A hot works permit is a control document for work that can create flame, heat or sparks. It records the work, the area, the fire controls, the fire watch and the authorisation to start.
It is not a universal government form. Check the applicable regulator guidance and the site, principal contractor, client, insurer or work procedure; SafeWork NSW says to implement a hot-work permit system before hot work on site. The fire precautions in AS 1674.1 still apply. That is why the permit has to match the job in front of you rather than a blank template from another site.
When a hot works permit is required
A hot works permit is commonly required when hot work happens outside a permanently designated hot work area, or when the site, client, insurer or work procedure requires a permit for the task.
The work can include:
- Arc welding and gas welding
- Oxy cutting and heating
- Grinding and cutting discs
- Brazing and soldering
- Other open-flame or spark-producing work
A designated workshop bay may not need a permit for every task, but the site rules still apply. A ceiling space, plant room, occupied building, roof, or area with combustibles nearby is a different risk from a clear workshop floor.
Check the rules before you quote the job. The permit may be a site requirement, an insurer condition, a client procedure, or part of the principal contractor's safety system. It is not a substitute for the risk assessment, the work procedure or the isolation and testing required for the task.
Who issues the permit
The permit is issued by an authorised person, such as the principal contractor, site supervisor or another nominated responsible officer. The person doing the hot work should not issue their own permit.
Two roles need to stay separate:
- Issuer: checks the area, the controls and the validity window, then authorises the work.
- Worker or supervisor: accepts the permit, confirms the controls with the crew, and does or supervises the work.
The fire watch is a third role. Name the person before work starts. A permit with a blank fire watch is an incomplete permit.
What the permit should record
A useful permit is specific enough that someone else can walk to the area and check it without asking questions.
Record:
- The work description and exact area
- The type of hot work
- The permit number and validity window
- The fire controls in place
- The fire watch person and watch period
- Additional hazards such as confined spaces, fumes, gas cylinders or combustible construction
- The issuer and worker signatures
- The close-out time and who cleared the area
The validity window matters. A permit that expires before the work finishes needs to be reassessed and reissued. Do not keep working on an expired permit because the job is nearly done.
Fire controls to check before work starts
The controls depend on the task and the area, but the common checks are:
- Remove combustibles from the area, or protect them with fire-resistant covers or screens
- Check both sides of walls, ceilings, floors and partitions for hidden combustibles
- Close or protect openings where sparks or slag can travel
- Provide the right fire extinguisher and confirm it is charged and accessible
- Protect or isolate fire detection and suppression systems where the site procedure requires it
- Check gas cylinders, hoses and equipment for damage and correct setup
- Consider ventilation and fume control, especially in enclosed spaces
- Keep people who are not involved in the work clear of the area
- Confirm the emergency and evacuation arrangements for the site
A hot works permit does not replace the isolation, testing or confined-space controls for the job. If the work is inside a confined space, the confined-space procedure applies as well.
The fire watch
The fire watch continuously observes the work area during the hot work and for the post-work period. The period is set by the site, insurer or standard. Some sites use 30 or 60 minutes; check the current rule for the job, because some sites require longer.
The fire watch should:
- Be named on the permit before work starts
- Watch the work area and the areas where sparks or slag can travel
- Have the authority to stop the work if conditions change
- Know where the fire equipment is and how to use it
- Know how to raise the alarm
- Stay on the watch rather than doing other work
Record the actual cleared time at close-out. The planned watch period is not the same as the time the area was checked and found clear.
Closing out the permit
Close-out is a separate step after the work stops. The tools going back in the van does not mean the area is safe.
Step 1
Assess the area
Issuer
Check the work, the combustibles, the openings and the fire equipment.
Step 2
Issue and accept
Issuer and worker
Both sign the permit before the first spark.
Step 3
Work and watch
Worker and fire watch
Keep the controls in place and watch the area continuously.
Step 4
Clear and close
Fire watch and issuer
Check the area after the post-work watch, record the cleared time and close the permit.
Keep the issued and closed copy with the job record. A permit that is never closed cannot show the area was checked.
Use two copies from the same record: download the issued permit before work starts, then reopen the draft after the post-work watch, add the cleared time and download the closed copy. Keep both with the job.
At close-out, check the work area, the areas below and around it, and any concealed spaces where sparks or slag could have travelled. Record the time the area was cleared and who checked it.
If the fire watch finds smoke, heat or a smouldering material, stop and treat it as a fire risk. Do not close the permit because the watch period has elapsed.
Common mistakes
- Issuing a permit with a blank fire watch
- Using a generic work description that does not identify the area
- Letting the person doing the work issue their own permit
- Recording the planned watch period instead of the actual cleared time
- Closing the permit when the tools are packed up
- Missing combustibles on the other side of a wall or ceiling
- Forgetting the fire equipment check
- Using an expired permit because the job is nearly finished
Filling the permit on site
Open the Hot Works Permit before work starts and work through the permit, controls, fire watch, hazards, authorisation and close-out sections.
The Hot Works Permit form guide explains each field and the entries that block download. For the broader site paperwork, browse building forms or the fire safety forms hub.
Next steps
Fill the Hot Works Permit, confirm the controls and fire watch with the crew, and keep the issued and closed copies with the job record. If the site uses a principal contractor permit, check whether your record sits beside it or replaces it.
Official references
SafeWork NSW publishes a hot work safety alert. Safe Work Australia's welding processes code of practice covers fire and explosion risks. The current fire precautions standard is AS 1674.1:2025.
