Be prepared for a fire

By - , Build 131

Once ignited, a fire can move at breakneck speed. Be prepared – identify the hazards and implement a safety plan so that, if one occurs, you know immediately what to do.

Figure 1: Generic emergency evacuation plan – tailor to suit and add local phone numbers.

IT’S FRIDAY AFTERNOON and you’re applying a torch-on membrane to the plywood decking on the first floor of a 3-storey apartment complex. As you’re working, you drop the torch, which lands on the nice new membrane. Grabbing the torch to reduce the damage, you burn your fingers. While running your fingers under the cold tap at the side of the house, someone yells, ‘The house is on fire!’

Safe practices don’t always happen. Having a good emergency plan can sometimes be the difference between life and death.

Prevention planning

Whether waterproofing or restoring old cladding, the risk of fire should always be in the back of your mind. The key to prevention is planning – thinking it won’t happen doesn’t always work.

Make a site hazard assessment:

  • Time of year – dry hot conditions will accelerate fire spread.
  • Terrain – fires love going up hills but burning pine cones and debris can roll down, starting new fires. If caught in a fire, always run down and sideways to a fire as you will never beat one uphill.
  • Wind direction and strength.
  • Fire-fighting equipment – look at your capabilities and the location of equipment.
  • Hoses – how much hose do you have, are there any holes, can it reach around the house and what’s the hose pressure?
  • Water tank – do you have one on site and is it full?
  • Fire extinguishers – what size and types do you have? Has the extinguisher in the ute or van been serviced, and is it still charged? Vibration from a car’s movement will compress the powder in an extinguisher so it may become a hard block. In the event of a fire, always shake a dry powder extinguisher before using it or you may find nothing happens when you pull the trigger.
Figure 1: Generic emergency evacuation plan – tailor to suit and add local phone numbers.

Ignition source hazards

A few ignition sources to consider as part of a hazard management plan are:

  • welding blow torch
  • plumbing activities
  • exhaust pipes and long grass
  • burning of rubbish in rural properties
  • refuelling operations
  • smoking
  • paint stripping with heat gun
  • plant and machinery
  • linseed oils and rags
  • damage to electrical cords
  • power lines
  • ruptured gas mains
  • lightning strike.

Site safety plan and induction

Using a safety plan enables you to systematically assess the issues and hazards faced on site and start to responsibly manage fire safety.

Ensure your contractors and employees are inducted onto the site and they understand the hazards they may face during the build. Inform everyone on site of the location and extent of the site’s fire-fighting capability.

Emergency plan

An emergency plan must be developed and tested to ensure it’s effective. Test your warning sounds and evacuation procedures. Have specific personnel designated to do specific tasks. Have the completed plan visible on site at all times (see Figure 1).

When calling the emergency services, be clear about:

  • site address
  • landmarks that assist with location
  • size of the fire in metres
  • wind direction and approximate speed
  • any hazardous tanks, structures or roadways the fire is advancing on.

Emergency response

Also look at the location of the nearest fire service – the fire station may be 20 minutes or more away.

This information should drive the level of safe monitoring that is used during hot works or high-risk activities and the fire controls you have on site.

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Articles are correct at the time of publication but may have since become outdated.

Figure 1: Generic emergency evacuation plan – tailor to suit and add local phone numbers.

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