sprinklers

In addition to general good housekeeping practices (rapid removal of construction debris, e.g. at least daily), the following controls must be utilized when performing hot work activities:

1.        Hot work shall only be performed in specific outdoor areas designated by UTMB or properly permitted areas.

2.        Hot work shall not be attempted in areas not authorized by UTMB, in the presence of flammable materials (e.g. gasoline, thinner etc.), explosives or explosive atmospheres.

3.        Hot work shall not be attempted in sprinklered buildings where such protection has been disabled. 

If Hot Work must be performed near a sprinkler head, then a cloth rag wet with water must be carefully wrapped around the sprinkler head.  The sprinkler system should not be shut off.

4.        Hot work equipment (torches, saws etc.) shall be in satisfactory operating condition.  All torches utilizing regulators and hoses must have a flashback arrestor at the regulators.  All welding leads must have no bare conductors.

5.        The floor area where the hot work is to be performed shall be cleared of combustible debris to a distance of 35 feet beyond the area of hot work.  If the hot work area will be wide, as in the case of demolition activities, then the entire area must be free of combustibles to the extent feasible and acceptable to the PAI.

6.        Where hot work must be performed in the presence (within 35 feet) of combustible materials, the combustible material shall be shielded from ignition by metal or fire retardant guards or curtains.  Edges of covers meeting the floor and overlaps of covers shall be tight to prevent sparks from going under the cover.

7.        Within 35 feet, openings to adjacent areas (e.g. cracks in walls, floors or ducts) shall be covered to prevent sparks from entering adjacent areas.

8.        If hot work is performed on walls, ceilings or floors, precautions shall be taken to prevent materials on the other side from igniting.

9.        Hot work shall not be attempted on a partition, wall, ceiling, or roof that has a combustible covering or insulation, or on walls or partitions of combustible sandwich-type panel construction. 

10.     Hot work that is performed on pipes or other metal that is in contact with combustible walls, partitions, ceilings, roofs, or other combustibles shall not be undertaken if the work is close enough to cause ignition by conduction.  Other controls may also be employed such as products designed to dissipate the heat transferred.

Procedure for Contractors Performing Hot Work

The following steps shall be undertaken when contractors perform hot-work activities:

1.        In the planning stages of construction/demolition, the UTMB construction manager shall identify processes that meet the characteristics of permitted hot work activities.  Where a demolition process cannot be modified to eliminate the potential sources of ignition, the UTMB Construction Manager shall obtain authorization to proceed with work plans from EHS and a FOAM Leader.

2.        Personnel to perform the hot work will prepare the area as described in the section entitled “Hazard Controls for Performing Hot Work”.

3.        The contractor superintendent (supervisor), UTMB construction representative and the PAI must meet (construction representative and PAI may be the same person); review the permit, site conditions and all three must sign the permit to authorize work.  The employee performing the work shall review hazards and controls with his supervisor, and then sign the permit.

4.        After hot work is completed, a Fire Watch shall be in the vicinity for an additional (1/2) hour, including through breaks and lunches, with the express purpose of ensuring no smoldering fires ignite.  This time may be modified by the PAI as needed.

5.        Hot Work Permits shall be valid for only a time period set out by the PAI and shall not exceed 12 hours duration.  If the task is to be performed over a 24 hour period and will extend into the evening hours, the permit must be updated before 5 pm.  Permits are only valid for 5 consecutive work days.

Upon approval by UTMB, EHS, a contractor’s Hot Work process may be utilized if it meets the minimum requirements set by this procedure.  In any case, UTMB’s permit must be used.

Special Note:

Before performing hot work, UTMB employees shall:

·         Coordinate such work with their immediate supervisor

·         Institute the hazard controls mentioned above

·         Obtain a fire extinguisher for the express use by the Fire Watch.

·         Employee’s supervisor completing the permit (who is the PAI in this case) shall ensure that applicable controls are utilized and the area is safe for the work

·         Have supervisor finish completing and sign permit

·         Employee receiving permit will then sign the permit

The minimum time for a fire watch to remain after hot work is completed is 15 minutes (time may be increased by PAI).  Under rare circumstances, EHS may approve to shorten this time.

UTMB employees in permanent shop areas do not have to obtain hot work permits but must follow the same precautions when performing hot work.

The UTMB supervisor over these areas may elect to extend, at his discretion, all or part of this procedure to the shop areas under his control. 

Off Hours Permits

Permits required for off-hours work (week end and overnight) shall be principally obtained through the corresponding UTMB supervisor/PAI working during the day.  

Where possible, the UTMB supervisor shall complete the permit in advance and the permit shall be updated by another approved PAI (e.g. construction manager completes the permit electronically and another designated PAI who normally does not have access to the electronic version, updates it daily).  

UTMB shift personnel shall obtain their permits through their designated PAI.  This will typically be a shift leader in their group.

In the event of an emergency (i.e. unscheduled contractor hot work), the EHS on-call person may issue the permit.  Additionally, permits may be obtained by contacting the FOAM Control Room.

Examples and Explanations

A fire watch will be required in the following instances:

• All Oxy-acetylene welding and cutting

• Other welding where the operator wears eye-protection for welding.  The eye protection will impair the operator’s ability to see/detect when something may ignite.

• The fire watch does not have to be limited to performing no other duties, however he may not leave the area of welding and his primary duty must be to detection and prevention of fires.  Example: a welder and his helper-the helper can assist the welder, but may not leave the area to get supplies unless the welder stops and performs the duties of fire watch.

For UTMB employee activities, where soldering (e.g. sweating of pipe) is involved, the UTMB employee may be the fire watch.  This does not apply to welding or other processes where the discovery of accidental ignition may be delayed (e.g. wearing welding glasses). 

During certain low-hazard operations such as soldering pipe or some types of grinding in a large, open construction operation with low combustible loading, the PAI may elect to waive the dedicated fire watch requirement for contractors.  In this case, the contractor employee performing the work will be his own fire watch and all the other restrictions applying to a fire watch will still apply.

The PAI will make the final decision on fire watch requirements.

This policy adopts NFPA 51B, Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work 1999 Edition.

Contractors are required by this policy to abide by NFPA 241, Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations, 1996 edition.