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The University of Waterloo Fire Research Lab (UWFRL) is working with CANDU Owners Group (COG) and operators to investigate the relative fire risk of a wide range of hot work activities. Currently in the nuclear industry, welding/cutting safety measures are applied to other hot work processes per CSA N293 and the National Fire Code of Canada which reference CSA W117.2 safe zones and fire watch. This proves cumbersome and costly when applied to operations that pose a significantly different fire risk than welding and cutting. In this project, safety considerations related to operations such as sawing and drilling, as well as to thermo-chemical processes such as soldering and epoxy glues, will be characterized in reference to those needed for cutting, welding and allied processes. The intent is to develop recommendations regarding relative fire risk and appropriate safety strategies for hot work processes with potential future savings in time and cost for the nuclear industry.

To establish reference cases for cutting, welding and allied processes, the CWB Association has generously provided UWFRL with the use of the Advanced Welding Technology Centre (AWTC) and expert welders to characterize the sphere of influence of processes which eject hot material. Processes are performed both in nominal conditions and worst-case scenarios where safe, but adverse parameters have deliberately been selected. Methodology involving IR, conventional imagery and thermal paper has been developed to ascertain both the size of the ‘sphere of influence’ as well as the relative hazard to any combustibles inside.