Welding & Hot Work JSA Template
A complete, editable JSA for welding and hot work, pre-filled with eight sequenced task steps covering the hot work permit interface, combustibles clearance, fire watch, fume control and ventilation, welding execution and post-work fire checks. Controls reference AS 1674.1 fire precautions and current Australian WHS practice, including welding fume as a recognised carcinogen. Supplied as a Microsoft Word document you can adapt to your welding process, site conditions and permit system in minutes.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
This Job Safety Analysis covers welding and hot work tasks carried out on site or in the workshop — including arc welding (MMA, MIG, TIG), oxy-fuel cutting and heating, and associated grinding and surface preparation. The JSA breaks the task into sequential steps from permit issue and flammables clearance through equipment set-up, fume control, welding execution, post-work fire watch and permit close-out. For each step it identifies the specific hazards, rates the initial risk, sets out hierarchy-based controls aligned with AS 1674.1 (Safety in welding and allied processes — Fire precautions), and records the residual risk. It is written for Australian workplaces operating a hot work permit system and is designed to be briefed to the crew at a pre-start talk and signed on before the first arc is struck.
Welding on a construction project becomes high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations when it is carried out in or near a confined space, in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere, or on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping — and in those cases a SWMS must be prepared before work starts. This JSA supplements a SWMS; it does not discharge the SWMS duty. In Victoria the equivalent obligations sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Hazards identified
17 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Arises at step: Plan the task and obtain the hot work permit. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Plan the task and obtain the hot work permit. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Clear and prepare the hot work area. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Clear and prepare the hot work area. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up welding plant, leads and gas equipment. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up welding plant, leads and gas equipment. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up fume extraction and ventilation. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up fume extraction and ventilation. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Surface preparation and grinding. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Surface preparation and grinding. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Carry out welding and hot work with fire watch in place. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Carry out welding and hot work with fire watch in place. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Carry out welding and hot work with fire watch in place. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Post-work cool-down and fire watch. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Post-work cool-down and fire watch. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Close out the permit, stow equipment and reinstate the area. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Close out the permit, stow equipment and reinstate the area. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Relocate the work to a designated welding bay or workshop where practicable so field hot work is avoided altogether
- 2Administrative — Obtain a written hot work permit in accordance with AS 1674.1 before any hot work starts, signed by an authorised permit issuer
- 3Administrative — Walk the work area with the permit issuer to confirm permit conditions match actual site conditions on the day
- 4Elimination — Never apply heat to containers or pipework that have held flammable or combustible material unless they have been cleaned and certified gas-free
- 5Administrative — Carry out atmospheric testing with a calibrated gas detector before and during hot work wherever flammable vapours are possible
- 6Elimination — Remove combustible materials from the hot work area in line with AS 1674.1 clearance requirements (nominally within 15 metres)
- 7Isolation — Cover combustibles that cannot be moved with fire-resistant blankets or welding curtains
- 8Isolation — Seal or cover floor openings, drains, wall penetrations and gaps so sparks cannot drop or travel to adjacent areas
- 9Engineering — Position a suitable, in-test fire extinguisher within immediate reach of the work before starting
- 10Isolation — Erect non-reflective welding screens or curtains around the arc to shield other workers
- 11Administrative — Post 'Welding in progress' signage and barricade the exclusion zone before striking an arc
- 12Engineering — Use a welding machine fitted with a voltage reduction device (VRD) for manual metal arc work
- 13Engineering — Inspect leads, electrode holder and work return clamp before use; tag out and remove damaged items from service
- 14Engineering — Connect the work return clamp as close as practicable to the weld to avoid stray current paths
- 15Administrative — Keep the work area dry; where dampness cannot be avoided, stand on dry insulating matting and wear dry gloves
- 16Engineering — Fit flashback arrestors at both the regulator and blowpipe ends of oxy-fuel equipment
- 17Isolation — Secure cylinders upright in a purpose-built trolley, away from the heat and spark zone
- 18Administrative — Leak-test hoses and connections with an approved solution before lighting; never test with a flame
- 19Substitution — Select lower-fume processes and consumables (e.g. reduced current, lower-fume wire) where the weld specification allows
- 20Engineering — Position on-gun or portable local exhaust ventilation to capture fume at the source before it reaches the breathing zone
- 21Engineering — Add mechanical ventilation where natural airflow is insufficient to clear fume from the work area
- 22PPE — Wear a P2 respirator or powered air-purifying welding helmet (AS/NZS 1716) where extraction cannot keep fume out of the breathing zone
- 23Elimination — Reposition the work so welding inside pits, tanks or vessels is avoided wherever practicable
- 24Administrative — Treat tanks, pits and vessels as confined spaces — no entry without a confined space entry permit, atmospheric monitoring and a trained standby person
- 25Engineering — Run continuous atmospheric monitoring where gas could accumulate in low or enclosed areas
- 26Engineering — Use grinders only with the guard fitted and discs rated above the spindle speed; never remove guards
- 27Administrative — Inspect the disc for damage and run the grinder up to speed away from the body before contacting the work
