Campus Safety and Emergency Operations

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Walter J. Pinchbeck
128 A Facilities Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372

910-521-6792 Phone
910-775-4772 Phone
[email protected]
uncp.edu/safety

Hot Work Safety Program

(Welding, Cutting and
Brazing)

Prepared by:
Campus Safety and Emergency Operations
Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Walter J. Pinchbeck
128 A Facilities Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372

910-521-6792 Phone
910-775-4772 Phone
[email protected]
uncp.edu/safety

1 Revised 12/2017
 Table of Contents

Contents
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
RESPONSIBILTIES ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
SPECIALIZED HOT WORK PRECAUTIONS ............................................................................................................ 6
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................. 7
VENTILATION ............................................................................................................................................................... 8
POST HOT-WORK ACTIVITES .................................................................................................................................. 9
TRAINING ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
RECORDKEEPING........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Appendix A – Hot Work Permit .............................................................................................................................. 10
Appendix B – Hot Work Warning Sign ................................................................................................................. 11

Resources
NC DOL: Welding and Cutting
OSHA 1910.252: (Welding, Cutting, and Brazing)

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INTRODUCTION
The following Hot Work Program provides written procedures to help prevent the outbreak of fire,
fire alarm activations, and smoke/odor migration in buildings resulting from work involving open
flames, producing heat or sparks. This includes, but is not limited to brazing, cutting, grinding, torch
soldering, thawing pipes, and torch applied roofing and welding.
This procedure applies to hot work done at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP)
by UNCP employees. Contractors working in occupied UNCP buildings must have their own written
Hot Work Program or follow the guidance in this program and submit copies of completed Hot
Work Permits to UNCP Environmental Health and Safety Office (EH&S).
Contractors working at UNCP construction sites (new buildings or unoccupied renovation sites) are
required to have their own written Hot Work Program; completed Hot Work Permits on construction
sites are not required to be submitted to UNCP EH&S.

RESPONSIBILTIES
Environmental Health & Safety

• Is responsible for maintaining the written Hot Work Program;

• Is responsible for providing and maintaining Hot Work Permits to UNCP employees when
notified of hot work activities. Additionally, EH&S staff conducts hot work permit inspections
and approvals prior to hot work being done; and
• EH&S accepts completed Hot Work Permits from contractors performing hot work activities
in occupied UNCP buildings. EH&S will provide assistance to contractors upon request.
Supervisors/Project Managers

• Ensure employees conducting hot work have received proper training and are provided
appropriate equipment and personal protective equipment to complete the job safely;
• Be capable of identifying hazards when hot work is anticipated;
• Ensure Hot Work Permits are completed and submitted to EH&S for approval; and
• Ensure hired contractors have their own Hot Work Program or follow the guidance in this
program and provide EH&S with completed permits.
Authorized Employees
Authorized employees are those who have received appropriate training and possess adequate
knowledge to safely conduct hot work and are responsible for the following:

• Ensure the safe handling of cutting or welding equipment and safe use during the process;
• Identify combustible materials and hazardous areas present or likely to be present in the
work area;
• Protect combustible materials from ignition by moving the hot work to a location free from
dangerous combustibles; or, if not feasible, moving combustibles to a safe location or
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 provide shielding to prevent ignition;
• Ensure hot work operations do not interfere with other operations in the area;
• Notify EH&S of all planned hot work and ensure appropriate hot work permits are complete
prior to work;
• Ensure appropriate fire protection and extinguishing equipment are properly located at the
site;
• Ensure a fire watch is present, when required;
• Ensure smoke/fire detection devices have been adequately addressed; and
• Ensure HVAC precautions have been adequately addressed.

Contractors
• Contractors are hired by the university to either make renovations or repairs to existing
occupied facilities or to build or renovate unoccupied university facilities;
• All contractors hired to conduct hot work at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
shall have their own written hot work program that fulfills all regulatory requirements or
follow the guidance in this program;
• Contractors working in occupied UNCP buildings shall notify EH&S that hot work is being
conducted and provide copies of all hot work permits prior to commencing work; and
• Contractors working on new construction or renovating unoccupied university facilities shall
follow their own hot work policies and procedures, which shall fulfill all regulatory
requirements.

