Hot work and fire prevention toolbox talk
Torch work, welding and cutting all start fires the same way: something combustible was close by, and nobody was watching after the work stopped. Most hot-work fires are found long after the crew has moved on.
Run the talk
- Extinguishing equipment goes to the work, and it stays ready. Down the ladder in the truck is not immediately available.
- Where normal precautions are not enough, someone watches — and watching means watching, not helping with the next task.
- Move what you are heating to a safe spot if you can. If you cannot, the protection goes around the work.
- Look at what is under you and behind the wall, not just what is in front of you. Heat travels.
- The fire that starts today may not show itself for hours. Who is checking back?
Ask the crew
- Where is the extinguisher for the torch work happening today?
- Who is on fire watch, and what else have they been asked to do?
- What is combustible within reach of the heat, including below and behind?
Check before you leave the huddle
- Confirm suitable extinguishing equipment is in the work area and ready.
- Confirm a fire watch is assigned where precautions alone are not sufficient.
- Clear or protect combustibles around, below and behind the hot work.
The requirements behind it
From SiteSafetyDocs clause bank 2026.08.28-ai3. The talking points above are prompts for a conversation; the rows below are the requirements. Each row condenses the cited provisions — follow the citation for the exact regulatory text. Rows marked practice are recognised good practice, not a CFR duty.
| Clause | Requirement | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| CTL-FIRE-001 | Suitable fire-extinguishing equipment shall be immediately available in the work area and shall be maintained in a state of readiness for instant use. | 29 CFR 1926.352(d) |
| CTL-FIRE-002 | When a welding, cutting, or heating operation (including torch-applied roofing) is such that normal fire prevention precautions are not sufficient, additional personnel shall be assigned to guard against fire while the work is in progress and for a sufficient period after completion to ensure that no possibility of fire exists; such personnel shall be instructed in the anticipated fire hazards and in how the fire-protection equipment is to be used. | 29 CFR 1926.352(e) |
| CTL-FIRE-003 | When practical, objects to be welded, cut, or heated shall be moved to a designated safe location; if they cannot readily be moved, all movable fire hazards in the vicinity shall be taken to a safe place or otherwise protected; where the object cannot be moved and the fire hazards cannot all be removed, positive means shall be taken to confine the heat, sparks, and slag and to protect the immovable fire hazards from them. | 29 CFR 1926.352(a); 29 CFR 1926.352(b) |
| CTL-FIRE-004 | Where a welding, cutting, or heating operation is performed on one side of a wall, partition, ceiling, or roof, precautions shall be taken to prevent ignition of combustibles on the other side, and where combustibles cannot be relocated, a fire watch shall be posted on the opposite side. | 29 CFR 1926.352(f) |
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