NFPA (Fire) 51B Historical

NFPA 51B is the nation?s most comprehensive document on hot work safety. 

Stay up-to-date and help keep personnel safe. 

Hot work can be dangerous, especially when combustible materials are in the area. NFPA 51B, Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work helps you reduce the risks associated with hot work projects. Requirements cover welding, heat treating, grinding, and other applications likely to produce sparks or flames. 

The current edition of NFPA 51B is a must-have resource for anyone conducting hot work operations in any setting. 

This trusted welding standard provides general requirements to help ensure that those involved with hot work are addressing fire and explosion hazards, prevention, and safety practices in areas where combustible materials could spark or ignite from the hot work being performed. It also offers clear guidance on managing the activities and safety requirements of permit-authorizing individuals (PAIs), fire watch, welders, fire marshals, and hot work operators -- in any setting where hot works are done. 

NFPA 51B covers the safe use of welding, cutting, heat treating, grinding, and hot work equipment. 

Whether you're a contract welder or a fire chief, it's essential to familiarize yourself with the current requirements for hot work safety. NFPA 51B covers far more than permit areas -- this document also pertains to areas that are designed for hot work. Reference this standard for clear instructions and the latest information on the use of equipment such as welding blankets, curtains, and pads. 

Changes in the 2019 edition help users identify and efficiently mitigate hazards:

• New definitions for fire protection system, fire monitoring, and in Chapter 5 help you differentiate between fire watch and fire monitoring requirements
• An added requirement for fire extinguishers complies with NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
• Reorganized coverage helps clarify the permit issuance process
• Fire watches are now required to remain onsite for a least 1 hour (revised from a half-hour) after hot work is complete

Other changes affect annex material. Revisions to the annexes:

• Address proper preparation of areas deemed impermissible due to impaired fire protection systems
• Clarify the process for reinspections of hot work areas during each shift
• Provide comparisons between hot work by-product temperatures and combustible material ignition temperatures

Learn precisely what's required in any kind of hot work, and comply with the latest requirements using the 2019 edition of NFPA 51B, your comprehensive resource. (Softbound, Approx. 18 pp., 2019)