UK construction-safety guidance by the Riskora Editorial Team
Producing a proper method statement for hot works is not optional — it is a legal and practical requirement for construction work in the UK. Whether you are a sole trader or managing a multi-phase project, documented risk management protects your workers, satisfies clients, and keeps you on the right side of HSE enforcement.
Example Method Statement
Method Statement for Hot Works
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A method statement for hot works is expected by most principal contractors and clients as part of the RAMS package for construction projects. While not always a strict legal requirement, failure to provide one often results in denied site access.
A construction contractor in UK needs to produce a method statement for hot works before starting work next week. The client has requested professional documentation as a condition of site access. Using Riskora, they select the relevant trade preset, review pre-populated hazards, adjust controls for their specific site, and generate a professional method statement in under 5 minutes — ready for review and sign-off.
DSEAR 2002 requires the risks from dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres to be eliminated or reduced, which for hot work means removing the fuel and controlling the ignition source. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places the duty on the responsible person for the premises, so the permit is normally a joint document. For fume, HSE's position since 2019 is unambiguous: all indoor welding requires engineering control, with RPE as an addition rather than a substitute.
Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 · SI 2002/2776
HSE
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 · SI 2005/1541
Fire and Rescue Authority
COSHH Regulations 2002 (welding fume) · SI 2002/2677
HSE
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 (hot work in enclosed spaces) · SI 1997/1713
HSE
Hot work fires almost never start while the welder is working — they start an hour later, in the void behind the wall the heat conducted through. That is why the permit and the fire watch, not the PPE, are what the document is judged on, and why insurers routinely audit them. The second failure point is fume: since welding fume was reclassified as a carcinogen, indoor welding without LEV is not defensible in any document.
| Hazard | Control measure |
|---|---|
| Ignition of combustible materials by sparks, spatter or conducted heat | Hot work permit issued for a defined area and time window, combustibles removed to 10 m or protected with fire blankets, gaps and voids sealed, and the reverse face of any heated surface checked and monitored. |
| Fire developing after work finishes | Fire watch maintained for 60 minutes after the last flame or spark, a second check of the area up to two hours later, extinguishers at the working position, and the permit signed off only after the final check. |
| Welding fume — now classified as a human carcinogen | Local exhaust ventilation at the arc as the primary control for all indoor welding, RPE additionally where LEV cannot capture the fume, no unprotected indoor welding under any circumstances, and face-fit records for every wearer. |
| LPG, acetylene and oxygen cylinder handling and storage | Cylinders upright, secured and in a ventilated store away from the work area, flashback arrestors on both lines, hoses inspected before use, and cylinders removed from confined spaces at every break. |
| Hot work in a confined space or on a vessel that has held flammables | Gas test before and continuously during work, purge and certify any vessel that has contained flammable material as gas-free, forced ventilation, and a rescue plan with equipment on site. |
| Radiation, burns and arc eye to operatives and passers-by | Welding screens around the work position, correct shade filter for the process and current, flame-resistant clothing and gauntlets, and no bystanders inside the screened area. |
At least 60 minutes after the last spark or flame, with a further check of the area typically up to two hours later. Most insurers make this a condition of cover, so the figure in the document should match the policy conditions for the premises.
Not by name, but DSEAR 2002 and the Fire Safety Order require the risk to be controlled, and a permit is the accepted means of demonstrating that control. In practice a client, principal contractor or insurer will require one, and its absence is a common reason for documentation being rejected.
No. HSE's 2019 safety alert following the reclassification of mild steel welding fume as a human carcinogen requires engineering controls for all indoor welding, with RPE used in addition where LEV does not capture all the fume — never as the only control.
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.