DEFINITIONS
Brazing and Soldering: Soldering and brazing use molten metal to join two pieces of metal. The
metal added during both processes has a melting point lower than that of the workpiece, so only
the added metal is melted, not the workpiece. Brazing produces a stronger joint than does
soldering, and often is used to join metals other than steel, such as brass. Brazing can also be used
to apply coatings to parts to reduce wear and protect against corrosion.
Cutting/Grinding: Any process which produces sparks capable of igniting combustible or
flammable materials and transmits heat to the work material from a hot gas.
Designated Area: A permanent location designed for or approved for hot work operations to be
performed regularly.
Fire Watch: Trained personnel who are in attendance during the entire hot work operation and are
immediately available to extinguish a fire or take other effective action if needed.
Hot Work: Any process that can be a source of ignition when flammable material is present or can
be a fire hazard regardless of the presence of flammable material in the workplace. Common hot
work processes are welding, soldering, cutting and brazing.
Hot Work Permit: A document issued for the purpose of authorizing a specified activity.
Welding: Joining together (metal pieces or parts) by heating the surfaces to the point of melting
using a blowtorch, electric arc, or other means, and uniting them by pressing, hammering, etc.
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PRE-HOT WORK ACTIVITES
All hot work activities are required to have a Hot Work Permit, unless the welding, cutting or
brazing operations are being conducted in an area/shop designed to facilitate safe hot work
operations.
If possible, move hot work activities to a safe area free from all combustible materials and fire
hazards.
If hot work activities cannot be relocated to a safe area, the following precautions must be taken,
in addition to acquiring the proper Hot Work Permit, to ensure fire, and other hazards, are
addressed prior to hot work commencing:

• Hot work permits are posted at the entrance to the work site to inform personnel of the hot
work operations taking place;
• Smoke detectors and sprinkler systems have been addressed by the Facilities Operations
staff;
• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) have been addressed by Facilities
Operations staff;
• Ducts that might carry sparks to a distant combustible material must be suitably protected
or disengaged;
• Welding and cutting equipment is in proper working order; and
• First aid supplies are readily available.
• Precautions have been taken to protect the area within 35 feet of the hot work area:
o Floors are swept clean of dust and combustibles;
o Combustible floors are wetted or covered with damp sand, metal or other suitable
shields;
o No combustible materials or flammable liquids are present;
o Combustible surfaces are protected with covers, guards or metal shields;
o Combustible materials in adjacent rooms are moved away from walls;
o All wall and floor openings are covered, blocked or shielded; and
o Grated floors (i.e. catwalks) are protected to ensure collection of sparks during work.
• Precautions within 50 feet of the hot work area:
o Relocate or protect explosive material, compressed gas cylinders or stored fuel.
• A fire watch is established and assigned to a properly trained individual.
Fire Watch
During and after hot work activities, the work area must be monitored to ensure hot work does not
result in a fire.

• Personnel assigned to fire watch responsibilities must be trained in the contents of the Hot
Work Program and fire extinguisher use and limitations;
• Fire watch must be conducted during and at least 30 minutes following the hot work activity;
• Appropriate fire extinguishing equipment must be readily available during fire watch; and

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 • Fire watch personnel must have the ability to sound the fire alarm and alert the responding
Fire Department in the event of a fire.
Prior to commencement of hot work, an EH&S representative will inspect the work area and confirm
the aforementioned precautions have been taken to prevent fire in accordance with NFPA 51B. It
is the responsibility of the person conducting the hot work, or their supervisor, to notify EH&S of
the scheduled work in a timely manner to ensure EH&S has sufficient time to respond to the request.
Prohibited Areas
Cutting or welding shall not be permitted in the following situations:

• In unauthorized areas, such as occupied office space;

• In sprinklered buildings, while such protection is impaired;
• In the presence of explosive atmospheres or potential for explosive atmospheres;
• In areas near the storage of large quantities of exposed readily ignitable materials; and
• In areas not approved by EH&S through the hot work permitting process.

SPECIALIZED HOT WORK PRECAUTIONS

Pipes:

• Prior to cutting or welding on pipes, the operator must ensure the pipes are purged and
empty; and
• Cutting or welding on pipes or other metal in contact with combustible walls, partitions,
ceilings or roofs shall not be undertaken if the work is close enough to cause ignition by
conduction.
Containers:

• No welding, cutting or other hot work shall be performed on used drums, barrels, tanks or
other containers until they have been cleaned to ensure no flammable materials or vapors
are present;
• Pipes connected to containers must be disconnected prior to hot work; and
• All hollow spaces, cavities, or containers must be vented during the hot work to permit the
escape of air and gases. Purging with inert gas is recommended.
Confined Space:
If hot work activities are to take place in a confined space the operator must be trained under and
follow all components of the Confined Space Entry Program.
Prior to hot work in a confined space the following precautions must be addressed:

• Ensure a confined space entry permit is completed;

