Fire Watch Hot Work

Fire Watch Hot Work Permit: Step by Step Guide

Skip a signature and the marshal treats the job as illegal. Follow this fire watch hot work permit guide and every spark will be documented, defensible, and paid for by the hour—not by the fine.

Step 1: Pre-Work Walkthrough (30 Minutes Before)

1. Check 35 foot radius for combustibles
2. Cover floor openings with fire rated blankets
3. Test extinguishers and log serial numbers
4. Post permit on site and snap photo for file

Take photos of each item; the inspector loves time stamped proof.

Step 2: Issue the Permit

Use NFPA 51B template or your insurer’s form. Fill in location, exact times, and signature of the permit authorizer. Never back date; digital systems lock the time and you cannot fake it later.

Give copy one to the welder, copy two to the fire watch guard, and keep copy three in the site box. All three must match at shift end or the log is void.

Step 3: Guard On Duty Before Spark

Guard must be on site with extinguisher in hand before the striker arc. Our tablets beep every 14 minutes; miss a scan and the supervisor is auto notified. No gap, no argument, no citation.

Step 4: Post Work Fire Watch

OSHA wants 30 minutes after the last spark. High wind or combustible walls extends that to 60 minutes. The guard logs temperature readings with an infrared gun every 10 minutes until levels drop below 100 F.

Step 5: Close the Permit

Guard signs, welder signs, and the authorizer signs. Scan all three copies into one PDF and email to your insurer before close of business. Stored forever, retrieved in seconds.

Cost Snapshot

Permit templates are free on our website. Fire watch runs $55 to $80 per hour. One 4 hour job costs less than a single OSHA citation, and you keep the project on schedule.

Need blank fire watch hot work permit forms and a certified guard today? Call us and we will email the PDF and dispatch the guard in the same call. A permit is not paperwork, it is a shield. Fill it right, sign it once, and the only thing that burns is the metal, not your bank account.