[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 30, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 30CFR250.113]

[Page 252]
 
                       TITLE 30--MINERAL RESOURCES
 
                CHAPTER II--MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE,
                       DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 
PART 250--OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 250.113  What procedures must I follow when welding?

    (a) Before you weld, you must move any equipment containing 
hydrocarbons or other flammable substances at least 35 feet horizontally 
from the welding area. You must move similar equipment on lower decks at 
least 35 feet from the point of impact where slag, sparks, or other 
burning materials could fall. If moving this equipment is impractical, 
you must protect that equipment with flame-proofed covers, shield it 
with metal or fire-resistant guards or curtains, or render the flammable 
substances inert.
    (b) While you weld, you must monitor all water-discharge-point 
sources from hydrocarbon-handling vessels. If a discharge of flammable 
fluids occurs, you must stop welding.
    (c) If you cannot weld in one of the designated safe-welding areas 
that you listed in your safe welding plan, you must meet the following 
requirements:
    (1) You may not begin welding until:
    (i) The welding supervisor or designated person in charge advises in 
writing that it is safe to weld.
    (ii) You and the designated person in charge inspect the work area 
and areas below it for potential fire and explosion hazards.
    (2) During welding, the person in charge must designate one or more 
persons as a fire watch. The fire watch must:
    (i) Have no other duties while actual welding is in progress;
    (ii) Have usable firefighting equipment;
    (iii) Remain on duty for 30 minutes after welding activities end; 
and
    (iv) Maintain a continuous surveillance with a portable gas detector 
during the welding and burning operation if welding occurs in an area 
not equipped with a gas detector.
    (3) You may not weld piping, containers, tanks, or other vessels 
that have contained a flammable substance unless you have rendered the 
contents inert and the designated person in charge has determined it is 
safe to weld. This does not apply to approved hot taps.
    (4) You may not weld within 10 feet of a wellbay unless you have 
shut in all producing wells in that wellbay.
    (5) You may not weld within 10 feet of a production area, unless you 
have shut in that production area.
    (6) You may not weld while you drill, complete, workover, or conduct 
wireline operations unless:
    (i) The fluids in the well (being drilled, completed, worked over, 
or having wireline operations conducted) are noncombustible; and
    (ii) You have precluded the entry of formation hydrocarbons into the 
wellbore by either mechanical means or a positive overbalance toward the 
formation.