• Ensure all openings/covers are open and secured from closing;
• Test atmosphere within the confined space for oxygen, explosives, and toxins;
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 • Isolate lines and maintain vents open and valves leak-free;
• Lockout/tagout all systems not required during hot work;
• Provide a means for readily turning off power, gas and other supplies from outside the
confined space;
• Protect or remove any hazardous materials which may become hazardous when exposed to
hot work; and
• Ventilation within the confined space must be supplied to ensure fumes and gases do not
exceed exposure limits and oxygen limits remain within an acceptable range.
o If ventilation is not possible, the operators must be provided airline respirators or a
self-contained breathing apparatus to ensure safe respirable air at all times.
Respiratory protection users must have medical clearance and be included in the
University Respiratory Protection Program.
• Gas cylinders and welding machines must be left outside the confined space and secured to
prevent movement during hot work operations;
• Where an operator must enter a confined space through a manhole or other small opening,
means must be provided to quickly remove (rescue) the operator in an emergency (i.e.
lifeline); and
• When breaks in hot work occur (lunch or overnight) all valves must be turned off and hoses
and connections must be disconnected at the power source.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Operators performing hot work, and any personnel assigned to the hot work project as assistants
must be provided appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Eye Protection: Suitable eye protection must be provided and worn by operators and assistants
during all hot work operations.

• PPE used for eye protection such as goggles, helmets and hand shields must meet minimum
ANSI standards; and
• Table 1 provides recommendations for selection of the proper shade numbers for eye
protection based on the type of hot work being done.

Protective clothing: Heat resistant clothing must be provided and worn by operators during hot
work operations.

• Other PPE including head, hand and foot protection shall be provided based on the hazard
evaluation of the work area and work to be completed; and
• Screens shall be utilized to provide protection to the worker as well as others not involved in
the hot work.

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Table 1:
Welding Operation Shade Number
Shielded metal-arc welding 10
(1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 5/32-inch electrodes)
Gas-shielded arc welding (nonferrous) 11
(1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 5/32-inch electrodes)
Gas-shielded arc welding (ferrous) 12
(1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 5/32-inch electrodes)
Shielded metal-arc welding 12
(3/16, 7/32, 1/4-inch electrodes)
Shielded metal-arc welding 14
(5/16, 3/8-inch electrodes)
Atomic hydrogen welding 10-14
Carbon arc welding 14
Soldering 2
Torch brazing 3-4
Light cutting 3-4
(up to 1-inch)
Medium cutting 4-5
(1-6-inches)
Heavy cutting 5-6
(6-inches and over)
Light gas welding 4-5
(up to 1/8-inch)
Medium gas welding 5-6
(1/8 to 1/2-inch)
Heavy gas welding 6-8
(1/2-inch and over)

VENTILATION
Ventilation must be adequate during general welding and cutting hot work
operations.
Mechanical ventilation must be provided when welding or cutting operations take
place:

• In a space less than 10,000 cubic feet per welder;

• In a room having a ceiling height of less than 16 feet;
• In a confined space; and
• In a space containing partitions, balconies or other structural barriers, which
may significantly obstruct ventilation.

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Ventilation should be provided at a rate of 2,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) per
welder unless local exhaust hoods, booths, or supplied breathing air is provided in
the work area.
Natural ventilation will be considered sufficient where the restrictions in Mechanical
ventilation of this plan are not present.
Cutting or welding operations involving hazardous materials must be pre-approved
and reviewed by EH&S prior to work.

POST HOT-WORK ACTIVITES

Upon completion of hot work operations, the fire watch personnel must remain on
site for at least 30 minutes to ensure fire hazards are mitigated.
Upon completion of the fire watch, the attendant must sign the hot work permit
indicating the hot work is complete.
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended the hot work area be inspected
again at the end of the shift to ensure fire hazards or potential fires are properly
handled.

TRAINING
Supervisors must ensure all hot work operators, fire watch personnel and assistants
receive training relating to hot work operations.
Training shall cover all aspects of the hot work program including:

• Pre-hot work operations;

• Completion of hot work permits;
• Personal protective equipment;
• Ventilation; and
• Post-hot work operations

RECORDKEEPING
Hot work permit

• A copy of the hot work permit must be maintained by the shop performing
the hot work operations and EH&S.
Training records

• Training records are maintained by the employing department in the

employees employment file. Records for training provided by EH&S will be
maintained by EH&S but should also be kept in the employment file.

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Appendix A – Hot Work Permit

10
Appendix B – Hot Work Warning Sign

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