• SWMS template · hot works, welding and cutting

Hot works and welding SWMS template Australia

Hot works is the category where a fifteen-minute weld does the damage a month later: the fire that started in the cavity, the welder with metal fume fever, the fuel line nobody checked. A hot works SWMS has to cover the permit, the atmosphere, the fume and the fire watch after the arc goes out. This page shows what that looks like.

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When a hot works SWMS is the right document

HRCW categories that hot works trigger: work in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere; work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines; work in a confined space; risk of a fall greater than 2 m; and structural alterations requiring temporary support. Model WHS regulation 291 and Schedule 3, or the WA and Victorian equivalents.

Welding and oxy cutting in plant rooms, bunds, tank farms and workshops attached to fuel storage.
Grinding and cutting steel above ceilings, in roof spaces and on mezzanines.
Site welding of structural connections from EWPs or scaffolds.
Brazing and soldering near refrigerant lines and gas services.

Fabrication in your own shed is a JSA. The same weld on a construction site near any of the above is a SWMS. More on the line between them in SWMS vs JSA.

Filled example: pipe support repair in a fuel bund, Kwinana WA

Replacing two corroded pipe supports on a diesel transfer line inside a bunded tank compound. The line is drained and isolated, the bund has residual product, and the closest live tank is 12 m away. Western Australia, so the document cites the WHS Act 2020 and WHS (General) Regulations 2022. Different job from the grease arrestor entry on the confined space SWMS page.

Job / task: Cut out and weld two pipe supports on an isolated diesel line inside a bund
Site: Fuel depot, Kwinana Beach WA 6167
Document: SWMS · HRCW: flammable atmosphere, near fuel lines · example only
PPE: FR overalls, welding helmet with P2 fume respirator, leather gauntlets, safety boots, hearing protection, glasses under the helmet

Example layout — not a copy-paste legal document. Residual risk while the arc is live inside the bund stays High. Bolting the new supports up cold, with no hot work, could drop to a maintenance JSA.

Step	Hazards	Controls	5×5 risk
1. Obtain the hot work permit, isolate and drain the line, gas-test the bund Responsible: Site supervisor / permit issuer	Residual diesel and vapour in the bund Line not fully drained or still connected to a live tank Ignition of vapour from the adjacent tank vents	Bund pumped out and washed; calibrated gas detector reads 0% LEL before and continuously during work Valves locked and tagged at both ends; line drained, flushed and nitrogen purged; blind flanges fitted Wind direction checked; work stops if the detector alarms or the depot receives fuel	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL1×C5 = 5 Medium
2. Set up fire precautions, screens and fume extraction Responsible: Welder / fire watcher	Sparks travelling to the sump and drain Welding fume in the low, still air of the bund Arc flash to the fire watcher and depot staff	Welding blankets over the sump and drain; two 9 kg dry powder extinguishers within 5 m; fire watcher has no other task Portable fume extractor arm at the weld; helmet respirator; welder positioned upwind Welding screens on the walkway side; signage; depot staff briefed to stay out	InitialL4×C4 = 16 Critical ResidualL2×C3 = 6 Medium
3. Cut out the corroded supports and weld the replacements Responsible: Welder	Ignition of residue inside the old support tubes Burns and eye injury from grinding sparks and slag Electric shock from a wet bund floor	Supports drilled and checked for residue before cutting; cold cut with a reciprocating saw where possible Gauntlets, helmet down before the arc, face shield for grinding; hot metal quenched before it is handled Welder on a dry insulated mat; machine with VRD; leads inspected; AS 1674.2 followed	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C4 = 8 High
4. Fire watch, cool down and close out the permit Responsible: Fire watcher / permit issuer	Smouldering material found after the crew has left Hot metal touched by the next shift Isolation removed before the line is inspected	Fire watch for 60 minutes after the last arc; area walked with a thermal camera; extinguishers stay until then Hot work tagged with time; barricade left until the metal is cool to touch Weld inspected and permit signed off before the locks come off; supervisor reinstates the line	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL1×C4 = 4 Medium

What the generator changes for hot works

Tell it the process (MIG, stick, TIG, oxy, grinding), what is nearby (fuel, refrigerant, combustible linings, a confined space) and the state. It writes the permit step, the atmosphere test, the 1 mg/m³ fume control, the fire watch duration and the right Act and Regulation references. Structural welding at height should also reference the steel erection SWMS.

Frequently asked questions

When is hot works high-risk construction work?

Welding, cutting and grinding become HRCW when they happen in or near an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere, on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines, in a confined space, at a height over 2 m, or on structural steel that needs temporary support. Even where none of those apply, most principal contractors require a hot work permit and a SWMS before you strike an arc.

What is the welding fume exposure standard?

Safe Work Australia lowered the workplace exposure standard for welding fume (not otherwise classified) to 1 mg/m³ eight-hour average from January 2024. In practice that means on-torch or local extraction for most indoor welding, a fitted respirator for stainless and galvanised work, and welding outdoors or in open sheds where you can. The SWMS should name the control, not just 'ventilation'.

How long is the fire watch after hot works?

Most permits require a continuous fire watch during the work and for at least 30 minutes after, extended to 60 minutes where the work was near combustible linings, insulation or a cavity. The watch needs an extinguisher within reach and a way to raise the alarm. Write the time into the SWMS and the permit.

Is this SWMS valid in NSW, VIC, QLD and WA?

The generator cites the WHS Act and Regulations for NSW, QLD and the other model-WHS states, the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and WHS (General) Regulations 2022 for WA, and the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017 for Victoria. AS 1674.1 fire precautions and AS 1674.2 electrical safety in welding apply nationally.

Is a JSA enough for welding in my own workshop?

Workshop fabrication is not construction work, so the SWMS requirement does not apply by law. A JSA or safe work procedure is the honest document there. The moment the same welder is on a construction site near fuel, at height or in a plant room, it is a SWMS.

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