- 28PPE — Wear a face shield over safety glasses (AS/NZS 1337.1) for all grinding
- 29Elimination — Mechanically strip coatings back at least 100 mm from the weld zone before applying heat
- 30PPE — Wear a P2 respirator (AS/NZS 1716) when stripping or welding near coated surfaces that cannot be fully removed
- 31Administrative — Maintain a dedicated, trained fire watch for the full duration of hot work as required by the permit and AS 1674.1
- 32Engineering — Keep the fire extinguisher and fire blanket within immediate reach of the fire watch at all times
- 33Administrative — Stop work immediately if permit conditions change (wind shift, new combustibles, adjacent trades entering the zone)
- 34PPE — Wear a welding helmet with the correct shade filter lens (AS/NZS 1338.1) over safety glasses
- 35PPE — Cover all exposed skin with flame-resistant welding clothing, gauntlets and a buttoned collar
- 36Administrative — Treat every welded surface and offcut as hot; mark or barricade hot components until cooled
- 37PPE — Wear leather welding gauntlets (AS/NZS 2161.4) and leather apron or spats for heavy spatter work
- 38Administrative — Maintain the fire watch for at least 30 minutes after hot work ceases, in line with AS 1674.1 and the permit conditions
- 39Administrative — Inspect adjacent rooms, voids, cavities and the level below for smouldering material where sparks may have travelled
- 40Administrative — Carry out a final inspection of the area before the hot work permit is signed off and closed
- 41Administrative — Allow work to air-cool or quench before handling; use tongs or pliers for small hot items
- 42PPE — Keep welding gauntlets (AS/NZS 2161.4) on during clean-up of the hot work zone
- 43Administrative — Close cylinder valves, bleed hoses and back off regulators at the end of every shift
- 44Isolation — Return cylinders to secured, ventilated storage away from ignition sources, separated by gas type
- 45Administrative — Coil and stow leads and hoses off the ground; remove offcuts and slag to the scrap bin before leaving
Applicable Codes of Practice
Fume control, fire prevention and PPE for the welding steps.
Hot work permit and fire watch requirements.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Welding on a construction project becomes high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations when it is carried out in or near a confined space, in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere, or on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping — and in those cases a SWMS must be prepared before work starts. This JSA supplements a SWMS; it does not discharge the SWMS duty. In Victoria the equivalent obligations sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Who this is for
- →Welding and fabrication contractors carrying out hot work on client sites
- →Builders and maintenance teams that need task-level hot work risk documentation to support a permit system
- →Workshop supervisors formalising welding safety procedures for their crew
- →Plant and facility maintenance managers responsible for hot work in operating facilities
- →Sole-trader boilermakers and welders who need professional safety documents for tenders and inductions
What you receive
- ✓An editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) JSA template pre-filled for welding and hot work tasks
- ✓Eight sequenced task steps with specific hazards, initial risk ratings, hierarchy-of-controls measures and residual risk ratings
- ✓PPE, training and emergency response sections referencing Australian standards including AS 1674.1, AS/NZS 1338.1 and AS/NZS 1716
- ✓A worker sign-on section for pre-start briefings, plus fields for company logo, project details and hot work permit number
- ✓A document you own outright — one-off purchase, edit and reuse across jobs with no subscription
Worked example
This Job Safety Analysis covers welding and hot work tasks carried out on site or in the workshop — including arc welding (MMA, MIG, TIG), oxy-fuel cutting and heating, and associated grinding and surface preparation. The JSA breaks the task into sequential steps from permit issue and flammables clearance through equipment set-up, fume control, welding execution, post-work fire watch and permit close-out. For each step it identifies the specific hazards, rates the initial risk, sets out hierarchy-based controls aligned with AS 1674.1 (Safety in welding and allied processes — Fire precautions), and records the residual risk. It is written for Australian workplaces operating a hot work permit system and is designed to be briefed to the crew at a pre-start talk and signed on before the first arc is struck.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations of your state or territory (in Victoria, the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017)
- How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice
- Where the task is high-risk construction work: the SWMS provisions of your jurisdiction (a JSA supplements, and does not replace, a required SWMS)
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a SWMS for welding and hot work?
Sometimes, yes. A JSA is not a SWMS and does not satisfy the SWMS duty. Welding is not automatically high-risk construction work, but under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations it becomes HRCW when carried out in or near a confined space, in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere, or on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping. In those situations a SWMS must be prepared before work starts, and this JSA supplements it. In Victoria the equivalent duties sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Does this template replace a hot work permit?
No. The hot work permit is a separate authorisation issued under your site's permit system, consistent with AS 1674.1. This JSA is written to sit alongside that permit — its steps mirror typical permit conditions (flammables clearance, fire watch, post-work checks) so the crew briefing and the permit tell the same story.
Can I edit the template for my specific welding process?
Yes. It is a standard Microsoft Word document. You can add or delete steps and hazard rows, adjust controls for MIG, TIG, stick or oxy-fuel work, insert your logo and company details, and re-rate risks to match your own site conditions.
How long does the fire watch have to stay after welding stops?
AS 1674.1 requires a fire watch to be maintained during hot work and for at least 30 minutes after it ceases, followed by a final inspection before the area is released and the permit closed. Your site permit system may specify a longer period — always follow the stricter requirement.
Who should sign the JSA and when should it be reviewed?
Every worker involved in the task should be briefed on the JSA at a pre-start or toolbox talk and sign on, along with the supervisor. Review it whenever the task, location, equipment or conditions change — for example a new work area, different parent metal or coatings, or work moving closer to combustibles or confined spaces.