M O D U L E 1 : P R E S E N T I N G H O W T O P R E P A R E H O T W O R K S A R E A S , I D E N T I F Y H A Z A R D S , & P E R M I S S I B L E L O C A T I O N S

PREPARATION & SAFETY STARTERS

PREPARATION

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

3

• Welders and welders’ helpers must wear appropriate eye protection.

• Work boots should be used that do not absorb dirt and grease which can create a flame up.

• Jeans or other heavier materials are recommended for lower body protection.

• Welding gloves are required for hand protection.

• Lens of welding hoods, cutting goggles, and hand shields must:

• Be arranged to protect face, neck and ears from radiant energy.

• Be made of tempered glass and free of bubbles.

• Have lens shade readily identified on glass.

PREPARATION

• Fire extinguishers should be charged and available in the immediate area.

• Air monitoring equipment should be made available to check for flammable atmospheres in confined spaces or in areas that have a potential to accumulate flammable atmospheres.

PREPARATIONFire Prevention & Protection

• NFPA 51 B – “Standard for Fire Prevention in Use of Cutting and Welding Processes.”

• Move all fire hazards away from work area.

• Use guards (fire blankets, etc.) if fire hazards cannot be moved.

PREPARATION

• Equipment must be in good condition and appropriate to the task.

• Fire resistive tarpaulins, noncombustible screens, metal shields, and fire stop material for wall or floor openings should be provided as needed.

PREPARATION

• The following precautions should be taken for the area within a 35 foot radius:• Floor should be swept and combustibles moved.• Floors made up of combustibles should be covered with tarpaulins or other

noncombustible materials.• Greases and oils should be cleaned up or moved.• Flammable liquids such as paints, oils and lacquers should be removed.

PREPARATION

All wall openings and floor openings must be covered.

• Ductwork and duct openings must be sealed with metal covers or covered with fire resistant tarpaulins.

• All doors must be closed or covered to prevent sparks from escaping * Exception - If the Hot Work area can be completely screened off

with noncombustible materials to prevent sparks from escaping, the 35 foot area would be reduced to the area within the protective barriers.

HOT WORK HAZARDS

HOT WORK HAZARDS

Flying sparks are the main cause of fires and explosions in welding and cutting. Sparks can travel up to 35 feet from the work area. Sparks and molten metal can travel greater distances when falling.

Sparks can pass through or become lodged in cracks, clothing, pipe holes, and other small openings in floors, walls, or partitions which can cause fires to start.

HOT WORK HAZARDS

Combustible Materials are anything that is combustible or flammable and is susceptible to ignition by cutting and welding. The most common materials likely to become involved in fire are those of combustible building construction such as the following:

1. Floors, partitions, and roofs2. Wood, paper, textiles, plastics, chemicals, and flammable liquids and gases,

and dusts.3. Ground cover such as grass and brush.

HOT WORK HAZARDS

Explosion Hazard Welding and cutting can cause explosions in spaces containing

flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or combustible dusts, and tanks and vessels that contain or have held flammable substances.

Above Courtesy U.S. CSB, Tanks involved in the 2006 accident that killed three workers

HOT WORK HAZARDS

Physical and Health Hazards There are many hazards to the Hot Work operator (i.e. welder)

associated with Hot Work such as:

Burns, Sparks, Electric shock hazards, Optical (UV) radiation, Inhalation of welding fumes.

Engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and safe work practices safeguards the welder from many physical and health hazards.

HOT WORK HAZARDS SUMMARY

Hot Work can be dangerous because the tools used are highly portable sources of ignition that can be introduced into areas where ignition sources do not usually exist.

Sparks, flame, or heat can travel great distances by various means and ignite combustibles in other areas far away from the Hot Work.

There are also explosion, fire, and physical and health hazards associated with Hot Work as previously reviewed.

The goal of Hot Work safety practices is to avoid bringing sparks, flame, or heat produced by the tool into contact with a source of fuel.

HOT WORK LOCATIONS

HOT WORK LOCATIONS Hot Work is allowed in two types of locations:1) Designated area is a permanent location approved

for routine Hot Work operations made safe by removal of all possible sources of ignition that could be ignited by the Hot Work tool.

2) Controlled Area is one in which safe conditions for Hot Work exist or where safe conditions can be created by moving or protecting combustibles.

3) Non permissible location: Hot Work is never permitted in certain types of locations where safe conditions do not exist and cannot be created.

HOT WORK LOCATIONS Designated Area is a permanent location approved

for routine Hot Work operations made safe by removal of all possible sources of combustion that could be ignited by the Hot Work tool.

HOT WORK LOCATIONS

Controlled Area is a work area in which safe conditions for Hot Work exist or where safe conditions can be created by moving or protecting combustibles.

A Hot Work permit is required in a controlled area. An example of a controlled area is in a building construction

area where welding must take place and the work area has been made safe by removing all combustibles and implementing the requirements of the Hot Work permit in order to make it safe.

HOT WORK LOCATIONS

Non- PermissibleArea(s)/Location is a location which Hot Work is prohibited.

• Fires and explosions caused by improperly conducted Hot Work can have deadly consequences.

• In the last decade their have been numerous worker injuries and deaths in general industry that have resulted from not following proper Hot Work procedures.

HOT WORK LOCATIONS

Non-permissible welding areas:

- areas not authorized by management;- sprinklered buildings while such protection is impaired;- in the presence of an explosive atmosphere, including improperly

prepared drums that once contained flammable materials and;- areas near storage of large quantities of exposed, readily ignitable

materials.

HOT WORK LOCATIONS 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 and;

- pipes or other metal that is in contact with combustible walls, partitions, ceilings or roofs shall not be done if the work is close enough to cause ignition by conduction.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS

• Workers on platforms, scaffolds or open sided floors must be protected from falls with:

• A guardrail system or lifeline.

• Safety harnesses with lanyards.

• Welding cable and hoses must be kept clear of passageways, ladders and stairways.

CONFINED SPACES

CONFINED SPACES To prevent accidental contact, when arc welding is to be suspended for

any substantial period of time, all electrodes shall be removed from the holders and the holders carefully located so that accidental contact cannot occur and the machine be disconnected from the power source.

All spaces must be vented and purged before welding.

CONFINED SPACES- To eliminate the possibility of gas escaping through

leaks or improperly closed valves:

- When gas welding or cutting, the torch valves shall be closed and the gas supply to the torch positively shut off at some point outside the confined space area whenever the torch is not to be used for a substantial period of time.

- When practical, the torch and hose shall also be removed from the confined space.

CONFINED SPACES- When welding or cutting is being performed in any confined space, the

gas cylinders and welding machines shall be left on the outside. - Before operations are started, heavy portable equipment mounted on

wheels shall be securely blocked to prevent accidental movement.

IMPORTANT

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