Readiness check

Is your hot work and gas handling going to start a fire or not?

Hot work starts fires hours after the crew leaves, and compressed-gas cylinders turn small mistakes into explosions and rockets. The controls are well known and routinely skipped. Answer for how the work actually happens, not the policy. The score stays on your device; enter an email only if you want the hot-work safety checklist sent over.

1. Is a hot-work permit issued for cutting, welding, or grinding outside a designated area?Yes, a permit every time, with the area checkedSometimes, for big jobs onlyNo permit process

2. Do you keep a fire watch during the work and for the time after it (commonly 30 to 60 minutes)?Yes, a fire watch during and after, with an extinguisherDuring the work, but we leave right afterNo fire watch

3. Do you clear or protect combustibles within the required radius (about 35 ft)?Yes, combustibles removed or covered, openings sealedWe move the obvious stuffNo, we work where we stand

4. Are gas cylinders secured upright and capped when not in use?Yes, chained upright, caps on when idleUsually upright, caps often offThey lie around loose

5. Is oxygen stored and kept separate from fuel gas (20 ft apart or a rated barrier)?Yes, oxygen and fuel separated per the ruleNear each other, not really separatedStored together

6. Do you keep oil and grease away from oxygen equipment?Yes, clean hands and oil-free oxygen fittingsWe do not think about itOily gloves on everything

7. Are flashback arrestors and check valves used on oxy-fuel rigs, with leak checks?Yes, flashback arrestors and soapy-water leak checksSome rigs have themNo flashback protection

8. Is the crew trained on the gas hazards, PPE, and ventilation (fumes, confined spaces)?Yes, trained on hazards, PPE, and ventilationSome informal awarenessNo training