- Individuals & Families
- Businesses
- Brokers
With more than 25 years of experience providing travel insurance to Australians, Chubb Leisure Travel Insurance can help protect you and your family while you travel overseas, knowing Chubb support is there if an incident occurs.
From high-value homes and fine art collections to luxury vehicles and more, we are here to help ensure that what you treasure most is treated with expertise.
Chubb leverages superior underwriting expertise and world renowned claims, account services, and financial strength to offer insurance solutions for small and medium businesses.
Today's multinational organizations face complex and interconnected risks. We offer insurance solutions that are tailored to global needs as well as local requirements, helping them address their risk challenges.
Hot works refers to the use of any tool that causes flame or sparks which can create fire, such as welding, oxy cutting, heating, and grinding. The main concern with hot works is that it inherently produces heat and sparks which can cause fires. With portable tools like caddy welders, it is easy to weld almost anywhere. Often jobs can be conducted more safely by removing items and repairing them in a workshop, or by removing combustible materials and covering openings where sparks may fall.
Hot works fires can involve third party contractors, particularly if efficiency is prioritised over safety.
Best practice
Enforce strict procedures and supervision
Prohibit any hot works undertaken without permission. Everyone should be made aware that unauthorised hot work will not be tolerated. Building management should liaise with any person or contractors planning to perform hot work and ensure that appropriate precautions will be exercised. Hot works often occurs during building refurbishments when the fire protection systems (sprinklers or smoke detectors) may be isolated and hazardous works are undertaken.
Enforce strict procedures and supervision
Prohibit any hot works undertaken without permission. Everyone should be made aware that unauthorised hot work will not be tolerated. Building management should liaise with any person or contractors planning to perform hot work and ensure that appropriate precautions will be exercised. Hot works often occurs during building refurbishments when the fire protection systems (sprinklers or smoke detectors) may be isolated and hazardous works are undertaken.
Size doesn’t matter
Small sites often feel that a formal procedure may be unnecessary because hot work is rare. However, it is precisely for this reason that hot work procedures are needed as people may not be familiar with the hazards and precautions.
Hot works permit system
The permit requires that precautions are exercised. This means that before planning any hot work on site, a person must obtain authorisation and be issued a hot works permit. If a contractor is carrying out the works, they should be directed to read and implement this procedure.
Communicate to everyone
Post warning signage around the site to highlight how seriously the site treats this hazard.
Hot works supervision procedure
A hot works permit covers procedures to be followed by anyone (staff, tenants or contractors) involved in hot works, to ensure it is conducted in a safe, well planned manner. The procedures cover the authority to issue work permits, situations where a permit is required, hazards to be considered, hazard controls, and closure of the permit.
These are the steps involved with carrying out hot works:
- The permit should be completed for all hot works (except in designated Hot Work Areas like a suitable workshop).
- The permit should be completed and then reviewed by the site representative prior to any work commencing.
- A copy should be signed and kept for reference, only after necessary precautions are verified.
- The completed permit should be hung in the work area as evidence of authorisation and agreed conditions.
- After the job is completed, the permit should be returned to the Issuer and closed.
The person who issues the hot works permit should be trained in hazard identification and control. They should:
- Inspect the area to identify all hazards and determine the necessary precautions to prevent a fire, accident, or injury. Hot works should be restricted to safe areas.
- Ensure that fire protection equipment (e.g. sprinkler system) is active and that extinguishers and water buckets are available.
- Nominate a Fire Watch who can stop the works if a dangerous situation occurs.
- Arrange to clean the area of all combustibles and ensure safe working conditions.
- Ensure that all appropriate personal protective equipment is available.
- Instruct the persons to perform the work (explain hazards/controls) and verify they are qualified.
- Inspect any hazardous and Special Risk areas and/or containers.
- Remove or cover any tins of solvent for at least 11 metres from the welding area.
- Ensure that protective covers/shields are used to confine sparks, welding flashes or hot slag.
- Ensure surrounding areas are wet down, and barricade/signpost the boundaries.
- Ensure that all equipment to be used is in good repair and suitable for use.
- Ensure any incident involving hot works is reported.
- Only if satisfied, sign the hot works permit and hand one copy to the person completing the work.
Note: No hot works is to be performed on or near vessels (tanks, drums or containers) which have contained chemicals or flammable liquids, or hazardous areas, such as where flammable vapours exist. This requires a more detailed procedure involving purging, inserting and gas monitoring and permit systems.
Upon completion of works
The person carrying out the works will, on completion, check the area and return their copy to the Issuer. Once the work is completed the Issuer should check the area and at least 60 minutes after, recheck the area, including floors that are above and below to detect smouldering fires. No works should be scheduled after daylight, or if the site will be unattended less than an hour after completion.
If the site has no official on-site representation, daily visits by the owner’s representative should be arranged during the work, or the role could be delegated to a responsible person to act as a deputy. The permit should always be vetted by a responsible site representative.
References
Resources
Insights and Expertise
This content is brought to you by Chubb Insurance Australia Limited (“Chubb”) as a convenience to readers and is not intended to constitute advice (professional or otherwise) or recommendations upon which a reader may rely. Any references to insurance cover are general in nature only and may not suit your particular circumstances. Chubb does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and any insurance cover referred to is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions set out in the relevant policy wording. Please obtain and read carefully the relevant insurance policy before deciding to acquire any insurance product. A policy wording can be obtained at www.chubb.com/au, through your broker or by contacting any of the Chubb offices. Chubb makes no warranty or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content. Readers relying on any content do so at their own risk. It is the responsibility of the reader to evaluate the quality and accuracy of the content. Reference in this content (if any) to any specific commercial product, process, or service, and links from this content to other third party websites, do not constitute or imply an endorsement or recommendation by Chubb and shall not be used for advertising or service/product endorsement purposes. ©2026 Chubb Insurance Australia Limited ABN: 23 001 642 020 AFSL: 239687. Chubb®, its logos, and Chubb.Insured.SM are protected trademarks of Chubb.