As with many different aspects of health and safety, there are regulations to follow when it comes to fire safety. On a construction site, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) requires a responsible person to keep a current risk assessment whilst also taking and maintaining steps towards keeping all persons safe within the workplace.
The responsible person should implement some basic precautionary fire procedures based on the results from the fire risk assessment. These must include a means of escape, a means of giving warning, and a means of fighting the blaze.
Fire and safety procedure for a construction site
Step 1: Carry out a risk assessment
The first step towards a robust fire safety policy is to carry out a risk assessment. This is based on a standard model focused on fire safety. To perform a fire risk assessment the responsible person must:
- Identify the fire hazards
- Identify the people at risk of fires
- Take action to minimize the fire risk
- Record and plan on how to improve the method in the future
- Review the assessment regularly to seek improvement
Step 2: Means of escape
Once a robust risk assessment has been carried out the responsible person must devise a means of escape in the event of a fire. This must cover possible routes, an alternative escape route, fire assembly points and any relevant signage.
Step 3: Means of giving warning
After the routes have been established, it is essential to provide a warning system. This must be tested regularly in compliance with current health and safety regulations.
Step 4: Means of fighting the blaze
To try and minimize the risk of a fire quickly getting out of hand, fire extinguishers should be strategically placed around the workplace and be clearly labelled as identified fire points.
Following these steps will give your workplace a good grounding in fire safety. Our guides show you how to implement robust fire safety procedures and organise a fire risk assessment.
