UCAR Safety Manual
 Hot Operations
Welding, Cutting, Open Flame
REFERENCE: 5-1, Revision 1
ISSUED: 08-03-92
EFFECTIVE: 10-27-92
SUPERSEDES: 5-1
1.0 Scope
Provides safe practices, policies, and procedures for conducting operations with high fire potential resulting from high temperature activities.
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Combustible Materials
Materials that catch and sustain fire when subjected to heat from hot operations. Includes carpeting, pulp products, such as paper, books, boxes, trash, furniture, cloth, wall coverings, chemicals, plastics, etc.
2.2 Flammable Materials
Materials (liquid, solid, gas) such as solvents, petroleum products, laboratory chemicals, cleaners, paints, thinners, compressed gases, etc. and have a flash point of 1 00 degrees F or less.
2.3 Fire Watch
Person assigned to observe mobile hot operations and watch for and abate developing fires. Required when hot operations are conducted within 35' of
combustible or flammable materials, holes, walls, ceiling or
floor openings where metal walls or floors can communicate
heat to combustible or flammable materials.
2.4 Hot Operations
Hazardous operations involving high temperature tasks including open flames, welding, brazing, cutting, and other activities that are inherently fire hazards.
2.5 Hot Operations Permit
Permit required before starting any hot operation.
2.6 Mobile Hot Operations
Equipment and personnel travel to remote sites to conduct hot operations. Used only in emergencies or when unable to use permanent facilities.
2.7 Permanent Hot Operations
Operations conducted in stationary designated area where the type of work and personnel remain consistent. Work is brought to this area. Preferred area for hot operations.
3.0 Responsibilities
3.1 Management
Assures assigned employees and supervisors are qualified, properly trained, and skilled in safe conduct, potential hazards, and emergency procedures for hot operations. Provides approved, safe and properly functioning equipment and safety devices.
3.2 Supervisors
Responsible for overall safety of operations. Implements safety policies and procedures, assures employee training, assigns qualified employees to work tasks, conducts on-site safety inspections, approves hot work permits, terminates unsafe work practices or conditions, notifies Health and Environmental Officer of unsafe working conditions, notifies Health and Environmental office of work routine changes, provides equipment for safe conduct of operations, designates approved areas for hot operations, and communicates potential hazards of each work task to assigned employee.
3.3 Health and Environmental Office
Determines, designs, communicates, and administers safety programs. Monitors and audits compliance to policies, procedures, and regulations, and reports non-compliant conditions to supervision
for correction. Writes, publishes, and up-dates generic safety policies and procedures. Provides generic safety training. Reviews and approves permanent hot operations. Takes appropriate actions to abate unsafe conditions, practices or activities.
3.4 Employees
Conducts operations in safe manner compliant with organizational and regulatory policies, procedures, and requirements. Attends and participates in required training. Recognizes and understands potential hazards of operations. Reports out of tolerance conditions to supervisors, and discontinues any unsafe operation.
4.0 Hot Work Permits
Required for all hot operations.
4.1 Permanent Hot Operations
A long term permit is required. Permit valid as long as work task, locations, conditions, operations and personnel remain same. New permit required when any of the above changes. Application is made to Health and Environmental Office, who upon determining compliance, will issue permit. Applicant must submit safety procedures and names of authorized employees.
4.2 Mobile Hot Operations
Permit required for all mobile operations. Area must be inspected, permit completed, signed and approved by supervisor and employee before starting work.
4.2.1 Scope
Emergency Operations: When supervision is not available (during offhours) permit can be
filled out and signed by employee only, providing employee notifies security
officer before and after completing work.
4.3 Remote Operations
For locations that are not readily accessible to the supervisor, the employee conducting the work may fill out, sign and conduct the hot operations without the additional signature of the supervisor providing that verbal notification is made to the supervisor or similar person in position of authority.
4.4 Substitution for supervisor
In instances where the immediate supervisor is unavailable the permit can by signed off by a second employee providing that said employee has received appropriate training for hot operations. It is expected, however, that the supervisor make every reasonable attempt to review and sign off on the permit.
5.0 Work Practices
The basis for all work practices and procedures shall be ANSI STANDARD Z49.1- most recent edition. Exemptions granted only upon approval of supervisor, management and Health and Environment Office.
