Hotshops

Hotshops are workshops where hot work is performed, meaning processes that involve applying heat to materials, typically metal, to join, shape, or treat them. This includes welding (MMA, MIG, TIG), cutting with oxy-fuel or plasma, brazing and soldering, forging, burning, heat-treating, bending with heating, and thermal spraying in some contexts. Hotshops may be standalone facilities within a manufacturing plant or designated zones within a larger shop, and they are common in construction, shipyards, metal fabrication, automotive and aerospace industries.

Work in hotshops is accompanied by strict safety procedures due to fire risks and burns, as well as fumes and heat exposure. A hot-work permit system is commonly used to authorize and supervise tasks; a trained fire watch is typically required for the duration of the work and for a period afterward. Personal protective equipment such as flame-resistant clothing, gloves, eye and face protection, and respiratory protection when needed are standard. Fire safety provisions include extinguishers, fire blankets, proper housekeeping, and adequate ventilation or fume extraction. Regulatory guidance comes from standards such as NFPA 51B in the United States, along with OSHA requirements and equivalent national or regional rules.

Historically, hotshops evolved from blacksmith and foundry shops where heating metal was essential. Today the term distinguishes hot work from cold work, which does not involve heat. Effective hotshop management emphasizes training, permit-to-work systems, and ongoing hazard assessment to minimize fire and burn risks.