Free hot work risk assessment template

• The MapTrack hot work risk assessment template contains 22 checks across 4 sections. Sections covered: Work method & fire envelope, Atmospheric & exposure hazards, Hierarchy of control, Fire watch & post-work.
• AS 1674.1-1997 and AS 1674.2-2007 are superseded; the current editions are AS 1674.1:2025 and AS 1674.2:2025.
• Part 3.1 of the model WHS Regulations requires hazards to be identified and risks eliminated, or minimised using the regulation 36 hierarchy of controls.
• Record whether the hot work can be avoided, such as mechanical fixing, cold cutting or moving the job to a workshop, and why it can't.
• For US sites, 29 CFR 1910.252(a) covers moving or guarding combustibles, fire watches and authorising hot work.
• Re-run the assessment whenever the location, method, fuel load, ventilation or crew changes.

Learn more about compliance and inspections in MapTrack.

• Permit justification: a scored hot work risk assessment is the evidential basis the permit issuer relies on under AS 1674.1:2025 (clause 2.2, Risk assessment) and NFPA 51B before the permit-to-work is even raised on site.
• Vapour and atmosphere control: the assessment documents the COSHH and LEL testing required for solvent-bearing structures fuel storage and confined space hot work that a permit alone never analyses against the work plan.
• Fire watch staffing: scoring fuel load travel of sparks and concealed combustibles drives a defensible fire watch headcount and duration aligned with AS 1674.1 11 metre rule and NFPA 51B 35 foot envelope.
• Alternative consideration: the elimination and substitution sections force the WHS coordinator to record whether cold work mechanical fixing or relocation to a designated workshop was reasonably practicable before hot work was authorised.
• Residual risk discipline: re-scoring the risk after controls confirms the supervisor and PCBU are not signing off on extreme residual risk and surfaces any cases where the work should be redesigned or stopped.
• Regulator defence: the documented assessment is the artefact regulators and insurers examine first after a hot-work fire to test the reasonably practicable bar under WHS Act 2011 Section 18 and OSHA 1910.252 general duty clause.

• Task identification: site, exact location, asset or structure, work description (welding cutting grinding brazing soldering), method, equipment, expected duration and the contractor or trade involved.
• Personnel and competency: hot work operator name and licence, fire watch person identification and training, permit issuer and supervisor, plus any specialist (rope access, confined space, atmospheric tester) supporting the task.
• Fuel load and combustibles: written inventory of combustible materials within the AS 1674.1 11 metre envelope and the NFPA 51B 35 foot envelope above, below and adjacent to the work, including hidden combustibles in cable trays, ceiling voids, insulation, fuel tanks and conveyor systems.
• Vapour and atmospheric hazards: COSHH-style assessment of any solvents, fuels, gases, dusts, residues, paints or coatings present in the structure, plus the LEL, O2, CO and H2S testing strategy required before work and during work.
• Ignition source travel: assessment of how sparks, slag and molten material can travel from the work face, including penetrations, gaps, drains, downpipes and openings the assessor has identified for sealing or protection.
• Fire watch and emergency response: required fire watch headcount, position, equipment (extinguisher type and rating), duration during work and post-work watch period (minimum 30 minutes per AS 1674.1, 60 minutes for higher risk).
• Hierarchy of controls: documented consideration of elimination (no hot work), substitution (cold work, mechanical fixing), isolation (relocate to workshop), engineering (purge, ventilation, shielding), administrative (permit, training, supervision) and PPE.
• Risk matrix and ratings: inherent and residual risk scoring on a 5x5 matrix for each hazard category (fire, explosion, exposure, manual handling, electrical, hot surfaces, falling objects) with the residual band recorded.
• Adjacent area and occupancy: assessment of other workers, public, occupants, plant and stored goods within and beyond the spark envelope, including impact on sprinkler systems, smoke alarms and fire-rated penetrations.
• Sign-off and review trigger: assessor signature, supervisor or permit issuer countersign, valid-from and valid-to time, review triggers (change of location, change of method, change of personnel, change of conditions, incident) and link to the permit number raised against this assessment.

1. Gather information about the work and the location before any operator is on site

   review the scope of work, the structure or asset to be cut welded or ground on, the as-built drawings or P and IDs where relevant, the previous hot work history at the location and any standard operating procedure or method statement covering the work.

2. Walk the location and identify combustibles vapours and ignition routes

   physically walk the AS 1674.1 11 metre and NFPA 51B 35 foot envelope including above below and adjacent to the work, identify visible and hidden combustibles in cable trays voids and insulation, identify any solvent fuel gas dust paint or residue source and map the routes sparks slag and molten metal could travel.

3. Consider elimination and substitution honestly

   ask whether the work could be done by cold cutting bolting mechanical fastening or relocation to a workshop, document the reasoning if hot work remains the chosen method and record any management approval required when the residual fire risk band sits above tolerable.

4. Score the risks before and after controls using a 5x5 matrix

   for fire explosion vapour exposure electrical hot surfaces manual handling and falling objects, score likelihood and consequence for the inherent risk then apply controls (engineering, administrative, PPE, atmospheric testing, fire watch) and re-score the residual risk band, recording the basis for each rating.

5. Document fire watch atmospheric testing and adjacent area controls then sign off

   specify the fire watch headcount position and duration (work period plus minimum 30 minute post-work watch), the LEL O2 CO H2S testing strategy, the seal cover and barrier controls for spark travel and the impact on sprinkler smoke alarm and fire-rated penetrations before assessor and supervisor signature and linking the assessment to the issued permit.

Practical answers about the form, record keeping and using MapTrack.

This form is a starting point. Check the current requirements that apply to your equipment, work and location. The form alone does not establish compliance.

Each source was read at its publisher and the page checked on 26 October 2026. The publisher's current text is the authority.

• Model WHS Regulations (Safe Work Australia)

MapTrack publishes this template. The linked authorities publish their own guidance; they haven't endorsed this form.

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