Fire Protection- On the Job Safety

Each year, many fires occur on construction jobsites as a result of temporary heat, misuse of flammable liquids, etc. Establishing a fire protection plan for your job site will help eliminate the related hazards and the large losses related to fires. This toolbox talk will provide a brief summary of the OSHA regulations for fire protection and provide some fire protection safety tips.

Fire Extinguishers:
• Fire extinguishers must be readily available on every job site. OSHA specifically requires at least one fire extinguisher for every 3,000 square feet of building space.
• The travel distance to a fire extinguisher shall not exceed 100 feet.
• The fire extinguishers must be serviced annually to ensure they will work when needed.
• A fire extinguisher must be immediately available during any hot work such as welding, cutting, sweating pipes, etc. If hot work regularly occurs on a jobsite, a hot work permit system should be developed.

Material Storage:
• Debris or combustible material may not be stored within 10 feet of a building.
• Storage piles of combustible material should be stable and should not exceed 20 feet in height.
• The entire storage location on a job site must be kept free from unnecessary debris or weed/ grass growth.
• Inside storage of materials must allow for at least 36 inches of clearance from sprinkler heads.
• Smoking controls must be maintained near areas which constitute a fire hazard.
• Straw used to insulate concrete should be cleaned up as soon as possible in order to reduce the amount of combustible material in and around a job site.

Flammable Liquids:
• No more than 25 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids may be stored inside of a building unless it is stored in approved flammable liquids cabinet.
• Gasoline must be stored in approved “safety cans”.
• An approved fire extinguisher must be located in close proximity to the storage location of any flammable liquids.

Temporary Heat:
• Always maintain at least 6-feet of clearance from the temporary heaters. If temporary heaters are used in tarped areas, 10 foot clearances must be maintained.
• Always install a shut off valve at the point of fuel connection for temporary heaters.
• Establish a plan to check on the placement of heaters throughout the day.
• Never store propane inside of a building.
• The gas line hoses feeding the temporary heaters must be protected from damage.
• Some heaters require the use of non-combustible material (drywall sheet) under the heater when it is placed on a wood deck. Check with the requirements for your heater.
• Maintaining access to a fire extinguisher near temporary heat is recommended.
• Read the safety material provided from the propane supplier regarding specific safety procedures for storage tanks.

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