OccuPros Safety Academy | Online Theory
Fire Prevention and Hot Work
Most workplace fires do not start with bad luck. They start with a spark that met something it should never have been near, on a day nobody planned for a fire. This course teaches you to keep the spark and the fuel apart, and to run hot work so a job never becomes a fire.
A fire at work almost never announces itself. There is no countdown, no warning light. There is a torch cutting steel near a wall, and on the other side of that wall, where the welder cannot see, a pile of cardboard or a drum of solvent quietly catching heat. There is a grinder throwing sparks across a shop floor that nobody swept. There is a roofer running a propane torch over old felt, and a smoldering ember that does not flare up until everyone has gone home for the night. The fire was not random. Every piece of it was sitting there in plain sight, waiting for someone to either prevent it or walk past it.
That is the heart of fire prevention. A fire needs three things at the same time: fuel, heat, and oxygen. Take away any one of them and there is no fire. Most of our control is over the first two, keeping combustibles away from ignition sources and keeping ignition sources under control, and most of the time that work is quiet, ordinary, and unglamorous. It is a clean shop floor. It is solvent stored in the right cabinet. It is an extension cord that is not cracked. And when the job itself makes the spark, when we do hot work, it is a permit, a fire watch, and thirty-five feet of clearance standing between a normal Tuesday and a building on fire. This course covers all of it, with a special focus on hot work, because that is where good intentions most often turn into smoke.
What you will learn
- The fire triangle (fuel, heat, oxygen) and the five classes of fire (A, B, C, D, and K), and which extinguisher matches each one so you never make a fire worse.
- How to fight only a small, just-started fire, when trained and safe to do so, using the PASS technique, and when the only right answer is to pull the alarm and evacuate.
- Everyday fire prevention and good housekeeping: controlling combustibles, storing and handling flammable liquids with bonding and grounding, smoking areas, electrical and ignition control, and clear exits.
- The hot work permit system, the roles of the permit-authorizing individual and the fire watch, the 35-foot rule, covering openings, and the 30-minute (up to 60) post-work watch.
- When hot work must not proceed, how to inspect an extinguisher at an awareness level, and exactly how to report a fire, activate the alarm, and get people out.
Who this is for
Awareness and information training aligned with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252 (welding, cutting, and brazing general requirements), 1926.352 (fire prevention for hot work in construction), and NFPA 51B (Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work). Online awareness and information training that supports your employer’s required site-specific training, hot work permit program, and hands-on instruction, and is not a substitute for them. OccuPros | (469) 746-4040 | occupros.com | Every Worker Home Safe.
Course References
- OSHA standards and guidance applicable to Fire Prevention & Hot Work Permits
- Employer written safety procedures and site-specific plans
- Manufacturer instructions, SDSs, permits, inspection forms, and emergency action plans when applicable
Applicable Industries:
OccuPros Safety Instructor Team
Every OccuPros course is developed and reviewed by our team of Certified Safety Professionals (CSP) and Safety Management Specialists (SMS) with 15+ years of field experience across construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, and general industry. Our instructors don't just teach safety - they've managed safety programs on active jobsites, conducted OSHA compliance audits, and published 184 safety course topics nationwide.
Before you buy
The practical questions, answered plainly.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you finish the course and pass the assessment, your certificate of completion is available to download immediately from your dashboard. It carries a verification number.
How long do I have access?
Access to this course does not expire. It is self-paced, so you can start, stop and resume whenever you like, and your progress is saved between sessions.
What if I fail the assessment?
You can retake it. Knowledge checks run through the course and the final assessment draws from a larger question bank, so a retake will not simply repeat the same questions.
Does this replace hands-on training?
This course delivers the knowledge portion. Site-specific procedures, equipment-specific practice and any required practical evaluation remain your employer's responsibility, and the course is explicit about where those lines fall.
How often does this training need repeating?
The recommended refresher cadence for this topic is annually. Retraining is also triggered by a change in process or equipment, or by an observed gap in an employee's knowledge.
Can I buy this for my whole crew?
Yes. Choose "My team" on this page to buy seats instead of a single enrolment. You become the team administrator, assign seats from your Team Portal as people join, and volume pricing applies automatically at 5 seats and again at 10.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Fire Prevention and Hot Work Permits course cover?
It covers fire prevention fundamentals and the hot work permit process for tasks like welding, cutting, and grinding, including fire watch duties, spark control, and area preparation. You will learn how permits reduce fire risk during hazardous operations. It aligns with OSHA fire protection and hot work requirements under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart L and welding provisions.
Who should take this course?
It is aimed at welders, maintenance staff, contractors, fire watch personnel, and supervisors who authorize or oversee hot work. Facility staff responsible for fire prevention programs also benefit. No prior training is required to begin.
Can I purchase seats for a team?
Yes. OccuPros offers group and team seats so you can enroll multiple workers and monitor completion. Contact OccuPros through the site to set up larger orders.
Is it self-paced and does it include a certificate?
Yes. The course is fully online, self-paced, and mobile-friendly. When you finish you can download a Certificate of Completion for your records or your employer.
