1. Program Overview & Permit Process
Hot work
Program Overview & Permit Process
Here to talk Hot Work
Make sure everyone understands that we have a hot work program, and a permit process
Everyone can be affected, so if wondering why you’re here – You may be saying, “I don’t perform hot work, so why am I here?”
We want you to be aware and know what to expect when hot work is going on in your area.

2. Topics What is Hot Work? Permit Process Worksite Safety
So today we will define hot work (the photos might give you a hint)
We will go over the permit process in general, not specifics
And we will talk about worksite safety when performing hot work, which is the main goal of the program

3. What is hot work? The following activities are considered Hot Work:
Welding
Soldiering
Cutting
Brazing
Grinding
Use of asphalt / Tar kettle(s)
Other work that might create sufficient heat or spark which could start a fire
All Hot Work requires a permit if performed outside of shops with the proper safety precautions in place.
The activities you see listed here are considered hot work.
Any of these activities outside of a welding or mechanical shop require a permit.
If you are in doubt, ask about a permit.

4. Hot work Program overview
Applies to all A-State employees and contractors
FM is primary inspector & approver; Safety Offices can also inspect/approve
Fire Alarm Systems must in operation and protected
Contact Safety Offices before performing hot work in a confined space
No hot work near flammable materials
Combustibles must be removed or shielded with flame retardant coverings
Fire extinguisher must be within 15 feet
Fire watch required during and for 30 minutes after hot work
Public must be protected
So here are the main things I want everyone to understand about the program. The written program is about 3 ½ pages long, and I will show you how to find it online toward the end of our training, but these are just the highlights.
Contractors are highlighted because this is something we have not included in our process. In the past we have allowed contractors to adhere to their own hot work permitting process, but found that there were some holes in that approach. So now we will require a permit issued by the university for contractor work.
Safety Offices mean my office or EHS, Bobby Clark. We are part of this process to keep the work going if no one in FM can inspect and issue a permit. The last thing we want to do is slow things down, or we want to slow things to an acceptable pace.
We can’t disable alarms because we’re afraid we might trip them. We will get into false alarms and how we can manage them in the next few slides.

5. Exemptions – Rare vs common
If Fire Alarm System is inoperable, an Action Plan detailing fire safety precautions must be approved by JFD
If delay risks life or damage to university property, employee performing hot work shall ensure area is fire safe and proceed
Common:
Areas permanently established and arranged to conduct ongoing hot work do not require a permit
Still requires are to be fire safe
Exceptions should almost always be rare
Only in very particular circumstances should we need to apply the first two listed here
If the alarm system has to be taken offline to perform work, we need to put extra precautions in place: These might include extra fire watch, maybe one on each floor or several throughout the entire building. It might include extra extinguishers or other means to put out a fire. It could mean a longer fire watch.
The second bullet here is for emergencies, when life and property will be damaged if we wait for a permit. I should point out, however, that it still requires inspection and the area must be fire safe. I don’t care how valuable the research or property is, I don’t want you rushing in to put your life or safety at risk.
Please note that although shops are exempt from permit, they must be kept fire safe at all times.

6. Here is the permit itself
Here is the permit itself. I will pass one of these around so you can see it. You may notice that a lot of what we have talked about is listed on the form next to these checkboxes. So we really don’t need to get into the details because they are all laid out for you on the form.

7. Permit process – Notifications
Required Notifications
University Police
Facilities Management
Secondary Notifications
Co-Workers
Building Occupants
All notifications will help reduce false alarms!
Why are notifications important? The main goal is to reduce false alarms, and to also give you more control of the situation. I’ve actually seen a reduction in these since I started, so kudos to everyone for making that happen.
So we have FM notified thru the permit process, then UPD is highlighted because they can head off a false alarm when smoke, fumes or dust from the job you’re doing trips the alarm.
So if we do nothing else, letting UPD know what you’re working on and that it might trip the alarm will solve most of our problems with false alarms. These secondary notifications give us even more control, and we are really talking about a handful of people: UPD dispatcher, FM or SO inspector, Zone Maintenance, Custodial Maintenance and Building Liaison.
So consider a scenario where hot work we’re doing causes fumes to get sucked into an air intake and a metallic burning smell is distributed all over the building – This happens and it is fine; sometimes our jobs get smoky. Now, what I want to point out is the guidance we give in our Emergency Procedures: If you smell smoke, pull the alarm. Doesn’t say investigate, try to determine if it is a real fire, and so on, just pull it. So, if we’ve notified all these folks, the alarm is less likely to be pulled. Ok, so let’s say the smell is so strong that people are coming out of their offices coughing. If you’ve notified everyone, you have the power to clear the building yourself. You could call ahead to UPD to tell them what has happened, and that you are going to pull the alarm to evacuate the building. No fire, we just need to get everyone out. Even if you don’t call ahead, but you have notified them before starting work, they may call to verify that it is not a fire, but they won’t send the FD. One thing to note, if something catches fire that is not supposed to, don’t bypass the FD. Like I said, we will get into what to do when attempting to use an extinguisher later on.

8. Permit process – inspections
Immediate area must be Fire Safe
Sprinklers are operable
Flammable dusts, lint, vapors or liquids are cleared
Non-Moveable combustibles covered with fire-resistant material
Extinguishers must be immediately accessible
Fire watch must be assigned
Equipment must be in good repair
Permits will not be issued until site has been inspected and deemed fire safe
FM or Safety Offices can inspect at any time after permit is issued
This is what the inspection process covers in general. Again, the details are spelled out on the form, but the general idea is to remove anything that can ignite, explode or otherwise catch fire. Floors are swept because dust can catch fire (look up dust explosion when you have a chance), lint is what I use to start fires at home or when I’m camping, flammable liquids should be nowhere near ongoing hot work.
Combustibles that cannot be removed must be protected or covered (think dry grass when doing hot work outdoors, wetting it down is an option, but you want to be careful about shock and slipping on wet surfaces).
FM or SOs should be able to visit a job site where hot work is going on and ask to see a permit. They should also be able to observe that the area is fire safe.

9. Hot work procedure being used for welding sculpture
These next few slides are an example of a special circumstance where we applied the hot work program.
Off camera is the water truck, irrigation system was functional and used earlier in the day, two extinguishers for good measure.
Hot work procedure being used for welding sculpture

10. Hot work procedure being used for welding sculpture
Fire watch. Robert is doing nothing but fire watch, as temping as it was to check out the rest of the show.
Hot work procedure being used for welding sculpture

11. Hot work procedure being used for welding sculpture
Photo demonstrates how the public is protected from arc rays.
Unfortunately, the event was cut short due to rain.
Hot work procedure being used for welding sculpture

12. Welding sculpture

13. Permit process – record keeping
Permits available in Work Order Center or Safety Offices
One completed copy must remain on jobsite
One completed copy is retained at FM
Duration:
12 hour periods for spot work
72 hour maximum for large ongoing jobs
Duration of construction on sites with restricted public access
Areas must be routinely inspected and remain fire safe at all times

14. Fire watch Those assigned to fire watch…
Must not be assigned other tasks
Should call authorities before attempting to fight a fire
Must know how to operate a fire extinguisher
When using a fire extinguisher, remember P.A.S.S.
Pull the pin
Aim at the base of the fire (stay back 10 feet)
Squeeze the handle
Sweep from side to side

15. resources EHS Homepage: www.AState.edu/EHS
Instructor Info: Jon Carvell; ,
Safety Offices:
Questions?