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Hot Work Safe Work Instruction Template

The safe work instruction from the Hot Work Pack, on its own: what the worker does, step by step, the hazards and controls, and when to stop.

  • TaskHot work
  • DocumentsSafe work instruction (SWI)
  • FormatsWord (.docx), editable
  • CodeDOC-HOT-SWI
  • Version1.0 · 299 KB ZIP

About this document

A safe work instruction tells the worker how to do the work safely at your site: the purpose and scope, who may do the work, the equipment, the hazards and their controls (most effective first), PPE, the steps with clear stop points, emergencies, consultation and approval, and a signed acknowledgement. A short setup note lists what to adapt and every placeholder.

It is the same document as in the Hot Work Pack, word for word. The Hot Work VOC Assessment Template checks a worker can do the work in it, and the Hot Work Field Verification Checklist checks on site that the controls it relies on are working. Both are sold on their own too. The Hot Work Pack contains all of them, with the hot work permit and a setup guide.

A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. Workers must hold any licence, qualification or training required for the hot work process and the site, and the work needs a permit where your site requires one.

Who it is for

  • Businesses whose workers do hot work
  • Supervisors who brief workers on how the work is done at their site
  • Businesses that already verify competency and need the safe work instruction the VOC checks against
  • WHS advisers replacing an instruction that does not match the site

What it helps you do

  • Give workers one clear instruction that matches how your site works
  • Mark the points where the work stops until a condition is met
  • Record who was consulted, who approved it and when it is reviewed
  • Brief each worker and keep their signed acknowledgement
  • Give the VOC and the field verification something to check against

What is included

Delivered as one ZIP download. The files below are editable, and every Word document also comes as a PDF. Each download also includes Read Me First, a Setup Note, a Product Overview, the Permitted Use Terms and Version Information (PDF).

FileFormatWhat it is for
Hot Work Safe Work InstructionWord (.docx)The steps for welding, cutting, grinding and other hot work: obtain the permit, clear or protect combustibles, set up fire protection, do the work, keep a fire watch and check the area afterwards.

How the documents work together

The safe work instruction is where the documents start: the VOC checks a worker can do the work in it, the hot work permit covers each job, and the field verification checks the controls it relies on. The Hot Work Pack contains all four.

Safe work instruction

Tells the operator what to do

The steps, hazards and controls for the task, written for the person doing it.

Included

VOC assessment

Checks they can do it

Verifies each operator against that same instruction, on your equipment, with evidence and a clear outcome.

In the pack

Hot work permit

Authorises each job

Combustibles removed or protected, extinguisher and fire watch in place, and the area checked after the work.

In the pack

Field verification

Checks the controls are working on site

A supervisor checks on the floor that the controls the instruction relies on are in place and effective.

In the pack

What supervisors find in the field feeds back into the instruction and the VOC.

Set it up for your site

Before first use, adapt the documents to:

  • Your equipment: make, model, capacity, attachments and any site-specific modifications
  • The manufacturer's operating instructions and data plate, which take priority over anything generic
  • Your site layout: traffic routes, pedestrian walkways, exclusion zones, loading areas and speed limits
  • Your local controls, procedures, emergency arrangements and reporting lines
  • Consult the workers who do the task, and your Health and Safety Representative if you have one
  • Review the documents after an incident, a near miss, new equipment or a change to the site

What you need

  • Your hot work details and the manufacturer's instructions
  • Your site layout and your local controls
  • Someone competent to adapt the safe work instruction and brief the workers
  • Time to consult the workers who will use it

Before you use them

  • Workers must hold any licence, qualification or training required for the hot work process and the site, and the work needs a permit where your site requires one.
  • The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used.
  • Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Questions about this document

Is it the same as the safe work instruction in the pack?

Yes, word for word. It is the safe work instruction from the Hot Work Pack, sold on its own with a short setup note.

Should we buy the pack instead?

If you need more than this one document, yes. The Hot Work Pack contains this document, the VOC assessment, the hot work permit and the field verification checklist, written to work together, with a setup guide. The hot work permit and the setup guide are only in the pack.

Does it replace a licence or a VOC?

No. A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. Workers must hold any licence, qualification or training required for the hot work process and the site, and the work needs a permit where your site requires one.

