F-60 Fire Guard for Torch Operations: Fire Watch Rules

The F-60 is the New York City Certificate of Fitness for a fire guard who watches torch operations: cutting, welding, torch-applied roofing and other hot work. Most of the F-60 exam is about the fire watch itself. It asks where you stand, what you need within reach, what you look for, and how long you stay after the torch goes out. This guide walks through what the FDNY's F-60 study booklet says on each point, then covers the exam.

Where an F-60 fire guard is required

According to the booklet, at least one F-60 fire guard must conduct the fire watch for torch operations in three situations:

1. On construction sites.
2. In any building or structure, when the torch work is done by someone holding a citywide permit for torch operations.
3. On any rooftop, or in connection with any torch-applied roofing system.

The booklet is just as clear about what the F-60 does not cover. On its first page it says an F-60 holder can't serve as a construction site watchperson (that is the S-60). Nor can they act as a fire guard for impairment at construction sites, which calls for the F-01. If a job asks for impairment fire watch, see our guide to fire guard duties during an impairment.

What "hot work" means here

The booklet's definition is broad: cutting, welding, brazing, soldering, grinding, thawing pipe, installing torch-applied roofing and similar work. The hot work area is anywhere exposed to sparks, hot slag or heat from the work, and your watch covers all of it, not just the spot where the flame is.

Before the torch is lit

Most of the setup is the responsible person's job. That person is designated by the premises owner to authorize hot work. Before hot work is authorized, and at least once a day while the authorization stands, the responsible person inspects the area. These pre-hot work check reports stay on site for at least 48 hours after the work is finished. The fire guard still needs to know what the check covers, because the exam asks about it. The points include:

• The equipment is in good working order.
• Distance from combustibles: cutting or welding must be at least 35 feet from combustible materials and waste. Other hot work must be at least 25 feet away. If that isn't possible, shielding must stop sparks, slag or heat reaching them.
• Openings are protected and floors are clear of combustible waste.
• Fire watch personnel are assigned where required.
• Sprinklers stay in service. Heads close to the work can be shielded with noncombustible barriers or damp cloth guards, but the shields come off when the work is done, and at the end of each workday on multi-day jobs.
• Portable fire extinguishers and fire hoses (where provided) work and are available.

One F-01 link is worth remembering: if a fire alarm system is taken offline during hot work, the booklet says it must be logged and a fire watch for impairment provided while it is down.

The booklet also says the fire guard, or whoever performs the fire watch, keeps a copy of the FDNY permit and the hot work authorization.

During the work

The booklet sets out several core rules for the watch itself:

• See the whole area. The fire watch must observe the entire hot work area. If there are exposures (above, below or to the side) that one person can't see, more people must be assigned.
• No other duties. People on fire watch keep constant watch for fire and must not have other duties.
• One guard per torch, with one exception. At construction sites and torch-applied roofing jobs, every torch operator must have an F-60 fire guard. A single guard may cover more than one torch on the same floor or level, but only if each torch is no more than 50 feet away by actual path of travel and the guard can see all of their horizontal fire exposures.
• Floors below. When torch work is at or near the edge of an unenclosed floor, near a floor opening, or anywhere sparks and slag could fall to lower levels, an additional F-60 fire guard watches the floors below. A narrow exception applies only when several conditions are all met, and if sparks are seen travelling beyond 35 feet, the work stops at once.
• Continuous duty on roofs. Fire guards must be on continuous duty during all torch operations on a building's roof.

What to have within reach

The booklet calls for at least one portable fire extinguisher rated at least 2-A:20-B:C, readily accessible within 30 feet of where the hot work is done and where the fire guards are positioned. For roofing operations with torches or other heat-producing systems, the minimum is a multipurpose extinguisher rated 3-A:40-B:C. Where hose lines are required, they must be connected, charged and ready to use. If an extinguisher is discharged, a fully charged replacement is needed before work can resume.

What to watch for

The booklet points out that the flame itself usually isn't what starts a fire. The sparks and bits of hot metal the torch throws off are. Its fire history examples keep returning to one lesson: a fire guard should have been watching for sparks. One describes spot fires from a roof torch that fell into a hidden void and flared up hours later, which is why the watch continues after the work stops.

Gas cylinders and shutoffs

Oxygen and fuel gas container valves must be accessible to the torch operator or fire guard, so the gas can be shut off at once in an emergency. When hot work stops for an hour or more, the torch valve is closed and the gas supply shut off completely. For a gas-fed fire, the booklet's guidance is to shut off the gas supply first, then call 911, and never to put out the flame while gas is still flowing.

After the work: how long the watch lasts

This is the number most people remember from the F-60. The booklet says the fire watch must continue for a minimum of 30 minutes after the hot work ends. The commissioner, or the responsible person running the hot work program, may extend it based on the hazards or the work.

For any CNG or LPG torch operation, the booklet adds two inspections: the first 30 minutes after the torch work is complete, and the second 1 hour after. The purpose is to catch smoldering fires. The fire guard completes a signed inspection report or logbook, gives it to the person in charge of the torch operation, and it is kept available for FDNY inspection.

The booklet's sample daily log follows the same pattern, ending with a post-work check of the area 30 minutes after completion and your signature at the end of the shift.

Extinguisher basics on the exam

Part 2 of the booklet covers P.A.S.S. (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep), fire classes A to D, approaching a fire from upwind, monthly checks and extinguisher tags. It stresses that extinguishers are for small fires only. See our fire extinguisher guide.

The F-60 exam

Fact	What the Notice of Exam says
Questions	25 multiple choice, four answer choices each
Time limit	38 minutes
Passing score	At least 70%
Scope	The entire booklet, in three parts: hot work and fire watch; notification, fire protection systems and extinguishers; lithium-ion battery safety
Special requirements	None
Alternative issuance (AIP)	None: you must pass the computer exam at FDNY Headquarters

Blank answers, or questions with more than one answer marked, are scored wrong, and there is no penalty for guessing. You must apply and pay online before you arrive. You can't retest on the same calendar day, and study booklets aren't allowed in the exam room. The booklet also says you need to be familiar with Fire Code Chapter 35 and NFPA 51B. See exam day for the day itself.

A practice question to check yourself

This question is original, written for this guide. It is not taken from the real exam.

A fire guard is watching oxygen-acetylene cutting that finishes at 3:00 p.m. Nobody has extended the fire watch. According to the study material, what is the earliest the fire watch may end?

1. 3:00 p.m., when the torch is shut off
2. 3:15 p.m.
3. 3:30 p.m.
4. 5:00 p.m.

Answer: C. The booklet's minimum is 30 minutes after the hot work ends. Remember that the commissioner or the responsible person can extend it, and that CNG and LPG torch work adds a second inspection at the one-hour mark.

Next step

The F-60 rewards precise numbers: 35 and 25 feet, 30 feet to the extinguisher, 50 feet for one guard covering two torches, 30 minutes after the work, and 1 hour for the second CNG or LPG inspection. Learn them in context from the current nyc.gov booklet, then try the free questions on the F-60 practice page. The full bank and timed mocks are on the pricing page.