Types of Construction Fire Safety

Most construction sites are rife with potential fire hazards. On average, fires on construction sites occur more than a dozen times across the country each day. Fires pose a great risk of injury or death to construction workers. Such fires also cause a risk to the public, depending on how significant the emergency is and the fire's ability to spread to other structures. The damage to the site costs significant money to the company.

Construction Fire Background

• Improvements to health and safety in the construction industry is a constant. Exposure to fire hazards for construction personnel is greater than in most industries. Catastrophic fires from the early 1900s through the 1960s shed light on the poor quality of construction safety, and brought home the need for building construction and design that would have prevented massive loss of human life.

Welding Safety

• Cutting, welding and brazing processes produce sparks, smoke and fine shards of extremely hot particles. Hot showers of sparks can shoot molten metal quite far from the work area, where they can slowly start a fire without anyone noticing. Deploy shields where practicable around the welding site to prevent this occurrence. Make sure all combustible materials, liquids and containers are removed from the work area to dramatically reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic fire. If that isn't possible, move the weldable work materials away from the area of combustible items.

Fire Extinguishers

• Be certain to have the right fire extinguishers for the job site and specific tasks you're performing. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there are five primary types of extinguishers available for the workplace:

  Type A fire extinguishers are for use on combustible solids such as paper, wood and cloth. Identify these from their green triangle label with the letter A in the center.

  Type B fire extinguishers are for use on combustible liquids such as oil, grease and paint thinner. Identify these from their red square label with the letter B in the center.

  Type C fire extinguishers are for use on electrical fires involving items such as fuse boxes, electric motors and welding machines. Identify these from their blue circle with the letter C in the center.

  Type D fire extinguishers are for use on fires involving combustible metals such as zinc, titanium and magnesium. Identify these from their yellow star label with the letter D in the center.

  Type K fire extinguishers are for use in kitchen fires involving cooking fluids such as fats and oils. Identify these from their typically black label with a frying-pan-on-fire icon. There will be a label with the letter K on it as well.

Fire Watchers

• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requirements prompt you to use a fire watcher when certain conditions exist. The job of the fire watcher is to do just that. Watch for potential ignition conditions and prepare to fight any fires that may develop. Where there's a potential for fire breaking out in combustible materials within a radius of 35 feet, a fire watcher is deployed to monitor the work you're doing. In some cases, the range exists beyond 35 feet when a combustible that may be susceptible to easy ignition is nearby.

Hot Work Permits

• Use a hot work permit system to allow only authorized personnel to perform work where there is an inherent risk of fire. Welding, cutting, brazing and torch equipment are the most common tools found where hot work permits heighten the expectations and awareness of employees. Charge the person performing the hot work along with the fire watchers to ensure the work area is clear of all combustibles. Properly shield or protect those that cannot be moved to minimize the risk of fires.

  Hot work permits ensure that you use only trained personnel. They require proper review of fire safety procedures and equipment and that appropriate work site surveys are done prior to commencing the hot work.