Does it replace the manufacturer's instructions?

No. Where the manufacturer's instructions differ, follow the manufacturer and change the document to match.

Do you need a licence to do hot work?

There is no licence for hot work as such. Workers need the training and competence for the process they use, and some related work needs its own licence, such as gas fitting or electrical work. Most workplaces control hot work outside a dedicated, fire-safe bay with a hot work permit and a fire watch, which is what the pack provides.

When do you need a hot work permit?

WHS and OHS laws do not usually prescribe a permit form, but a permit is the common way to control welding, cutting, grinding and other hot work outside a dedicated, fire-safe area. Your site's rules, your insurer or a principal contractor may also require one. The hot work permit in the pack records the area check, the controls and the fire watch for each job.

Can we edit the documents?

Yes. Every document is supplied in Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx), so you can add your logo, change the wording and adapt it to your workplace. The copyright notice must stay.

Do we need to adapt them before use?

Yes. The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used. The setup note in the download lists what to change.

Will these documents make us compliant?

No document can. Your duties are met by managing the risks in your actual workplace. Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Is GST included in the price?

Yes. Every price in the store includes GST, so $49.00 is the total, including $4.45 GST. Your receipt is a tax invoice showing the GST.

How are the files delivered?

As a ZIP download. Card purchases can be downloaded straight away from the confirmation page and by a link we email you. Download links expire after 14 days for security; you can request a new one at any time.

Can we order by invoice, or for several sites?

Yes. Use Request an Invoice to order through your normal procurement process, with a purchase order number and quantities if you need them. The files are released once payment is confirmed.

Can we use them at more than one site?

Yes, across your own organisation. The documents are licensed for internal use by the purchasing organisation. A consultant, labour hire business or training provider supplying them to clients needs separate written permission.

Can we use them outside Australia?

They are written for Australian workplaces and refer to Australian WHS and OHS laws and licences. A business elsewhere should replace those references with its own country's requirements. Everything is editable for that.

What is your refund policy?

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected. See the Refund Policy for how we handle a document that is faulty, not as described, or not what you ordered.

Licence and legal information here is general. It may not be correct in your jurisdiction: please check with your local WHS or OHS regulator.

Ordering for a business or several sites? Request an invoice. Other questions: contact us.

Goes well with

Start with a toolbox talk to brief the crew on the hazard, then use the safe work instruction, the VOC and the field verification checklist to set and check the controls.

Hot Work Awareness

For: Workers who weld, cut, grind or braze, and those who work near themDuration: 20–30 minutes

For workers who weld, cut, grind or braze, and the people around them: how hot work starts fires and explosions, and the permit, fire watch and fume controls.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Fire Safety and Extinguisher Awareness

For: All workersDuration: 20–30 minutes

For every worker: how fires start and spread, choosing the right extinguisher, and knowing when not to fight a fire.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Hot work control is a common critical control. To manage it as one, with performance standards and field verification across the business, see the Critical Control Management series.

Related documents

Hot Work Pack

For: Businesses that weld, cut or grind

Hot work safe work instruction, hot work permit, fire watch record, VOC assessment and a supervisor field verification checklist of fire controls, written to work together.

What's included
  • Hot Work safe work instruction
  • Hot Work VOC assessment, with an Excel VOC register
  • Hot work permit, fire watch record and supervisor checklist
  • Setup guide: what to adapt for your site

Hot Work VOC Assessment Template

For: Supervisors, WHS advisers and workplace assessors

Verify that workers do hot work safely under your permit system: knowledge questions, practical observation, fail criteria and sign-off.

What's included
  • Knowledge questions with a marking guide
  • Practical observation checklist
  • Evidence requirements and safety-critical fail criteria
  • Assessor sign-off, plus an Excel VOC register

Hot Work Field Verification Checklist

For: Supervisors, managers and WHS advisers

The supervisor's field verification checklist from the pack, on its own: checks on site that the controls for the work are in place and working.

What's included
  • Checks marked Pass, Not met or N/A, with the evidence seen
  • Critical controls marked, with same-shift escalation
  • Questions for the people doing the work
  • Actions, owners, due dates and sign-off, plus a setup note