Hot Work Protection

Welding pads and blankets for hot work operations, made in Maine by Auburn Manufacturing. These are rated to FM 4950, the product standard NFPA 51B points to when it requires that combustibles which cannot be moved be covered with listed or approved material.

Pads, blankets and curtains are not interchangeable

FM 4950 rates hot work fabrics at three duty levels, and the rating is assigned to the fabric, not the size. Pads take severe horizontal exposure including direct molten-metal contact. Blankets handle horizontal exposure to sparks, heat and slag. Curtains are for vertical use against light to moderate sparks. A pad may be used as a blanket or a curtain; the reverse is not true. Choosing down a level is a live failure mode, which is why the selection belongs on the hot work permit rather than left to whoever is on shift.

Choosing between the materials

Amorphous silica carries the highest continuous temperature rating and is the choice where slag lands directly. Silicone-coated silica adds water and weather resistance for outdoor work, at the cost of a lower coated-face rating. Carbon fiberglass composite is a lighter, thicker pad for general shop use. The quilted composite pad works as a pad, blanket or curtain in one article and folds flat between jobs.

Sizes and fitment

Standard finished sizes run 3 ft by 5 ft through 5 ft by 8 ft, with the quilted pad in 4 ft squares and 4 ft by 8 ft. Grommets are set 18 in on center on all four sides and articles are sewn with PTFE-coated fiberglass thread. Custom sizes are quoted per square foot, so an odd opening or a specific machine footprint is not a special order in any meaningful sense.

Fabric ratings and duty levels are as published by the manufacturer. For the permit, fire watch and housekeeping requirements that sit around the material itself, see the fire watch guide.