FIRE SAFETY
Fires can and do kill, injure and cause serious human suffering and financial loss. The potential dangers are particularly severe on many construction sites, where high-risk activities such as hot work are frequently combined with circumstances where fires can spread quickly and escape may be difficult.
The commercial consequences of construction fires can be devastating. There are several thousand construction fires annually. These fires not only put workers’ lives at risk but can also result in damage both on and off site, ranging from tens of thousands to many millions of pounds and invariably leading to severe delays in the project programme.
In addition to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM) also place duties on dutyholders in relation to fire safety.
In outline, the legislation requires that those with control over construction work can demonstrate that they have:
- recognised the risks in their workplaces;
- considered who will be affected;
- assessed the extent of the risks;
- come to an informed decision on the necessary action to reduce them;
- and ensured that the actions decided are implemented.
Legislation requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment to be carried out by a responsible person (the employer or persons in control).
As with assessments of risk from other hazards, the fire risk assessment should be based on the following approach:
- Step 1 – identify the hazards.
- Step 2 – identify people at risk.
- Step 3 – evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk.
- Step 4 – record, plan, inform, instruct and train.
- Step 5 – review.