Welding Operations
If you cannot weld in one of the designated safe-welding areas that you listed in your safe welding plan, you should also meet the following requirements:
- You may not begin welding until:
- The welding supervisor or designated person in charge advises in writing that it is safe to weld
- You and the designated person in charge inspect the work area and areas below it for potential fire and explosion hazards.
- During welding, the person in charge must designate one or more persons as a fire watch. The fire watch must:
- Have no other duties while actual welding is in progress;
- Have usable firefighting equipment immediately available;
- Remain on duty for 30 minutes after welding activities have ended; and
- Maintain a continuous surveillance with a portable gas detector during the welding and burning operation if welding occurs in an area not equipped with a gas detector.
- Welding should not be performed on piping, containers, tanks, or other vessels that have contained a flammable substance unless the contents are rendered inert and the designated person in charge has determined it is safe to weld. This does not apply to authorized and approved hot tap operations.
- Welding is not permitted within 10 feet of a wellbay or production area unless all producing wells in that wellbay or production area have been shut in.
- Welding is not permitted during drilling, completion, workover, or while conducting wireline operations unless:
- The fluids in the well are noncombustible, and
- Entry of formation hydrocarbons into the wellbore have been precluded.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-7. How long should the fire watch remain on duty after welding activities has ended?
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