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    Hot Work Permit Template (Welding, Cutting and Grinding)

    A permit for welding, flame cutting, grinding and any other work that makes sparks, flame or heat near something that can burn. The issuer checks that the area is safe, the person doing the work accepts the conditions, a fire watch stays during and after the work, and the area is checked again before the permit is closed.

    Before any hot work outside a designated welding bay, for the period written on the permit (usually one shift), and renewed if the work runs over or the conditions change.

    A welder in a helmet and leather gloves welding metal, with sparks flying

    What is in the template

    Type of work

    • Welding (electric or gas)
    • Flame cutting
    • Grinding or cutting with a disc
    • Other hot work (describe)

    Fire precautions before work starts

    Columns: Precaution · Done (Y / N / N/A) · Checked by

    • Combustible material removed, or covered with fire blankets, within the distance your site sets
    • Openings, floor gaps and drains covered so sparks cannot fall through
    • Gas test done where flammable gas or vapour could be present (result and time)
    • Fire extinguisher of the right type at the work, and the person doing the work knows how to use it
    • Flashback arrestors fitted on gas cylinders and hoses
    • Cylinders upright and secured; hoses, leads and electrode holders in good condition and insulated
    • Screens or warning signs protect people nearby from sparks and arc flash
    • Ventilation or breathing air provided for work in a confined space
    • Electric welding in a damp place or inside a metal vessel: extra electrical precautions in place

    Fire watch

    • Fire watch (name)
    • Present throughout the work (Y/N)
    • Area watched after the work until (time)
    • Final check of the area, including the other side of walls and floors: by and time

    Issue and acceptance

    • Issued by: name, signature and time
    • Accepted by (person doing the work): name, signature and time
    • PPE: welding helmet or goggles, gloves, flame-resistant clothing, respiratory protection where needed

    Close-out

    • Work complete and area left safe (Y/N)
    • Permit closed by: name, signature and time

    How to fill it in

    1. 1Check whether the work can be done in a welding bay or away from anything that can burn; a permit is for when it cannot.
    2. 2Walk the area with the person doing the work and complete the fire precautions, including a gas test where flammable gas or vapour could be present.
    3. 3Issue the permit for a set period and name the fire watch before work starts.
    4. 4Keep the fire watch during the work and after it stops for the time your site sets, then check the area again, including the other side of walls and floors.
    5. 5Close the permit only when the area is safe; renew it if the work runs over or the conditions change.

    A general template, not legal advice. Check it against the Act, the regulations and the codes of practice that apply to your site, and against your own safety management system. Regulation 9 of the General Safety Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 covers welding, flame cutting, soldering and similar operations: trained operators, eye and respiratory protection, insulated leads, protection of people nearby, ventilation or breathing air for welding in confined spaces (9(2)) and precautions for electric welding in damp places or inside metal vessels (9(3)). On a construction site, regulation 29 of the Construction Regulations, 2014 covers fire precautions. The General Safety Regulations text used here is an older consolidation; check the current text before relying on a regulation number.

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    Do it in InspecablePermits to workThe longer readHow a permit to work system works in practice

    Questions

    What counts as hot work?

    Any work that produces sparks, flame or enough heat to set something alight: electric and gas welding, flame cutting, brazing and soldering, and grinding or cutting with a disc. Work in a designated welding bay away from anything that can burn usually does not need a permit; work anywhere else does.

    How long should a fire watch stay after hot work?

    For the time your site standard sets after the work stops, because smouldering material can flare up well after the sparks have gone. Check the other side of walls and floors too, and record on the permit the time the watch ended.

    Who issues a hot work permit?

    A competent person your site authorises to issue permits, usually the area owner or a supervisor who knows the plant, not the person doing the work. The person doing the work accepts the permit and its conditions by signing it.

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