Hot works permit template
Soldering, welding, grinding and torch-on roofing start fires, often an hour after the work has stopped. Fill in the work, tick the precautions and print a permit that the issuer, the operative and the fire watch sign.
What the law says
No regulation sets out a hot work permit form. What the law requires is that the risk of fire is controlled: regulation 29 of CDM 2015 requires suitable steps to prevent risk from fire on construction sites, and fire safety law for the building applies when you work in occupied premises. A permit is the simplest way to show those steps were taken before the work started, and most main contractors, clients and insurers ask for one.
Is a hot works permit a legal requirement?
Not as a named document. You must control the fire risk, and a permit-to-work is the usual way to do it for hot work. Many insurance policies make a hot work permit a condition of cover, so check yours.
How long should the fire watch be?
Many insurers and clients ask for at least 60 minutes after hot work ends, and some ask for longer or for a final check later in the day. Avoid hot work at the end of a shift so the fire watch can be done properly.
Who issues the permit?
A competent person who did not do the hot work: usually the site manager, supervisor or the client’s representative. They check the precautions, sign the permit and close it after the fire watch.
Does the building need its own fire risk assessment?
Your permit covers the hot work. If the building is a workplace, shop, block of flats or HMO, its Responsible Person also needs a fire risk assessment for the premises. Make one with FireRiskKit.
Checked against legislation.gov.uk (CDM 2015, regulation 29) on 31 October 2026. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.