Introduction
The significance paid to the fire safety of buildings under construction can be thoroughly justified. With such buildings providing a site for dangerous construction processes, the fire statistics for such buildings can be understood. It is stated that buildings under construction are vulnerable to damage from fire, where the estimations of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) state that “around 11 construction fires every day” (UK Timber Frame Association). The significance of the fire safety issue in buildings under construction can be also seen through the financial losses incurred by such incidents. According to the Fire Protection Association (FPA), in the period from 1991 to 2005 construction fire losses reached £120,641,238, with the ratio of serious fires by occupancy for construction reaching 70% for the same period (Passey). The importance of fire safety on construction sites can be specifically emphasized in high-rise buildings, providing temporary housing for migrant workers. The latter can be explained through the problems that might result from short-circuit and overheating dangers, resulting from occupants altering the electricity/gas supplies, and the different life risks associated with high buildings. In terms of the latter, the challenges posed to fire fighters in high-rise buildings under construction are more complex, with the buildings designed so that people are rescued internally, rather than externally.
In the light of the aforementioned, the present paper provides an overview of the fire safety issues in buildings under construction, identifying strategies that will enable reducing the number of fatalities and injuries which result from fires in such buildings. The paper will be structured in report form, deriving the analysis format from Problem Orientated Partnerships (POP) framework (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Problem Oriented Partnerships: Quick Guide).
Scanning
The fire safety issues that might be involved in buildings under construction vary in their nature. Generally, they can be categorized into the following:
- Design problems.
- High risks sites.
- Occupancy.
- Fire fighters’ access.
Such categories are not inclusive, where there other problems that can be identified, but nevertheless, those categories can be seen sufficient to classify the needs for an effective fire safety strategy. Most of these categories are addressed in The Joint Code of Practice on the Protection from Fire of Construction Sites and Buildings Undergoing Renovation, a non-legislative framework that provides guidance on the safety of buildings under construction.
In terms of design, the issues that might arise involve the compliance with fire safety standards in the intermediate stage during the construction and prior to the buildings’ operational phase. The lack of a safety design at this stage implies that the systems that would be available during the operational stage might be omitted, out of order, or not accommodated for use. It should be noted that the latte can be driven by the fact that “[d]uring the design and construction phase of a project, the emphasis is typically on the fabric of the building – , after all this is what drives the project finances and is the focus of the design” (n.a.). The aspects affected by deficiencies of the safety design might include means of escape, which in high-rise buildings might receive a specific consideration, alarm systems, fire-fighting means and aids, e.g. water supplies, and other factors. The aforementioned aspects can be seen at an intersection of the competencies of many parties and agencies, including fire and rescue services, building designers and architects, contractors, and others.
The high risk site factors can be related to such aspects as the storage and the handling of combustible materials, where construction sites contain “[m]any solids, liquids and gases can catch fire and burn” (HSE). High risks can be also associated with hot works, electrical installations, smoking rules, and the storage and disposal of construction waste. The responsibility of such aspects might involve different stakeholders as well, where in addition to the parties and agencies mentioned previously, a part of the responsibility will be taken by the workers, and their corresponding awareness of fire safety rules.
The workers might have an impact on the safety of the construction site as well, specifically in cases when the building under construction is used as a temporary housing. It should be noted that generally such aspect as occupancy of buildings under construction is subject to several rules and regulations. The latter can be seen through the example of Canada, namely the laws in Alberta put specific conditions on the number of situations such occupancy might occur. Such conditions include, but not limited to, the following situations:
- The building is multi-unit and built in phases, where each phase is used to finance the other.
- The building is industrial, where the office area is completed before the exterior finish and roofing materials are installed in the shop area.
- Building a wing of a hospital, while the rest of the facility is in use (Alberta Municipal Affairs 1).
Such situations are governed by several provisions, including the Building Code and the fire code. Additionally, none of the latter implies the absence of the usual building accommodations, characteristic to the parts of the buildings in which the construction is still ongoing. For example, in terms of electricity, water, gas supplies, and ventilation the requirements include that all of those systems are complete and operational for all the storeys, including the ones to be occupied (Alberta Municipal Affairs 2). In that regard, with the possibility of migrant workers residing within the building under construction as well as the fact that inoperable systems have to be manually modified by the workers to accommodate their needs, such fact implies a certain risk factor that should be acknowledged when developing the fire safety strategy for such buildings.
The problem of fire-fighters’ access in buildings under construction can be seen specifically in high-rise buildings. Such problem can lead to a number of complex and high-risk situations, including, but not limited to the following:
- Limited or delayed accessibility to upper floors.
- Wooden ladders and platforms between floors.
- Wooden formwork.
- Disorientation between floors.
- Structural collapses (TERPAK).
In addition to the factors associated with high-rise buildings under construction, there are several risk factors which hinder fire-fighters’ access in buildings under construction in general, regardless of height. The latter includes inflammable construction materials, wind driven fires, construction elevators, limited accessibility to the site, and others (TERPAK).
Analysis
With the previous scanning section being concerned with the symptoms of safety problems in high-rise buildings under construction, the present section is mostly concerned with “establishing the root cause(s) of the problem (why that problem is happening/what’s fuelling the problem) (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Problem Oriented Partnerships: Quick Guide). It can be stated that the main factor contributing to the occurrence of the aforementioned “symptoms” can be seen in the absence of clear guidelines that will govern the all the processes and the relations between all the parties and agencies involved in the constructions process and during the construction period.
