In order for welding blankets, curtains, and pads to meet ANSI/FM 4950 they must undergo and pass stringent third-party testing, certification and ongoing audit procedures, and meet the conditions for safety, performance and quality. In addition, manufacturers must maintain a quality control program and submit to manufacturing facility inspections as part of the Approval process.

The Standard includes a sample Hot Work Permit that includes “requirements within 35 ft (11m) of hot work.” One of the requirements is:

• Other combustible storage material removed or covered with listed or approved materials (welding pads, blankets, or curtains; fire-resistive tarpaulins), metal shield, or noncombustible materials.

“All combustibles shall be relocated at least 35 ft (11 m) in all directions from the work site, and the following criteria also shall be met:

• If relocation is impractical, combustibles shall be protected by a listed or approved welding curtain, welding blanket, welding pad, or equivalent.
  
• To prevent the entrance of sparks, the edges of covers at the floor shall be tight, including at the point at which several covers overlap where a large pile is being protected.“ – Page 7 of 2009 Standard

”If hot work is done near walls, partitions, ceilings or roofs of combustible construction, they shall be protected by a listed or approved welding curtain, welding blanket, welding pad, or equivalent.” – Page 7 of Standard

“Before starting any hot work, contractors and their clients shall discuss the planned project completely, including the type of hot work to be conducted and the hazards in the area.” – Page 6 of 2009 Standard

Welding Blanket — A heat-resistant fabric designed to be placed in the vicinity of a hot work operation. Intended for use in horizontal applications with light to moderate exposures such as that resulting from chipping, grinding, heat treating, sand blasting and light horizontal welding. Designed to protect machinery and prevent ignition of combustibles such as wood that are located adjacent to the underside of the blanket.
Welding Curtain — A heat-resistant fabric designed to be placed in the vicinity of a hot work operation. Intended for use in vertical applications with light to moderate exposures such as that resulting from chipping, grinding, heat treating, sand blasting, and light horizontal welding. Designed to prevent sparks from escaping a confined area.
Welding Pad—A heat-resistant fabric designed to be placed directly under a hot work operation such as welding or cutting. Intended for use in horizontal applications with severe exposures such as that resulting from molten substances or heavy horizontal welding. Designed to prevent the ignition of combustibles that are located adjacent to the underside of the pad.

NFPA 51B now requires that welding blankets, curtains and pads be listed, approved, or the equivalent, for such use. One such listing includes ANSI/FM 4950, American National Standard for Evaluating Welding Pads, Welding Blankets and Welding Curtains for Hot Work Operations.

“The 2009 edition includes a new requirement for listed and/or approved welding blankets, pads, and curtains; gives definitions of those terms; and updates permit information. It also includes clarification of the 35 Foot Rule; alternative methods to hot work; requirements for site-specific hazard awareness by hot work contractors; and new requirements for personnel protective equipment.” – Page 1 of 2009 Standard

NFPA 51B provides guidance for persons, including outside contractors and property managers, who manage, supervise, and perform hot work. It covers provisions to prevent loss of life and property from fire or explosion as a result of hot work.

The NFPA 51B 2009 Edition was made effective on September 5, 2008. It supersedes all previous editions.

NFPA 51B is now the hot works protocol referenced by the following agencies:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR 1910.252
  
• Department of Energy (DOE) - 10 CFR 851
  
• American Petroleum Institute (API) - API 2009

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Generally, the easiest place to start is by selecting a category.

You can choose a general category like "Welding Protection" or you can choose from the available subcategories like "Rope"

Either way, once you have selected a category, the wizard will then present you additional options to help you drill down your search query.

The most common reason our search engine returns "nothing found" is because it is so literal. One of these days computers will be able to read our minds, but until then, check your search criteria for typos, or variations in details.

For example, common errors might be:
AMI-SIL: AMISIL, AMI SIL, AMISILL, AMI SILL
AMI-TUF: AMITUFF, AMI-TUFF, AMI_TUFF, AMI_TUF
AMI-GUARD: AMIGARD, AMI GUARD

The three categories were based on a study of industrial fires over a 10-year period, covering a variety of hot work applications with varying degrees of severity and environmental conditions.

It simplifies the decision-making process of choosing heat-resistant
fabrics. For the first time, safety professionals, material buyers, and
welding supervisors have a standard they can use to match their
application to products tested in similar conditions, ensuring their
choice of fabric is the best one for that job.

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