4 Ways to Extinguish Risk When Hot Work Is Performed
This post is part of a series sponsored by IAT Insurance Group.
When it comes to mitigating risks, control and prevention go a long way. Nowhere is this more evident that in the realm of hot work.
Hot work is any job involving flame, spark production or heat, that can ignite a fire with surrounding materials.[1] A wide variety of cutting, burning and welding-type activities are considered hot work, and are hazardous when oxygen, fuel or any other combustible material, and an ignition source is in proximity to each other.
In the United States, an average of 4,580 structure hot work fires occur each year, claim 20+ lives and cost about $484 million in property damage.[2]
Mitigating hot-work related risks is essential for property owners, construction managers and even transportation or equipment companies who engage in vehicle/truck maintenance on-site, for example.
Project teams should first assess whether hot work is truly necessary, or if an alternative technology or process can be used to produce the same result. For example, new technologies now allow for more mechanical pipe-fitting techniques that eliminate the need for hot work.1
Still, not all hot work is avoidable. In addition to following NFPA 51B: Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting and Other Hot Work, here are four steps to minimize your risks when hot work is required to get the job done properly:
Communication is key when contractors perform hot work on job sites. Ultimately, it’s the property owner or project manager’s responsibility to meet with contractors to ensure safety measures are in place and enforced.
Don’t assume that the contractor will remove combustibles and perform a fire watch, for example. Owners/managers onsite should conduct morning meetings with contractors to get verbal confirmation at the time that appropriate precautions will be taken and make sure a hot work permit is issued beforehand. So, monitor fire watches and roll up your sleeves to help remove and shield combustibles as needed.
Helping to control the environment in these ways when hot work is necessary will mitigate your risk overall. Be present and proactive when protecting your property.
For more information on how to mitigate the risks involved in hot work, contact IAT.
Have a question on how to mitigate risk? Email losscontroldirect@iatinsurance.com for a chance to see your question answered in a future blog.
[1] National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) “Hot Work Safety Fact Sheet,” April 2021.
[2] NFPA Today “Hot work incidents and statistics remind us of the importance of pre-incident planning and a dedicated fire watch in chemical, industrial, and manufacturing settings,” September 24, 2021.