Fire Safety in Construction

The HSE recently published the third edition of the Fire safety in construction (HSG168) with the main changes relating to elimination, and or, reduction of fire risks at the pre-construction stage as required by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

Within these changes the role of the Principal Designer and the relation with fire safety has been listed and we’ve highlighted the key takeaways below:

Pre-tender plans need to consider site-wide fire issues and provide relevant information on fire risks; for example:

• location and nature of flammable materials on site;

• location of buried services (gas, electricity);

• nature of nearby activities, especially if they are sensitive to site-generated fire risks or pose fire risk to the construction work;

• details of any likely continued occupation of the site (especially in office or residential projects);

• details of any intended construction materials, process or methods which lead to high fire risk; and

• details of any design-specific fire controls that may require sequencing of fire compartmentation or certain construction materials and details of GFPs (to be maintained) in existing buildings.

Where the client chooses a design with a particular build method or type of structure with a higher fire risk, the principal designer must advise the client about its suitability, taking account of the site location and its surroundings. An example would be where the client has specified a potentially higher fire-risk build method, such as a timber frame, or materials that require the use of hot works instead of cold techniques.

During the earliest planning stages for high-risk projects, assess both the on-site and off-site fire risks. The risk will be greatest when the structure is erected but the protective measures are not yet installed. This period of maximum vulnerability, during which fire may spread quickly, must be considered in detail and minimised as part of the fire risk assessment. Where sites are close to residential property, schools or similar premises, or near higher-fire-risk sites such as petrol stations, the risk should be assessed by a competent fire engineer with relevant skills, knowledge and experience.

In situations where fire spread from construction site might endanger the lives of people in adjacent properties, and effective precautions to reduce this risk to an acceptable level cannot be identified or implemented, adopt alternative build methods with a lower fire risk. The principal designer must provide alternative build methods to the client that have a lower fire risk, where practicable.

Fire safety in construction (HSG168)

Third edition

For more information visit HSE Fire safety in construction.

Do you need a Principal Designer for your next project? If so, don’t forget to involve from them at the earliest planning stages. Get in touch with Stonehouse CDM if you need assistance – hello@stonehousecdm.co.uk