The latter is not only concerned with the process between stakeholders, but also within them as well, specifically concerning site operations and accommodations of workers. In that regard, even negligence as a factor can be seen related to the absence of control regulations for safety measures. The significance of such an issue cannot be underestimated, where “[a] series of high-profile fires over the past few years in buildings that were still under construction have brought the issue to the fore “(Luke). Thus, in order to improve fire safety, the regulations should provide an outline of the procedures that should regulate the control over the risk factors on the site as well as govern the interactions between all the parties involved. An example of such regulations can be seen through the practices prescribed in the Joint Code, which despite being initially concerned with tunnelling, is applicable to other projects as well. Such practices, for example, regulate the office accommodations available on site, in terms of the area, dimensions, and the allowance for persons (Chudley and Greeno 98). Modifying and applying such regulation to migrant workers, providing them with housing conditions can be seen as a suitable options, which will be controlled by the owner of the site and fire service agencies, where construction licences can be issued based on following such requirements. The latter is only an example, although it can demonstrate how regulation the relations between two agencies can improve the overall fire safety of the building.
Response-Strategy
The first stage of the strategy to increase the safety of high-rise buildings under construction can be seen as the construction site requirements control. A group should be formed from representatives of fire and rescue, health and safety, and construction, design and management (CDM). It should be noted that such group will focus on the safety of the construction site, rather than the safety requirement of the operational building. In that regard, the focus on innovative approaches to fire safety in building design and constructions as well as its control can be seen as the responsibility of fire and rescue services (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service “Community Safety Strategy 2009-2014”). The newly formed group will outline the framework that will regulate the following critical aspects at the construction site:
- Workers’ accommodation – such aspect will be concerned with the location of the housing units for migrant workers at the site, electricity, water and gas systems, ventilation, the location to materials storage, etc. Additionally, such aspect will consider bringing “the rules on smoking to the attention of all workers and visitors to the site and enforce them” (HSE).
- Hazardous materials -such aspect will be concerned with the location, the storage conditions of all combustible materials and ignition sources and the prevention of authorised control. Accordingly, the regulations of such factors can be based on the best practices covered in The Joint Code of Practice.
- Accessibility and escape – such aspect will outline the establishing safety standards for the following:
- Evacuation plan procedures.
- The location and the quantity of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and fire alarms.
- Routes of access to the site by fire-fighters.
- Orientation signs.
- The location the nearest water supplies.
Such aspects are to be discussed in workshops, the result of which is the formation of the Construction Site Fire Prevention Checklist (Luke). Such list will serve as an aid for the control procedures and the measurement of the risk and the vulnerability of a particular building under construction.
The next stage of the safety strategy can be seen in providing training sessions for the new regulations. Such aspect can be achieved through expanding the Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS), introduced to the Fire and Rescue Service in 2003, to cover the following aspects:
- Training the personnel on the control procedures.
- Develop training sessions for contractors on the new requirements.
- Develop training sessions for workers.
- Provide a system of certification for the workers, according to which workers with certificates conform to the minimum knowledge level, necessary to maintain safe working environment.
- Regularly update the certification and the learning materials.
The next stage of the strategy can be seen through implementing enforcement and control of the established requirements and regulations. The control aspect will be concerned with establishing a regular procedure according to which construction licences will be given, the procedure for testing the requirement using the Construction Site Fire Prevention Checklist, and the subsequent control. Accordingly, different rates/percentages of risks will be determined through the checklist, and according to which different enforcement will be determined. In that regard, the role of the Fire and Rescue Service will be in making sure that the requirements are followed, the acceptance of which will lead to providing the licences and permits by Building Control Body (BCB) and local governments (Communities and Local Governments). Based on the example of the Joint Code of Practice, the enforcement processes can be connected to insurance companies, which will have the right to reject insurance requests for buildings not complying with the established regulations.
The final step in the strategy can be seen through evaluation. The evaluation will be based on specific metrics which will be used to assess the success of the strategy. These metrics might include the number of injuries and fatalities, the number of rejected buildings due to compliance failures, and others. Accordingly, a period will be established for the strategy to be reviewed and modified if necessary.
Conclusion
The present report provided an overview of the safety issues that might arise in high-rise buildings under constructions. The report identified the problem areas in the settings in questions, their symptoms, and the main stakeholders. Additionally, the report analyzed the causes of the problem and formulated a general strategy aimed at improving the fire safety of the aforementioned construction site. In that regard, it can be concluded that the significance of fire safety in construction sites cannot be overestimated. The large number of fire incidents involving buildings under construction implies that the regulatory mechanism in such areas is far from perfect, and thus, the present report attempts to close the gaps in existing practices. It should be noted that the example of the Joint Code of Practice, although not legislative, provides a wide range of best practices that can be adopted when implementing the strategy proposed in the present report.
Works Cited
- Alberta Municipal Affairs. ” Occupancy of Buildings under Construction “. 2008. Alberta Municipal Affairs.
- Chudley, R., and Roger Greeno. Building Construction Handbook. 6th ed. Amsterdam ; Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006. Print.
- Communities and Local Governments. “Planning, Building and the Environment”. 2009. Communities and Local Governments.
- HSE. “Process Fire Risks“. 2010. Health and Safety Executive. Web.
- Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. “Community Safety Strategy 2009-2014”. 2009. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
- Problem Oriented Partnerships: Quick Guide: Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, 2009. Print.
- Luke, Alison. “In the Line of Fire”. 2009. Construction Week Online.
- n.a. “Fire Safety in Complex Buildings”. 2010. Info4Fire.
- Passey, Howard. “Joint Code of Practice: Fire Prevention on Construction Sites”. 2009. Fire Protection Association.
- TERPAK, MICHAEL A. “Fireground Size-Up: High-Rise Buildings under Construction”. 2010. Fire Engineering.
- UK Timber Frame Association. “Timber Frame and Fire Safety”. 2009. ePolitix.