RAMS for Hot Works

Hot works — welding, cutting, grinding, brazing, and the use of gas torches or other open flames — are one of the most consistently high-risk tasks on any UK construction or maintenance site. A poorly controlled hot-works operation can cause a fire in minutes and a fatality in seconds. Your RAMS must reflect that reality.

The Legal Basis

The duty to produce a suitable and sufficient risk assessment sits in Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR). CDM 2015 requires a Construction Phase Plan for notifiable projects — it does not require a RAMS as such, but a RAMS for hot works is the standard mechanism for demonstrating that reg 3 has been discharged for this specific task. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 imposes a parallel duty to manage fire risk, and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) cover fume and gas exposure. All three need to be visible in your document.

Key Hazards and Controls — in Hierarchy Order

**Fire and explosion**

Eliminate the hazard first: can the work be done cold? Could a mechanical fixing replace a weld? Can the workpiece be removed to a dedicated welding bay away from the building? Where hot works on site are genuinely unavoidable, substitute lower-heat methods wherever possible (cold-cutting tools, press-fit connections).

Engineering controls come next: remove or isolate all combustible materials within at least one metre of the work area (HSE guidance suggests 5–10 metres for grinding sparks). Use non-combustible screens or welding blankets to protect fixed items that cannot be moved. Ensure adequate ventilation is in place before ignition.

Administrative controls include the hot-works permit. This is not bureaucracy — it is the formal check that clearance has been given, hazards assessed, and equipment inspected before the work starts. The permit must specify the location, duration, the specific work, and who has authorised it. A competent fire watch must be maintained throughout the works and for a minimum of 60 minutes after completion (longer where voids, cavities, or concealed combustibles are present — smouldering fires in roof voids have ignited hours after works finished). Appropriate extinguishers must be positioned at the point of work before work begins, not fetched from a distant store.

PPE — fire-resistant clothing, eye protection, and heat-resistant gloves — is the last layer, not the primary safeguard.

**Gas cylinders**

Cylinders must be stored and used upright, secured against falling, and kept well away from the works footprint when not in direct use. Hoses must be inspected before each use for cuts, kinks, and perished couplings. Flashback arrestors are required on both the torch and the regulator ends of oxy-fuel equipment. Cylinders must not be taken into confined spaces.

**Weld fume**

The HSE confirmed in 2019, following IARC classification, that all welding fume — including mild steel — is a human carcinogen. General ventilation alone is not sufficient. Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) capturing fume at source is the required engineering control; RPE (a filtering facepiece rated to at least FFP3 or a powered air respirator) is required in addition where LEV cannot adequately control exposure. This applies to stainless steel, aluminium, and all other alloys without exception.

Common Failings That Get This RAMS Rejected

- Generic fire controls that do not reference the specific location or structure type. - No fire watch duration stated, or fire watch assigned to the operative doing the work (they cannot watch and weld simultaneously). - Weld fume controls limited to "ensure good ventilation" — no mention of LEV or RPE grade. - Cylinder controls missing or confined to "handle with care." - Extinguisher type not matched to the actual fire risk present (a CO₂ extinguisher is correct for electrical equipment but inappropriate as the sole provision where combustibles are present). - The hot-works permit referenced but not provided as an appendix or attachment to the RAMS.

What Your Hot-Works RAMS Must Include

- Scope of work: exact task, location, duration, and operatives. - Hazard register covering fire, explosion, fume, burns, and any site-specific factors (overhead services, nearby stored materials, structural voids). - Controls applied in hierarchy order, with collective protection (screens, LEV, permit system) documented before personal protection. - Hot-works permit procedure and who holds authority to issue it. - Fire watch arrangements: who, when, for how long after works cease. - Extinguisher provision: type, capacity, and positioning. - Fume controls: LEV specification or reason it cannot be used, plus RPE type and fit-test status. - Cylinder handling, storage, and flashback arrestor requirements. - Emergency arrangements: fire alarm point, assembly point, and site fire warden contact. - Competency evidence: relevant qualification or experience of operatives (e.g. CSCS, coded welder certification where applicable).