Hot Work SWMS

For trades and maintenance crews who weld, cut or grind where sparks can start a fire, on site or inside a building. It follows the work from the area check and hot work permit through set-up, the hot work itself, fire watch and pack-up.

Hot work is not high risk construction work by itself, so a SWMS is legally required under WHS Regulation s 299 only when it is construction work that also meets an item in s 291 (such as a confined space, work near fuel, gas or chemical lines, a flammable atmosphere or a fall of more than 2 metres); otherwise it works as a hot work procedure or task risk assessment.

New to SWMS? Read What is a safe work method statement?

What is covered in our hot works SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Assess the area and issue the hot work permit” to “Pack up and store equipment”. The hazards and controls include:

• Sparks and slag starting fires
• Hot work near flammable liquids and vapours
• Heating drums, tanks and pipes
• Hot work near confined spaces, fuel and gas lines
• Welding fume, coatings and lead paint
• Electric shock and gas cylinder hazards
• Arc flash and burns
• Grinder injuries and noise
• Fire bans, weather and heat
• Hot work at height and above other people
• Hot work permit and fire watch
• Isolating smoke detectors and sprinklers

High risk construction work

None of the high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this job is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick any that apply on your site.

Licences, training and competency

• Training and demonstrated competence in each hot work process used (arc welding, gas welding, thermal cutting or grinding)
• Competent person to issue the hot work permit, and a fire watch trained to use the fire extinguisher and raise the alarm
• Training in the correct fit, use and care of respirators where respirators are worn
• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work
• Site induction
• High risk work licence only where the access plant needs one under Schedule 3 of the WHS Regulation (for example the boom-type elevating work platform class); there is no licence class for welding or hot work
• Licensed electrician for repairs to the electrical parts of welding machines

Legislation and codes of practice referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): construction work equipment (s 140) and overhead power line exclusion zones (Sch 2)
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Elevating work platforms (guidance)
• AS 1674.1 Safety in welding and allied processes – Fire precautions
• AS 1940 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
• AS 2865 Confined spaces
• AS 4332 The storage and handling of gases in cylinders
• AS/NZS 1338.1 Filters for eye protectors – Filters for protection against radiation generated in welding and allied operations
• AS/NZS 1716:2012 (Respiratory protective devices) and AS/NZS 1715:2009 (Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment)

What you get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (15 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages. Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 10 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: welding helmet or face shield with the correct filter shade for the process, with safety glasses worn under it
• Emergency arrangements for: fire, burns and gas leak or cylinder fire
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed October 2026.