Hot Work and Fire Watch

Hot Work and Fire Watch Permits

Fire Safety

NJIT Hot Work and Fire Watch Procedures

NJIT has instituted an on-line procedure for submitting Hot Work and Fire Watch Permits. The group e-
mail to which Hot Work and Fire Watch permits are submitted is: firesafety@vbj4.com
Once submitted, the group e-mail will be received by representatives of the following NJIT departments:

  • Facilities Services
  • Public Safety
  • Design and Construction
  • Environmental Health and Safety
  • Construction Management, as required

Hot Work Permits are submitted for all operations involving an open flame or those that produce heat
or sparks including brazing, grinding, soldering, thawing pipes, torch applied roofing, and welding. Hot
Work Permits also include a provision for fire watch during the hot work and for 60 minutes following
the hot work. Fire Watch associated with Hot Work Permits may be of two types as described below.

Fire Watch Permits are submitted for operations that require the disabling of the room, area, or
building’s fire suppression system (sprinklers) or fire detection system (alarm or detectors). Examples of
operations requiring Fire Watch Permits include sprinkler water shut-down, modification and
maintenance of fire alarm system, operations that generate construction dust, aerosols, mists, fogs that
may trigger a smoke detector. Hot Work Permits may be of two types as described below.


Local vs. Building-Wide Fire Watch
Hot Work and Fire Watch Permits may be of two types:

  • Local Fire Watch – affects an individual room, area, or location and does not require a Public Safety Officer. A Local Fire Watch is usually directly related to the work being performed and is conducted by the contractor or NJIT personnel involved in the project. Individuals conducting Local Fire Watch need training and may not be assigned any other duties during the duration of the fire watch.
  • Building-Wide Fire Watch – affects an entire building or a large portion of the building and requires involvement of the NJIT Department of Public Safety. A Building–Wide Fire Watch may not be related to the work being performed and includes touring the building by Public Safety Officers to ensure fire safety while detection systems may be disabled. Additionally, for large construction projects contractors are required to contact an appropriate fire safety vendor to facilitate fire alarm system impairment as required.

 

Submitting NJIT Hot Work and Fire Watch Permits
Typically, projects performed at NJIT require the submission of a Hot Work Permit or a Fire Watch
Permit, but not both. Contractors or NJIT personnel submitting Hot Work or Fire Watch Permits shall:

  • Submit the completed forms to firesafety@vbj4.com 72 hours in advance
  • In the subject line of the e-mail include:

              o Location (Building and room number(s))

              o Local or Building-Wide Fire Watch

 

  • The group e-mail notification assists with inter-NJIT communication but does not replace the need for verbal notifications.
  • Contact Public Safety prior to and after completion of the work.
  • Cover smoke detectors prior to beginning work and uncover smoke detectors when work is complete.
  • Initiate Fire Watch both during the work and for 60 minutes following work.
  • For larger system-wide projects contractors are required to contact an appropriate fire safety vendor to facilitate fire alarm system impairment as needed.
  • NJIT in-house projects, Hot Work and Fire Watch Permits are coordinated by NJIT Project Manager.
  • For larger construction projects, Hot Work and Fire Watch Permits are coordinated by the Construction Management Project Manager.
  • All Project Managers are required to ensure that all fire alarm system panels, detectors, and components are properly returned to service.

 

Hot Work and Fire Watch Permit Links: