Hot work permits in Australia: what they cover and fire watch
When welding, grinding or cutting needs a hot work permit in Australia, what the permit should cover, how fire watch works after the job, and why permits expire. Sourced from Safe Work Australia, WorkSafe QLD and SafeWork NSW.
Hot work is any job that throws heat or sparks: welding, grinding, oxy cutting, brazing, heat treatment and the like. WorkSafe Queensland calls hot work near flammable or combustible material a significant fire and explosion risk, and points to cutting or welding drums, tanks and pipes that haven't been properly cleaned as a common cause of serious incidents. A hot work permit is the paperwork that makes someone stop, check the area and sign off before the first spark.
The short answer
- The WHS Regulations (regs 51 to 53 and 355 in the model regulations) require you to manage risks from ignition sources and not let flammable or combustible material build up. They don't use the words "hot work permit".
- Safe Work Australia's Welding processes Code of Practice says that when you weld outside a confined space, you should still document specific procedures, including issuing a hot work permit. Welding in a confined space needs a confined space entry permit under the regulations.
- SafeWork NSW's hot work safety alert tells businesses to put a hot work permit system in place before any hot work on site.
- Most builders, mine sites, factories and insurers won't let you strike an arc outside a designated welding bay without one.
What a hot work permit usually covers
Every site has its own form, but they nearly all ask the same things. In plain terms:
- The job: what hot work, with what gear (MIG, stick, oxy, grinder), exactly where, and who's doing it.
- The time window: the start time and an expiry time, usually within one shift.
- The area check: combustibles removed or covered with fire blankets or screens, gaps and openings where sparks could drop to the floor below sealed off, drums and pipes checked for what they held, and gas tested where vapour could be present.
- Isolations: smoke detectors or sprinkler zones isolated if the site's procedure allows it, flammable lines isolated, and who signs to put them back.
- Fire gear: the right extinguisher and a fire blanket within reach, and in the bush or a dry yard, water on hand and a check for any fire ban.
- Fire watch: who's doing it and for how long after the work stops.
- Sign-offs: the person issuing the permit, the person doing the work, and a final sign-off once the area is confirmed safe.
Fire watch, explained
A fire watch is a person whose only job is to look for fire. They watch where the sparks and slag land while you work, put out small fires early, and raise the alarm if it gets away. They aren't the welder, because the welder's looking through a dark lens at the puddle.
The bit people skip is after the job. Slag that drops into a cavity, behind cladding or into a pile of rags can smoulder for a long time before it flares. Site and insurer permits commonly ask for at least 30 minutes of continuous watch after the work stops, then more checks over the next hour or so. The WHS laws don't set one number, so use the time on the site's permit and stretch it for timber, insulation, cardboard or anything that smoulders.
Why permits have time limits
A permit is only as good as the area check behind it. Over a shift, things change: another trade parks a pallet of cardboard next to you, the wind picks up, someone fires up a forklift with a leaking LPG bottle. So permits carry an expiry time, are written for one location and task, and need a fresh check and permit when:
- the permit expires or the shift ends,
- you move to a different spot,
- the job changes (say from grinding to oxy cutting), or
- conditions change, like a new fire ban, wind or work going on nearby.
Questions the other guides don't answer
I'm a one-man fab shop. Do I need a permit in my own workshop?
Your welding bay is usually a designated hot work area, so it's controlled by the way the shop is set up rather than by a permit for every job. A permit makes sense when you weld outside that area, like a job on the floor near the paint store, on a customer's trailer in the yard, or anything at a client's site.
Can the welder be their own fire watch?
Not while they're welding, because they can't see past the puddle. On small jobs, some sites let the welder do the after-work watch themselves once they've stopped, but only if the permit says so. Check before you assume.
What about welding on an "empty" fuel tank or drum?
Treat it as full. WorkSafe Queensland's film on this describes a mechanic killed welding an empty fuel tank on a ute, and warns that rinsing a drum isn't a fail-safe way to get rid of residue. Find out what it held and follow a proper cleaning and gas-free process, or don't do it.
Does Australian Standard AS 1674.1 apply?
Safe Work Australia's welding code and WorkSafe Queensland both point to AS 1674.1, Safety in welding and allied processes – Fire precautions, for more detail on hot work permits. It's a paid standard from Standards Australia. Your site or insurer may require it, so read your copy or theirs rather than relying on a summary.
Quick answers
Is a hot work permit a legal requirement in Australia?
The model WHS Regulations don't name a hot work permit as such, but they require you to manage fire and explosion risks from ignition sources. Safe Work Australia's Welding processes Code of Practice says that when welding outside a confined space you should still document procedures, including issuing a hot work permit, and SafeWork NSW tells businesses to use a permit system before hot work on site. Many sites and insurers make it a condition of entry.
What is a fire watch?
A competent person, other than the welder, who watches for sparks, smouldering and fire while the hot work is happening and for a set time after it stops, with an extinguisher on hand and a way to raise the alarm.
How long does a fire watch last after hot work?
There's no single number in the WHS laws. Site and insurer permits commonly ask for at least 30 minutes of continuous watch after the work stops, then further checks for an hour or more. Follow the time on your site's permit and stretch it where materials can smoulder.
How long is a hot work permit valid?
Usually for one shift, one task and one location, with a start and expiry time written on it. If the job, location or conditions change, or the permit expires, the area is checked again and a new permit is issued.
Sources
- Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Welding processes (PDF)
- WorkSafe Queensland – Controlling fire and explosion risks (hot work)
- WorkSafe Queensland – Hot work and welding near explosive substances
- WorkSafe Queensland – Welding
- SafeWork NSW – Hot work safety alert
Related guides
- Hot work permit template Australia
- SWMS template for welding in QLD
- Mobile welder SWMS guide
- SWMS for high risk construction work
- Free one-page welding SWMS sample
General information only, summarised from the official sources above as at the review date. It isn't legal, WHS or engineering advice. Always follow your site's own permit system, and check the source or ask a professional.