FOCUS


Current affairs


work task, and those providing the fire watch, should be familiar with the means of escape, ensuring that hot work activity is arranged so as not to impede escape routes, and the method of raising the fire alarm and notifying the fire and rescue services. Following the completion of hot work


operations, the period for continued monitoring must be adequate, and we recommend a minimum of 60 minutes. The extent of the fire watch period should be calculated for each individual job by an appropriate risk assessment, based on the type of work completed, the environment and the area that the work has been completed in, and so forth. The duration may extend several hours


after cessation of the work, and should include both continuous attendance for a set time and intermittent checks of the immediate and surrounding areas, to ensure there are no slow smouldering fires. We have seen instances of inappropriately short fire watches, for whatever reason – for example, the hot work task being completed too close to the end of the working day or shift. There is simply no excuse for an inadequate period of monitoring where the hazardous situation dictates, and proper planning must therefore be in place.


Global experience


The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) completed a study in 20162


which showed


that in the USA, during the five year period of 2010-2014, local fire departments responded


42 JUNE 2018 www.frmjournal.com


to an estimated average of 4,440 structure fires per year involving equipment associated with hot work. These fires caused an average of 12 civilian deaths, 208 civilian injuries and $287m in direct property damage per year. Based on our own studies3


in the UK, hot work fires


account for between 5% and 10% of all fire incidents.


Can we do more?


We will continue to educate where we can, but with hot work losses still responsible for many fire losses, is this enough? Most property and casualty insurers will have their own standards surrounding hot work and contractor management. These standards encourage, recommend and mandate the use of a hot work permit system and focus on the adequacy of controls in place, supervision of those completing hot works, and the fire watch during and post work being completed. However, with losses continuing to occur


that are caused by this prevalent ignition source, more work needs to be done at source with those responsible for completing and managing hot works, whether the work is completed by in house maintenance teams, contractors or subcontractors. But how do we expand the message to those responsible, and ensure that sites only permit those who comply with hot work management and permit procedures and safe methods of working? In Finland, the issue was addressed back in the 1980s when hot work was identified as causing up to 40% of all major fires4


.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64