What is hot work?
Hot work is any job that can start a fire because it is a source of ignition, such as welding, cutting, burning, heating or riveting.
Also called hot work permit
What it means.
OSHA's confined space standard defines a hot work permit as the employer's written authorization for operations capable of providing a source of ignition. The welding and cutting standard, 29 CFR 1910.252, says that before cutting or welding is permitted, the area must be inspected by the person responsible for authorizing the work, who designates precautions, preferably in the form of a written permit.
A fire watch is required where other than a minor fire might develop, and it is kept for at least half an hour after the welding or cutting is finished, to catch smoldering fires.
Hot work permit means the employer's written authorization to perform operations (for example, riveting, welding, cutting, burning, and heating) capable of providing a source of ignition.
Where it shows up on a job.
Before a welder repairs a bracket in a warehouse, someone clears or covers combustibles nearby, checks the extinguisher, signs the permit, and a fire watch stays on after the work stops.
Where this comes from.
Each source was read on 22 October 2026. Guidance is advice; a regulation is the rule.
- 29 CFR 1910.146Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29. Regulation. The hot work permit definition.
- 29 CFR 1910.252Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29. Regulation. Authorizing welding and cutting, and the fire watch.
A plain-language definition, not legal advice. For a decision on your site, read the standard that applies to it.
Related terms
- permit to work
A permit to work is a written authorization, signed by someone allowed to sign it, for a specific hazardous job to go ahead under named controls for a set period.
- confined space
A confined space is a space large enough for a person to enter and work in, with limited or restricted ways in and out, that is not designed for someone to stay in.
- hazard
A hazard is anything at work that can hurt someone if it is not controlled: a condition, a task, a chemical or a source of energy.
- job hazard analysis
A job hazard analysis is breaking a job into steps, identifying what could go wrong at each step, and deciding how to control it before the work starts.
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