UK trade-and-hazard guidance by the Riskora Editorial Team
Hot works are responsible for a disproportionate share of UK construction fires — and most of those fires happen during the post-work cooling period, not while the soldering iron is in hand. RC7 (FPA Fire Prevention on Construction Sites) is the JCT-referenced standard that drives most insurance-required permits, and the 60-minute fire watch after hot works is non-negotiable on any site with an FPA-aligned permit. RAMS that omit the fire watch contradict the permit and will fail competent review.
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Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Articles 8 & 9
Suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, including processes that introduce ignition sources to a workplace.
FPA Joint Code of Practice (RC7)
Section 18 (hot works)
Permit-to-work for all hot works, 30-minute pre-work clearance of the work area, fire watch during work and for at least 60 minutes after.
Every UK RAMS reviewer applies the hierarchy of controls in the order below. Defaulting straight to PPE is the single most common reason a RAMS fails review.
1. Eliminate
Cold-press fittings (Viega, Mapress) instead of soldered joints — eliminates the hot work entirely on most modern installations.
2. Substitute
Push-fit (Speedfit, Hep2O) for accessible domestic hot and cold runs. Compression fittings on chrome-plated work.
3. Engineering controls
Heat shields between work and combustible surfaces. Damp-down combustibles in 3m radius. Fire blanket and CO2 extinguisher (5kg minimum) at the work position.
4. Administrative controls
Permit-to-work issued daily. 30-minute pre-work clearance of combustibles. Fire watch by named operative during work and 60 minutes after. Hot works prohibited within 30 minutes of end of working day.
5. PPE (last line)
Flame-resistant gloves, safety glasses, leather apron for soldering. Long sleeves.
Allowing hot works without a 60-minute post-work fire watch. Insurance-driven RC7 permits demand it explicitly and the RAMS must align — 'fire watch as required' is not enough.
An illustrative extract structured for principal-contractor review. Site-specific facts must be substituted and checked by a competent person.
Cold-press fittings (Viega Profipress) will be used for all copper joints over 22mm diameter — eliminating soldering on the main runs. Where soldering is unavoidable on smaller branches, a hot works permit will be issued daily by the site supervisor. Combustibles within 3m of the soldering position will be removed or covered with a fire-retardant blanket 30 minutes before work starts. A 5kg CO2 extinguisher and water bucket will be at the work position. The named soldering operative will conduct a 60-minute post-work fire watch before leaving the area, signed off on the permit. No soldering will commence within 60 minutes of the end of the working day.
Daily permit issue and sign-off. Pre-work area sweep photograph. Fire watch sign-off by named operative. Extinguisher pre-use inspection.
Are cold-press fittings acceptable instead of soldering?
Yes — and they're often preferred by insurers and principal contractors precisely because they eliminate the hot works hazard. Most major manufacturers (Viega, Mapress, Conex Bänninger) offer cold-press systems for sizes up to 108mm.
How long must a fire watch continue after soldering?
60 minutes minimum under the FPA Joint Code of Practice (RC7). Some insurers require longer where high-risk combustibles are present. The duration must be written explicitly in the RAMS.
Do plumbers need a separate hot works permit per job?
Yes — a permit is per location and per shift, not blanket cover. The permit names the operative, the equipment, the time window and the fire-watch arrangements specific to that work.
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