Toolbox Talk · Fire · English
Migna Safety Solutions
Hot Work and Fire Extinguishers
About 10 minutes to deliver · 29 CFR 1926.150 · 29 CFR 1926.352
Hot work fires rarely start where the work is. Sparks travel — up to 35 feet horizontally, further from height — and they land in something that smoulders for an hour before anyone notices.
Before you strike an arc
- Hot work permit, where your site requires one. It exists to make somebody walk the area first.
- Clear 35 feet of combustibles in every direction, including below. If it cannot be moved, it gets covered with fire-resistant blankets.
- Look down and behind. Floor openings, wall penetrations, gaps in decking. Sparks go through them and land where nobody is watching.
- Extinguisher within reach, right type, charged, inspected.
- Check the atmosphere if there is any chance of flammable vapour. Never hot work on or in a container that held anything flammable until it has been cleaned and tested.
The fire watch
Somebody whose only job is watching for fire — not helping, not fetching, not holding the work.
They stay during the work and for at least 30 minutes after it stops, and longer where the site requires it. Most hot work fires are found in that window, and if nobody is standing there they are found by the smoke alarm at 2am.
Extinguishers
The classes matter more than the technique:
- A — wood, paper, cloth, trash
- B — flammable liquids, fuel, solvents, grease
- C — energised electrical
- D — combustible metals
- K — cooking oils
Most jobsite extinguishers are ABC and cover the first three. Water on an electrical or a grease fire makes it worse — it conducts, and it spreads burning oil.
PASS: Pull the pin. Aim at the base of the flames, not the flames. Squeeze the handle. Sweep side to side.
Know when to walk away
An extinguisher buys you seconds against a small fire. If it is bigger than a bin, if it is between you and the exit, or if you are unsure — get out, pull the alarm, call 911. Nothing on this site is worth it.
Ask the crew
- Who is the fire watch today, and do they know it is 30 minutes after the work stops?
- Are there floor or wall openings near where we are cutting?
- Where is the nearest extinguisher, and when was it last checked?
This is a toolbox talk, not a course. It is general awareness on one topic — not site-specific, not a hazard assessment, and not a substitute for assessment of your workplace by a competent person, your written programs, or manufacturers’ instructions. It does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Regulations change; verify against the current standard. Whoever delivers it is responsible for deciding it is suitable and sufficient for the work. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, not a substitute for professional medical care or certified emergency-response training, and it confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. Migna Safety Solutions · training.mignasafetysolutions.com
Attendance Record
Form supplied by Migna Safety Solutions
Hot Work and Fire Extinguishers
29 CFR 1926.150 · 29 CFR 1926.352
I delivered this talk and determined it was suitable for this crew and this work.
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Keep this sheet with your training records. This form is supplied blank by Migna Safety Solutions — we did not deliver this session, were not present, and make no representation about what was said or who attended. A toolbox talk is general awareness on one topic and does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. The employer remains responsible for site-specific hazard assessment and for the training its workers are required to have. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, and confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. training.mignasafetysolutions.com