‘Hot Works’ bill backed in Senate
All 40 state senators voted to tighten the state’s regulation of “hot works” from welding, cutting, brazing, or other flame-producing operations.
Firefighter Michael Kennedy and Lt. Ed Walsh died in the wind-swept fire on March 26, 2014.
State Sen. Nick Collins, the chief sponsor of the bill, said that “unpermitted, unlicensed welding was being done by torch on a windy day” and that “a wooden shed connected to the brownstone caught fire when the sparks flew into it due to the shoddy work, setting the building on fire.”
In the aftermath of the fatal Back Bay fire, Collins said the state “learned of the gaping holes in our laws and regulations to prevent such shoddy work and ensure that welding and hot works professionals get the training, ongoing training, and compliance with permitting and licensing regulations and standards.”
He said the commission that was formed to study hot work came up with a comprehensive regulatory framework to establish and maintain standards of training, oversight and accountability, coupled with enforcement.
Collins’ bill requires the Department of Fire Services to develop and operate a publicly accessible database to document written notices of code violations and fines from violations or noncompliance with state fire code.
It seeks to ensure individuals maintain hot work training certification, and requires the Department of Fire Services to coordinate with the Department of Occupational Licensure and local code enforcement officers to compile the data on code violations.
The bill now goes over to the House.