Worker injuries and fatalities from fire hazards in the construction industry have decreased steadily in the last ten years, thanks to increased enforcement of building codes and safety standards. Nonetheless, fire safety violations are taken seriously and consistently by safety inspectors. In late 2014, an East Coast manufacturer was cited repeatedly by OSHA for worker exposure to fire hazards from a dust collection system. Additional fire hazards included improper disposal of flammable rags, and failure to have a least two emergency exits.
Unfinished electrical systems, pressurized containers and flammable chemicals are the main culprits of construction fire hazards, combined with the exposure to wind and heat. OSHA’s requirements for a fire protection program vary depending on the size of the building and the number of employees, however there are baseline safeguards that every project manager should be aware of.
Most importantly, if you have more than 10 employees, a fire protection/evacuation plan must be written, kept in the workplace, and available for employee review.
Exit Routes
OSHA provides the following guidelines for exit routes in construction sites:
- A workplace is usually required to have at least two exit routes to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency. Exit routes must be located as far away as practical from each other in case one is blocked by fire or smoke.
- Exit discharges must lead directly outside or to a street, walkway, or open space with access to the outside.
- Exit route doors must be unlocked from the inside. They must be free of devices or alarms that could restrict use of the exit route if the device or alarm fails.
- Side-hinged exit doors must be used to connect rooms to exit routes. These doors must swing out in the direction of exit travel if the room is to be occupied by more than 50 people or if the room is a high-hazard area.
- Ceilings of exit routes must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches high.
- An exit access must be at least 28 inches wide at all points.
- Exits must be separated by fire resistant materials—that is, one-hour fire-resistance rating if the exit connects three or fewer stories and two-hour fire-resistance rating if the exit connects more than three floors.
- Exits are permitted to have only those openings necessary to allow access to the exit from occupied areas of the workplace or to the exit discharge.
Recordkeeping for a fire prevention plan
Finally, a fire protection/evacuation plan should include the following information:
- List of all major fire hazards, proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials, potential ignition sources and their control, and the type of fire protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard.
- Procedures to control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials.
- Procedures for regular maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment to prevent the accidental ignition of combustible materials.
- Name or job title of employees responsible for maintaining equipment to prevent or control sources of ignition or fires.
For more information, contact Diversified Safety Services.
