A brief discussion on fire hazards at construction sites and corresponding solutions

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A Brief Discussion on Fire Hazards at Construction Sites and Corresponding Solutions – Source: Yancheng Fire Brigade. In recent years, fires have occurred frequently at construction sites, resulting in numerous casualties. How to further eliminate fire safety hazards at construction sites and improve their fire safety management levels is also a topic that we have been studying. Given that the fire hazards in such scenarios are present from multiple angles and in various aspects, fire safety supervision and promotional efforts must also be continuous and comprehensive in order to effectively prevent fire accidents at construction sites. Drawing on my experience in grassroots fire prevention supervision, I would like to share some preliminary insights. 　　I. Reasons for fire hazards at construction sites　　　(1) Weak awareness of the primary responsibility for fire safety. Some project owners and construction units fail to properly implement fire safety responsibilities; they do not provide comprehensive pre-job training or fire safety education for their employees. As a result, employees generally have poor awareness of fire safety and lack basic knowledge in this area. The weak fire safety awareness among the personnel of construction and contracting units is the biggest obstacle to fire prevention efforts at current construction sites. 　　(II) There are many temporary buildings with low fire resistance ratings. Currently, temporary structures at many construction sites are built using color-coated steel plates with polystyrene as the core material. This type of building material has a low fire resistance rating but is inexpensive, which is why it is favored by many construction companies. Scaffolding and safety barriers used in construction are also often made of flammable materials. Construction sites store and use large quantities of flammable materials such as wood, paint, plastic products, and decorative and finishing materials, with serious problems of random stacking. 　　(III) Inadequate management of fire sources and safety measures. There are countless instances at construction sites where electric stoves, heating devices that use open flames, and welding operations are used in violation of regulations, which can lead to sparks and thus trigger fires. In the temporary dormitories for construction workers, poor power management is common: wires are laid haphazardly, electrical appliances are connected improperly, and electrical circuits are overloaded, all of which can easily lead to electrical fires. The configuration of fire-fighting equipment and facilities at construction sites does not meet the requirements; inspections revealed that many sites lack such equipment and facilities. Furthermore, the materials used in temporary buildings have low fire resistance, making it highly likely that mass casualties could occur in the event of a fire. 　　(IV) High turnover of construction workers and chaotic management. The completion of construction projects generally requires going through a lengthy process. Especially in the later stages of construction, workers from different trades are often mobile and carry out overlapping tasks. Due to the large scale of the projects, they are often constructed by several companies simultaneously. If proper fire safety training for the workers, as well as unified command and coordination of construction activities, are not in place, fire accidents are very likely to occur. Irregular operations and unlawful construction practices by workers are also important factors that cause fires. 　　(5) The problem of blocked fire exits is severe. In some construction sites, although temporary fire exits have been installed, these exits are filled with building materials such as cement and rebar; flammable building materials are piled up in a disordered manner and stored together. In some construction sites, temporary fire access routes are not even provided; as a result, in the event of a fire, fire trucks are unable to reach the area where the fire is occurring to put out the flames. 　　Based on these five issues, fire safety management at construction sites requires a proactive and enthusiastic approach from the relevant organizations. Only by fundamentally enhancing the fire safety awareness of construction companies and strengthening daily supervision to identify and rectify potential hazards can the overall level of fire safety management at construction sites be improved. 　　II. Several suggestions and measures for response (1) It is necessary to strengthen the sense of responsibility among construction and implementation units. The fire department should, through on-site inspections, guidance, as well as publicity and training efforts, urge construction and building units to strictly comply with the regulations governing construction sites, establish and improve fire safety responsibility systems, identify those responsible for fire safety and those in charge of its management, and implement fire safety responsibilities and management measures at all levels, thereby creating a solid barrier for fire safety from the outset. 　　(II) Guide construction units to earnestly carry out self-inspections and self-corrections for fire hazards. It is necessary to boost the initiative and enthusiasm of construction and contracting firms in carrying out self-inspections to identify fire hazards. Such firms should refrain from using combustible materials for building accommodations, and proactively inspect areas such as temporary shelters at construction sites on a daily basis to ensure that there are no violations of safety rules regarding the use of fire and electricity. For any fire safety hazards identified during these self-inspections, corrective measures must be formulated promptly, with adequate human, material, and financial resources allocated to carry out the necessary repairs. 　　(III) It is necessary to ensure that construction sites strictly implement fire safety management systems. It is necessary to ensure that all types of fire-fighting equipment are in good condition and functional, so that self-rescue actions can be taken as soon as a fire breaks out ； It is necessary to develop a fire safety plan specific to the conditions of the construction site and conduct drills accordingly. At the same time, regular fire safety training and education should be provided to improve employees’ skills in preventing fires, extinguishing incipient fires, and escaping safely, so as to keep the awareness of fire safety high at all times. 　　(IV) It is necessary to establish model units to improve the overall management level. For construction sites with advanced management practices, it is necessary to promptly establish them as model sites. By organizing fire safety officers and managers from other ongoing construction sites in the area to visit and learn from these model sites, exchanges of best practices in fire safety and the dissemination of effective management models within the industry can be promoted. In this way, the overall level of fire safety management and its overall effectiveness at ongoing construction sites can be improved.