5.1 Personnel
Assigned personnel shall be technically trained, competent and qualified for tasks, shall attend UCAR safety training, and shall be knowledgeable of all safety policies, procedures, and requirements.
5.2 General
Hot operations, where practical, shall be performed in isolated/designated areas. All movable fire hazards shall be taken to a safe place. If not possible, guards shall be used to confine heat, sparks, slag and to protect immovable fire hazards. Floor openings and cracks shall be closed to prevent exposure to underlying materials. Same precautions apply to cracks or holes in walls, doorways, windows or ceilings. Combustible materials opposite of metal barriers shall be protected to prevent heat conduction. Ducts and systems that might carry sparks to combustible materials shall be protected.
5.3 Equipment
Shall be in good operating condition. Defective or damaged equipment shall be taken out of service.
5.4 Prohibitions
Hot work is not permitted in areas not authorized by management in sprinkled buildings when such protection is impaired, in presence of explosive atmospheres, or confined spaces, near flammable gases, liquids, vapors, neat storage of large quantities of exposed, readily ignitable materials.
5.5 Signs
Appropriate warning signs will be posted in and around all hot operations and shall indicate the hazards present and safety equipment required.
5.6 Eye/Face Protection
Appropriate helmets, handshields, safety glasses with side shields, and/or goggles shall be used by operators and nearby adjacent personnel. Spectacles with side shields will be used in conjunction with helmets when slag chips, grinding fragments and similar bouncing hazards are present. Appropriate filter shades shall be used according to the operation being performed.
5.7 Clothing
Appropriate clothing for the operation shall be worn such
that it provides sufficient coverage to minimize skin
burns. Heavier materials are preferred. Materials that
melt are not recommended. Sleeves and collars should
be buttoned, pockets eliminated from front of clothing.
Trousers and overall should not be rolled up or
have cuffs. Frayed clothing shall not be worn.
5.7.1 Gloves: Protective flame resistant gloves shall be worn.
5.7.2 Aprons: Flame resistant aprons shall be worn when additional protection is necessary.
5.7.3 Capes/Sleeves: Flame resistant capes/sleeves shall be worn during overhead operations.
5.8 Ventilation
Adequate ventilation either mechanical or natural shall be provided for all operations. Work shall be positioned such that the flume is away from the breathing zone of the worker.
5.9 Confined Spaces
Hot work shall not be conducted in confined spaces without the special approval of the supervisor, management and the Health and Environmental Office. Workers shall not enter any confined space without the prior approval of the Health and Environmental Office.
6.0 Fire Protection
Hot operations will be performed, where practical, in approved permanent locations.
6.1 Combustible/Flammable Materials
These materials should be kept at a minimum of 35' from hot operations. If this is not possible then the materials shall be protected from heat, sparks and slag with protective non-flammable coverings/guards. No hot operations will be conducted in the presence of flammable gases/vapors. If flammable materials cannot be moved then the Health and Environmental Office must sample the air to prove that flammable concentrations do not exist.
6.2 Extinguisher/Sprinkler
Extinguishers are required in the immediate vicinity of all hot operations. Where they exist sprinkler systems shall remain operable during all operations. Sprinkler heads in the immediate vicinity may be temporarily shielded with non-combustible materials if necessary.
6.3 Fire Watch
Required when 35' separation from combustible and flammable materials cannot be maintained, wall or floor openings exist within 35' which exposes material in adjacent rooms, metal walls/floors/ ceilings exist which transfers heat to materials. Watchers shall be trained in emergency use of extinguishers. The watch shall be maintained 30 minutes after completion of hot operations.
6.4 Permit
Hot work permits required for all mobile operations. Permit filled out by the worker. Supervisor will inspect work area, assures all safety pre-cautions are met, assures permit correctly filled out, and will approves and sign the permit. See section 4.2.1 for emergency situations.
7.0 Contractors
Contractors to UCAR shall be required to submit written policies and procedures which are at least as stringent as UCAR policies and procedures and
incorporates the provisions of ANSI Z49.1-most recent edition. The Health and Environmental Office shall determine the acceptability of the submittal. No work may proceed until said procedures are submitted and deemed acceptable.
Back to Contents
|
