North Oldham Fire Protection District
FIRE PREVENTION TIPS FOR CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING
Fire in a building under construction is not an uncommon occurrence. Once a fire starts in a building under construction the rate of flame spread and resulting damage may be greater because walls are still open, doors and windows may be open or not yet installed and there is no shortage of wood.and usually flammable materials to fuel the fire. With no human presence or a working fire alarm system any fire that develops may not be reported until it is outside of the structure and noticed by a nearby resident or passerby. When the fire department gets an alarm late in the game it most often means the structure may be beyond saving and in some cases will be threatening other structures nearby.
What can the contractor do to prevent fires? The biggest single thing is to maintain vigilance! Make it a habit to walk through each job site at the end of each day to make sure that all of the possible sources of fire have been eliminated. As you monitor job sites look for the following:
1. Workers that may be smoking: If there is a trail of cigarette butts on the sub-flooring then it is a safe bet that eventually one will land in a place where it can find trash or flammable substances that may be ignited, perhaps undetected and break out later into a full-blown fire.
2. Excessive sawdust and scrap: Although it takes some time, reducing the accumulation of sawdust and scrap wood may make a big difference. Enforce clean-up of the job site each day.
3. Fires too close to the building: In areas where it is legal to build small fires for warmth make sure that these are built far enough away from the structure to ensure no embers will land inside or against the building. On windy days open burning is just not a good idea at all!
4. Monitor the painters: If the painters are using any product that is flammable take the time to make sure the actual workers understand and can explain to you what they will do with the brushes, rollers, rags and thinner at the end of the day.
5. Monitor the Plumbers: Plumbers sweating joints are usually doing so in close proximity to exposed wood. They should be able to use barriers to keep the nearby wood from charring. There have been many cases where a fire broke out several hours after a plumbers’ torch had been against or near wood, causing an ignition that was undetectable for quite some time until enough air and fuel was available for the fire to spread.
6. Keep property clean and secure: Maintaining security may be a challenge but if you are building in an area where there are juveniles, removing temptation is probably the best thing you can do. Cleaning the worksite and keeping materials that could start or aid a fire secured may be a good start. A finish grade on a construction site may be impractical in the beginning but keeping the terrain as even as possible and filling in holes and trenches as soon as possible will help to reduce worker injuries as well as reduce the chances of a firefighter injury in the event of a fire. Keeping the area free from scrap and trash both inside and out will go a long way.
For those who remodel existing structures all of the same rules apply. If you are the owner of the building you should expect your contractor to follow these guidelines. In some cases contractors may have covered existing smoke detectors to avoid unwanted activation from dust. At the end of the day, especially if the work area is to be unoccupied, make sure the system is uncovered and working.
Over the last several years there have been several fires at construction sites in North Oldham’s fire district that have been detected by bystanders. These fires were well involved and the resulting damage was total. Your local fire department will be happy to tour your site and make recommendations upon request. Please feel free to contact North Oldham Fire Department if you are a contractor or owner in our district for any questions you may have.