If a third-party contractor alerts you to repairs or upgrades that require hot work, you’ll need to secure certified fire protection services. If possible, contractors will conduct work that poses a fire risk at an off-site location. Or on your property, in a designated interior or exterior location.
Fire watch isn’t only for compliance with local Fire Codes and OSHA regulations, it’s essential for physical and material safety. Even a few minutes of welding drastically increases fire risk. The time it takes to implement prevention saves money, and most importantly, it saves lives.
What Is Hot Work?
Hot work refers to work or tools that produce fire, sparks, slag, or smoke. This includes, but is not limited to, work that requires:
- Welding
- Soldering
- Grinding
- Burning
- Abrasive blasting
- Some grinding tools
- Some cutting tools
- Digging around utility lines
What Are Fire Protection Services?
Also referred to as “fire watch” or “fire guards”, securing fire protection services dispatches professionals trained and certified in fire prevention and response. They’re required during flame, spark, slag, and smoke-inducing work, as well as a variety of other high-risk scenarios.
These trained safety professionals assess risk and advise on proactive and preventative measures before the work begins. This includes learning your fire prevention plan, repositioning fire extinguishers, and advising on the placement of fire curtains and fire blankets. Once work begins, they monitor the work site, document their services in a compliant logbook, and remain on site for at least 30 minutes after work is complete to monitor for delayed ignition.
If needed, they fight small fires, activate evacuation, alert 911, and communicate with first responders and property owners.
What if You Don’t Have Combustible Materials in Your Business?
It’s easy to forget, but many everyday cleaning supplies are flammable or combustible. Other everyday flammable materials include paper, cardboard, furniture, computers, and electronic gadgets. So, even if you don’t stock or store a high volume of hazardous materials, your fire risk increases during hot work.
Fire Risk Expands Beyond the Work Area
If a single spark enters the HVAC system through an uncovered vent, it can rapidly spread fire throughout the property or building.
How to Prepare Your Team For Increased Fire Risk?
In addition to scheduling fire protection services, notify your employees or tenants of the expected times of increased risk. Also, let them know where in the building or external areas work is scheduled and remind them of your fire prevention plan. This includes advising on potential changes to established evacuation routes.
Isn’t Your Fire Alarm System Enough?
Fire alarms and suppression systems undoubtedly save lives, but they aren’t enough to ensure compliance during spark and fire-inducing work, repairs, and upgrades. The seconds, or sometimes minutes, before ignition or spread, may be enough time to extinguish the fire. If not enough time to extinguish the fire, life-saving seconds to begin evacuation and notify emergency response.
What if We Conduct Hot Work Daily?
If you conduct high-fire-risk work daily, seek a third-party assessment to advise on relevant Fire Codes, Insurance, and OSHA regulations. In some cases, daily fire protection services are required. In other cases, work is confined to a containment room for regulatory compliance. If the containment room is malfunctioning, work must cease for repair or a compliant fire watch.
Also Read:
- Fire Watch Duties vs. Security Guard Duties
- How to Choose a Fire Watch Company
- Deploying Certified Fire Watch Guards as Part of Your Fire Prevention Plan
- What Fire Hazards Require Fire Watch?
- Workplace Fire Safety: OSHA Fire Protection & Prevention Safety Training
Pre-Scheduled and Emergency Fire Prevention Guards in Denver
Scout Security’s team includes trained and certified fire watch. We can schedule our team to provide daily, as-needed, and 24/7 emergency services in Colorado Springs and the Denver Metro Area.
Reach out to learn more, or to schedule our team!
