ASSOCIATIONS
17
Fire safety awareness
The risk of fires increases during the winter months. Fires on construction sites
may result in people getting injured or killed and property being destroyed.
By IOPSA
A project, site or activity risk assessment should
always include the elements of fire by recognising
the potential sources of ignition and fuel. The risk
assessment should acknowledge that in winter, the
risks increase.
SOURCE OF HEAT – IGNITION RISKS
• Smoking ‘things’ — cigarettes, cigars, matches, or
lighters
• Hot works — heat and sparks from grinding, metal
cutting, and welding
• Electrical fixtures and equipment — sparks, shorts,
overheating
• Lightning — somewhat reduced in winter but still
possible considering dry vegetation
• Cooking — open fires, dry vegetation
• Open fires — particularly in winter for warmth in
the cold mornings and evenings
• Portable heaters — left on overnight or unattended.
SOURCE OF FUEL
• Combustible refuse and trash — poor housekeeping
• Building materials — skips left overfull
• Flammable gases — not stored correctly, leaking
valves
• Flammable liquids — stored in plastic containers,
spillage not contained
• Packaging materials — not removed from site, left
in areas where hot work takes place.
HOW DOES A FIRE START?
• Flames — naked flames, careless operation, not
assessing the work environment
• Sparks — from static electricity, loose electrical
connection, or broken electrical insulation
• Radiation — fuel sources (wood or paper) that are
too close to hot work, open fire, or heating element
• Friction — ungreased bearings that may heat up /
machine drive belts rubbing on the cover
• Spontaneous combustion — when mixing certain
substances, the chemicals react and produce heat.
THE FIRE TRIANGLE
Fire needs three elements to survive:
• Air: It can be the oxygen from the atmosphere or
the fuel itself, but air is needed as a catalyst.
• Fuel: A fire needs something to burn to start and
continue.
• Heat: There must be heat or an ignition source for a
fire to start.
FIREFIGHTING
Every project should have a fair number of employees,
in relation to the number of people on site, trained in
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
the use of fire equipment.
Every contractor should at
least have, as part of their
Toolbox Talk programme, a
basic demonstration on the
principles of fighting a fire.
A basic method to
communicate on how to
use a fire extinguisher is the
PASS system: Pull – Aim
– Squeeze – Sweep (see
Figure 1).
FIRE SAFETY TIPS
1. Ensure that there is
an emergency plan for
the site and that it is
regularly updated.
2. Display the phone
numbers of the fire
department and other
emergency numbers
near the phone.
3. Where practicable on
site, display signage
of escape routes and
firefighting equipment.
4. Supply adequate methods of alerting people to
the fire.
5. Eliminate fire hazards through good housekeeping
and disposal of waste paper, rubbish, and other
flammable materials on a regular basis.
6. Ensure fl ammable materials are stored in a properly
contained area.
7. Electrical installations and wiring must be checked
regularly, and repairs must be conducted by an
authorised electrician.
8. Do not overload electrical circuits.
9. Unplug electrical appliance when not in use.
10. Obey the no-smoking signs.
11. Never leave lighted candles unattended.
12. Do not throw lighted cigarette ends into rubbish
bins, skips, or into dried vegetation.
13. Ensure that all fire appliances and equipment are
regularly inspected and maintained.
Figure 1: The PASS
(Pull – Aim – Squeeze –
Sweep) method in using
a fire extinguisher.
Be prepared and alert, recognise a fire risk, and take
precautions to prevent accidental fires. PA
References
• Best Practice Bulletin #094 by Buildsafe South Africa
• Fire Safety in Construction (HSG168) by HSE Books.
August 2018 Volume 24 I Number 6