Press Room

An Act relative to violation of regulation regarding hot work processes would boost safety for firefighters and people conducting ‘hot work’—welding, plasma cutting, and spark-producing construction.

The bill helps advance reforms recommended by the Walsh-Kennedy Commission. These reforms are designed to prevent tragedies such as the 2014 nine-alarm fire in Boston’s Back Bay, which was started by welding work on a nearby iron railing and resulted in the deaths of Boston Fire Lieutenant Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy.

The details of the legislation are below.

Collects Data on Hot Work Violations. Calls on the Department of Fire Services to track written notices of code violations and fines related to hot work, including failure to comply with permit requirements, performing hot work without necessary training certification, and failure to maintain hot work training certification.

Allows for Crucial Alerts to Property Owners. Makes violation information publicly accessible in an online database. Requires the creation of an automated notification system to alert affected property owners and insurance companies.