Construction fire safety

Every year there are hundreds of fires on construction sites, with the lives of workers and the public being put at significant risk as a result. In addition a huge amount of property is destroyed, the commercial and financial implications of which are often devastating.

Fire safety in construction is concerned with preventing fires from starting in the first place, and ensuring people's safety in the event they do.

On building sites, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) set out responsibilities concerning fire safety and identify the factors that must be considered when putting measures in place for fire safety. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 sets out who is responsible for carrying out fire safety risk assessments, (the 'Responsible Person'), which in the case of construction sites is usually the principal contractor. The Fire Safety Order for construction sites is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Responsible Person must carry out a fire risk assessment and a Competent Person must also be appointed to action and monitor any measures deemed necessary by the risk assessment. There are numerous other fire safety responsibilities required by the Order and it is vital that both the Responsible Person and the Competent Person have adequate knowledge and understanding to make sound judgements on the risks posed and the solutions required to deal with them.

The penalties for non-compliance with the governing legislation are significant and can include a custodial sentence and an unlimited fine.

For this reason, should you be in any doubt as to the capabilities of your Responsible Person then it is highly advisable to consider engaging the services of a professional fire risk assessor with specific experience and expertise in construction site fire safety.