Fire Safety
Hot Work Rule – Main Campus
Things to Consider
Hot Work Rule Main Campus
Hot work includes welding, cutting torches, brazing, open flame soldering, grinding that produces sparks, torch-applied roofing or the use of open-flame heaters. Contact EHS at [email protected] for clarification or confirmation that your activity is considered hot work.
Note: Activities in laboratories involving Bunsen burners and electric soldering irons are managed as laboratory operations under the laboratory safety program and do not require hot work permits, unless the activity generates more than incidental sparks or slag, or introduces open-flame soldering or torching outside approved laboratory conditions.
Handheld electric soldering irons (no open flame) are permitted for laboratory use without issuance of a hot work permit, as electric soldering irons are generally excluded from the scope of NFPA 51B hot work requirements and treated as non-permit hot work in recognized fire code interpretation and program models. Use of open-flame soldering or torches would remain permit-required hot work.
Hot work conducted by university employees in labs, shops, or other designated areas on main campus requires issuance of an Annual Hot Work Space Authorization by the University Fire Marshal.
Any main campus entity that will performing hot work operations will:
- Complete the State of Utah hot work training found here: https://dfcm.utah.gov/construction-management/building-official/hot-works/
- This training must be taken every year
- The certificate of this training must be included in your facilities safety plan or lab safety plan and updated annually
- Use your University email to log in – Use the Hot Works Training for Contractors or Higher Education Employees
- Submit a Annual Hot Work Space Authorization to the University Fire Marshall that is reviewed. Submit an application using the following link: https://www.ehs.utah.edu/secure/forms/hot-work-permit-application/
- This Annual Hot Work Space Authorization is only for the specific locations listed in the authorization. If hot work occurs outside of the approved areas on the Hot Work Space Authorization the group must contact the University Fire Marshall for further steps.
- This Annual Designated Area Hot Work Authorization approval needs to be uploaded into your SAM documents library or Annual Lab Safety Plan or Facilities Safety Plan. A new application must be submitted every year even if nothing has changed.
Students performing hot work must be trained and supervised during all hot work activities by a competent university employee that has completed the above requirements. Students are not required to take the state training or apply for a permit, they must work under the permit of the competent employee. This applies only to University of Utah students enrolled in classes that involve welding or hot work operations and not employees.
This rule does not apply to University Health Care or Contractors, for the requirements for these groups please contact the University of Utah Fire Marshall at [email protected].
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