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Construction
Hot Work

Hot work is any specific activity which has the adverse capability to create fire, smoke, harmful gases or sparks as a consequence of being undertaken.  Examples of such activities are welding [metal inert gas "mig", tungsten inert gas "tig" and arc], abrasive wheel grinding or flame cutting using oxy acetylene equipment.
  • Hot work must be subject to a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.
  • Factors such as sharing a workplace that may affect others, and provide all those involved with the significant findings.
  • Hot work carried out in other than a purpose built area must be subject to a Permit to Work.
Risk Assessment
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment will ensure the following:
  • All hot work must be planned.
  • Avoid hot work in studios and locations wherever possible.
  • Only competent contractors are allowed to carry out hot work.
  • Precautions must be taken wherever there is a risk of fire.
  • Access to areas where there is hot work is being carried out must be restricted to all but authorised and competent persons.
  • A suitable warning notice must be used to warn of welding or similar activity where access to that area may occur.
  • Consideration to emergency and abnormal situations.
Where any residual risks remain these must be recorded and the appropriate control measures instigated with a process for monitoring and review of their effectiveness.
 
When a contractor is used, you must ensure that prior to the work commencing, the contractor has provided an adequate risk assessment which does not conflict with your requirements.
 
Welding
There must be satisfactory arrangements to control exposure to hazards, such as:
  • Fumes.
  • Ultra violet radiation, creating the condition "arc eye".
  • Fire, either directly [weld splash or drip] or indirectly [heating up of surrounding combustible material] from the welding process.
  • Explosion, the ignition of flammable gases within a container or vessel being welded.
  • Electrical generation failure.
Welding carried on outside a designated welding bay must be done under a Permit to Work arrangement. Warning signs must be posted and screens used where arc welding is in progress.
 
Grinding and Disc cutting
There must be satisfactory arrangements to control exposure to hazards, such as:
  • noise
  • dust
  • smoke
  • ejected particles
Flame cutting
There must be satisfactory arrangements to control exposure to hazards, such as:
  • Fire, either directly [direct contact with cutting flame] or indirectly [heating up of surrounding combustible material] from the cutting process.
  • Confined spaces [oxygen depletion].
Soldering
There must be satisfactory arrangements to control exposure to hazards, such as:
  • fume [colophony]
  • sensitisation [over exposure to fume]
  • solder splash
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