Hot works fire watch timer
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Hot work has stopped. Start the 60-minute watch, work through the post-work checks, sign the permit off when the final check is clean.
Not started. The Joint Code of Practice expects a continuous fire watch for at least 60 minutes after hot work finishes, then further checks before the site is left.
Why 60 minutes
Most fires from hot work start after the work has finished - a spark in insulation, a smouldering joist behind a board, heat conducted along a pipe into a void. The Joint Code of Practice on the Protection from Fire of Construction Sites, which most contracts and insurers require, expects a continuous fire watch for at least 60 minutes after hot work stops, with further checks before the site is left for the night. Some insurers and sites require longer - two hours is common on occupied buildings. Check the permit and the site rules; the timer here is set to the minimum.
What the fire watch actually does
Stays in the area with the extinguisher. Looks and smells for smouldering, including in the places sparks travel to: voids, insulation, behind boards, the floor below. Checks the adjacent rooms. Re-instates any detection that was isolated for the work. And signs the permit off only when the final check is clean. Our hot works permit guide covers what the permit itself has to record.
FAQs
How long should a fire watch last after hot work?
The Joint Code of Practice on fire prevention on construction sites expects a continuous fire watch for at least 60 minutes after hot work stops, followed by further checks before leaving site. Some insurers and principal contractors require two hours; the permit and site rules take precedence.
Who does the fire watch?
A named, trained person who stays in the area with extinguishers to hand for the full period. It should not be the person packing away the equipment - their attention is elsewhere.
Does the fire watch apply to grinding and cutting?
Yes. Hot work is any work producing flame, heat or sparks - welding, cutting, grinding, torch-on roofing, soldering with a flame, hot air guns on some materials. Grinding sparks travel further than most people expect.
Is this timer a record?
No. It is a countdown and a checklist to help the watch. The record is the signed-off hot works permit. Nothing on this page is stored.
Get the documents ready-made
The timer helps you run the watch. The permit is the record - the isolations, the extinguishers, the fire watch name, the sign-on and the sign-off time.
Editable hot works permit with the pre-work checks, fire watch and sign-off built in, plus fire risk assessment and fire plan templates.
See the Fire Safety PackBuilt by Pro Site Docs from the HSE guidance and regulations named on the page. Published 3 September 2026. It is a planning aid, not a substitute for a competent person's assessment of the actual work.
Templates for this
Keep reading
General guidance only. This article explains how the rules generally work in UK construction. It is not advice for your specific site, task or project, and it is not legal advice. Your own risk assessment, method statement and arrangements must be prepared and checked by a competent person for the actual work being done.