Hot work permit

A hot work permit is the formal authorization required before welding, cutting, grinding, or any work producing heat or sparks aboard ship or in a yard, a core control in the shipboard safety management system under the ISM Code. The permit confirms gas-free testing, fire watch, and isolation of flammable materials before work begins, and it is one of the standard permit-to-work controls the safety officer administers. Tanker and gas-carrier hot work attracts the strictest controls.