Hot work training for the Auraria campus

1. HOT WORK TRAINING
Environmental Health and Safety
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2. Agenda
Importance of fire prevention during hot work
operations
Regulatory background
OSHA’s welding, cutting, and brazing
standard
NFPA’s standard for fire prevention during
welding, cutting, and other hot work
AHEC’s Hot Work Program
Implementation assistance
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3. Hot Work Policy
• Purpose is to protect personnel and property from
fire.
• This policy defines the responsibilities and
requirement for performing hot work
• This policy establishes the work area and
planned hot work activity to put in place controls
to prevent fires.
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4. Importance of Fire Prevention During Hot
Work Operations
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Hot Work is any work involving burning, welding, or similar
operations that are capable of initiating fires or explosions.
This program shall cover the following hot work processes:
• Welding and Allied Processes
• Heat Treating
• Grinding
• Thawing Pipe
• Powder-Driven Fasteners
• Hot Riveting
• Similar Applications Producing a Spark, Flame or Heat

5. OSHA’s and NFPA’s Welding, Cutting and
Brazing Standards
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• Required basic precautions including:
̄ responsibility for hot work;
̄ protection of personnel;
̄ removing, guarding, or shielding combustibles;
̄ trained and equipped fire watch/es;
̄ designated welding areas;
̄ authorized written hot work permits and;
̄ training and communication.

6. AHEC’s Hot Work Program
Responsibilities
 Environmental Health and Safety
 Life Safety Shop
 Project Management and O & M
 Outside Contractors
 Management
 Permit Authorizing Individual (PAI)
 Fire Watch
 Supervisors
 Employees (Hot Work Operators)
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7. Environmental Health and Safety Shop
Responsibilities
• coordinating the Hot Work Program;
• assisting departments and areas with training;
• maintaining copies of the hot work permits and;
• updating and evaluating AHEC’s Hot Work
Program.
• Providing any personal protective equipment
(PPE) as needed
assisting in determining the suitability of
designated areas for hot work and;
performing or arranging fire extinguisher training.
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8. Project Management's Responsibilities
Authorized Person responsible for compliance of
the policy
Will be the Authorized person for contracted
work
Advising contractors about flammable materials
or hazardous conditions of which they may not
be aware and ensuring that they are familiar with
the provisions of Denver Fire Department Policy
IFC-2601-1and 29 CFR 1910.252
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9. Outside Contractors Responsibilities
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• following the provisions of Denver Fire
Department Policy IFC-2601-1 and 29 CFR
1910.252
• 3rd party contractors must acquire a hot work
permit directly from the jurisdiction

10. Management Responsibilities
• providing employees with adequate training
including the inherent risks involved, the
emergency procedures in the event of a fire,
instructions on all equipment and processes, as
well as the provisions of this program;
• recognizing responsibility for the safe usage of
cutting and welding equipment on AHEC property
and ensuring only approved equipment is used;
• establishing permissible areas for hot work and
procedures for cutting and welding in other areas;
• designating a permit authorizing individual (PAI)
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11. Management Responsibilities Cont.
• advising contractors about flammable
materials or hazardous conditions of which
they may not be aware and ensuring that they
are familiar with the provisions of Denver Fire
Department Policy IFC-2601-1 and 29 CFR
1910.252 and;
• providing fire extinguishing equipment.
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12. Fire Watch Responsibilities
 Being alert to the safety involved with the cutter or
welder
 Being trained to the requirements of this policy
 Have fire extinguisher available
 Being familiar with the facility and know how to
sound the alarm if necessary
 Calling Campus Police if needed
 Completing the Closeout section of the AHEC Hot
Work Authorization form
 Follow all fire protection procedures established by
the AHEC Life Safety Services and this policy
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13. When a Fire Watch is required
• hot work is performed in an area where other than minor
fires might develop;
• combustible materials in building construction or contents
are closer than 35 ft (11m) to the point of operation;
• combustible materials are more than 35 ft (11m) away, but
are easily ignited by sparks;
• wall or floor openings within a 35 ft (11m) radius expose
combustible materials in adjacent areas, including
concealed spaces in walls or floors or;
• combustible materials are adjacent to the opposite side of
partitions, walls, ceilings, or roofs and are likely to be
ignited.
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14. When a Fire Watch is required
 A fire watch must be maintained for 60 min. after
completion of hot work.
 More than one fire watch is required when combustible
material that could be ignited by hot work cannot be
directly observed by only one fire watch.
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15. Authorized Person
• Project Manager will be the Authorized Person for
contracted work.
• Shop Supervisor will be the Authorized Person for
Operation and Maintenance work.
• Institutional hot work operations, the Authorized Person
will be the contact listed on the DFD permit.
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16. Authorized Person Responsibilities
• Ensuring hot work is identified and performed in accordance
with this policy
• Ensuring appropriate DFD hot work permit is active and on file
• Approving AHEC Hot Work Authorization form for the
scheduled hot work.
• Contacting AHEC Life Safety Services at least 72 hours in
advance in order to coordinate any alarm system bypass that
may be necessary
• reviewing the work area to establish controls and fire watch
requirements (see the procedure section below).
• making sure that persons who will perform hot work have read and
understand this Hot Work Policy.
• assuring that persons who will perform hot work have demonstrated
competency in the use of hot work equipment and are trained in
performing hot work.
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17. Authorized Person Responsibilities
• ensuring that high energy sources are isolated as needed
in accordance with the Lockout/tag out policy.
• following all fire protection system disable/enable
procedures established by AHEC Life Safety Services and
this policy and ensuring the alarm system is reactivated
upon completion of hot work.
• submitting a copy of the completed permit to the records
file here:
• I:Safety OfficeHotWorkPolicyHotWork Authorizations
or email to lifesafetyservices@ahec.edu
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18. Hot Work Employee
• competency in use of hot work equipment and performing hot work.
• performing hot work in accordance with the requirements of this policy.
• being familiar with the facility and how to sound an alarm in the event of a
fire.
• performing and/or reviewing the work area preparation section of the
AHEC Hot Work Authorization form.
• making the work area fire safe and verifying on the permit that work can
start.
• ensuring the required safety precautions per the hot work permit are
followed.
• following all fire protection system disable/enable procedures established
by AHEC Life Safety Services and this policy and ensuring the alarm
system is reactivated upon completion of hot work.
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19. Procedure
 DFD hot work permit and AHEC Hot Work Authorization
form must be completed prior to initiating hot work and
posted at the work area.
 Work Process includes:
1. Assessment of the facility condition
2. Preparing of the work area
3. Hot work activity
4. Closeout
• Authorized Person shall perform a fire safety assessment of the
scheduled hot work where the following conditions exist:
• Fire suppression system is not operable or does not exist
• fire/smoke detection system is localized only or does not exist.
• special potential hazards such as work in a confined area, attic, or
crawlspace in which an increased fire risk may exist.
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20. Welding Areas
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.
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21. Welding Areas
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.
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22. Hot Work Program Training
Hot Work training session (This Session)
the inherent risks involved;
the emergency procedures in the event of a fire;
instructions on all equipment and processes
and;
the provisions of this program.
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23. Confined Spaces
• To prevent accidental contact, when arc welding is to be suspended
for any substantial period of time, such as during lunch or overnight,
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.
• In order 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, such as during lunch
hour or overnight. Where practical, the torch and hose shall also be
removed from the confined space.
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24. Confined Spaces Cont.
• 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.
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25. AHEC’s Written Hot Work Program
Other Precautions
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• The following must be practiced for fall protection
• A welder working on platforms, scaffolds, or runways
shall be protected against falling by the use of railings,
life lines, or some other equally effective means.
• Welders shall also place welding cables and other
equipment so that they are clear of passageways,
ladders and stairways.

26. Environmental Health and Safety
Implementation Assistance
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• Environmental Health and Safety will assist
departments with:
• hot work permit training;
• fire extinguisher training and;
• determining the suitability of designated hot work areas.
• Contact Environmental Health and Safety at 303
556-8397 with any questions.

27. Resources
• Denver Fire Department Policy IFC-2601-1
• NFPA 51B and ANSI Z49.1
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252254
• OSHA 29 CFR1926.352
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