Steadfast NSG | Fri ,07 Apr 2017
risk to life and property Hot work is defined as any temporary or permanent operation that produces flames, sparks or heat and includes welding, grinding, thermal/oxygen cutting or other related heat producing processes. The use of these operations outside safe areas is where the real risk arises, especially during
maintenance and construction activities, which are the causes of many serious fires in facilities. In some cases, conditions within a facility are so inherently dangerous that hot work cannot be conducted safely. In some situations, companies, employees, or contractors fail to follow proper hot work safety guidelines, or are not aware of the hazards and the steps that are necessary to mitigate or prevent a hot work fire.
If hot work is undertaken on a regular basis, a dedicated hot work area should be implemented. This area should be free from combustibles and flammables and equipped with suitable fire extinguishers, automatic sprinkler protection or suitable fire detection and prevention equipment.
When temporary hot work is required within the general work place, a hot work permit system should be implemented and applied to both in-house personnel and contractors.
A Responsible Officer, who is appointed by senior management, should control all safe execution of hot work on site.
A trained person not directly involved with the hot work, should also provide a continuous fire watch during and after the hot work period is completed, for at least one hour. They would be responsible to monitor, detect and extinguish any incipient burning in the work and adjoining work areas to which sparks and heat may spread. As a final check, the area should be monitored for an additional 3 hours and signed off, once it is considered safe.
Where hot work exposures are likely, it is standard practice for all liability insurers to endorse their policy to include Welding and Hot Work Conditions which require compliance to Australian Standard (AS1674.1) Safety in Welding and Allied Processes.
maintenance and construction activities, which are the causes of many serious fires in facilities. In some cases, conditions within a facility are so inherently dangerous that hot work cannot be conducted safely. In some situations, companies, employees, or contractors fail to follow proper hot work safety guidelines, or are not aware of the hazards and the steps that are necessary to mitigate or prevent a hot work fire.
If hot work is undertaken on a regular basis, a dedicated hot work area should be implemented. This area should be free from combustibles and flammables and equipped with suitable fire extinguishers, automatic sprinkler protection or suitable fire detection and prevention equipment.
When temporary hot work is required within the general work place, a hot work permit system should be implemented and applied to both in-house personnel and contractors.
A Responsible Officer, who is appointed by senior management, should control all safe execution of hot work on site.
A trained person not directly involved with the hot work, should also provide a continuous fire watch during and after the hot work period is completed, for at least one hour. They would be responsible to monitor, detect and extinguish any incipient burning in the work and adjoining work areas to which sparks and heat may spread. As a final check, the area should be monitored for an additional 3 hours and signed off, once it is considered safe.
Where hot work exposures are likely, it is standard practice for all liability insurers to endorse their policy to include Welding and Hot Work Conditions which require compliance to Australian Standard (AS1674.1) Safety in Welding and Allied Processes.
