In my two decades as a certified fire investigator, I have seen first hand how fire can cause devastation to livelihoods and site assets, costing millions of dollars in damage and causing significant hits to project timelines and brand reputations.
I also understand the full life cycle of a fire emergency, from code and standard development to education, inspection, enforcement, emergency response, investigation and failure analysis.
For the past six years, I have been involved in private fire investigations, starting my own company that specializes in not only fire forensics (origin and cause investigations), but also fire code consulting, compliance monitoring, safety and insurance loss prevention surveys, and teaching/instruction. My experience has taught me that in today’s modern environment, there is no standard method of detecting a fire emergency on construction sites. Many sites are in fact under prepared when it comes to fire prevention, fire alarm initiation or detection devices and procedures, as well as alerting fire departments to help save lives and site assets.
Contractors are under a great deal of pressure to deliver on time and under budget and as a result, corners are cut, and it is hard to overcome the standard thought process of "it won't happen to me." As a result, I believe we are at major crossroads in our fire prevention efforts, with new collaborative and digital-led solutions needed. In my view, this involves a three-prong approach; enforcement, education and partnership.
An Ever-present Danger
In May last year, two construction workers died in a five-alarm fire on a construction site in Charlotte, N.C. The incident only reinforced the view that fire is still a very real and present problem for the construction industry, even in today’s modern age. Official National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) figures state that from 2017 to 2021, local fire departments in North America responded to an estimated average of 4,440 fires in structures under construction per year.
Fire can escalate quickly if not mitigated promptly, and it is my view that plans and preparation for an organized evacuation of a site is still real problem for most contractors. There is an underlying feeling that construction workers are used to working around an unstable and dynamic environment, which has a higher level of danger associated than the average office job.
As a result, the individuals involved in construction are more prone to go and investigate the source of the initial problem and then attempt to mitigate it themselves using portable fire extinguishers or alternative methods. This only adds to delays, as it takes time for individuals to notice smoke or other early signs of a fire emergency, and determine it as a problem and not simply hot works, or a piece of heavy equipment starting up for example.
A Collaborative Approach
To overcome this, we must first put our faith in education and training. This applies not only to contractors, but also code inspectors, standards departments and fire departments or fire marshal offices. Each party must be educated in the latest regulations, codes, standards, and best practices to implement an efficient fire prevention management plan. From a collaborative point of view, each group brings different resources and an ability to help solve this problem.
One of the major parts of this is codes and standards. For more than 125 years, the NFPA has been at the forefront of this with its 241 standard; for safeguarding construction, alteration, and demolition operations. This gives the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) the ability to produce a compliant documented fire safety plan for a construction project.
While the process is robust, it does have its shortcomings. Even the most recent developed codes and standards are years behind the actual date on which they were published. This has a knock-on effect, with local jurisdictions being even further behind their code cycle.
For example, the most recent NFPA 241 edition is 2022, but that is based upon work that was started several years prior. Many jurisdictions might be one or two cycles behind, but if an AHJ is two cycles behind on what they are utilizing, that means a constructed building might be drawn up and approved with a code that precedes it by several years, which can lead to significant gaps in modern fire safety knowledge.
Furthermore, there is no modern mandate for construction sites to implement wireless-led technologies to safeguard sites in construction - something I believe is imperative if North America is to truly embrace all the possibilities that come with modern safety efforts.
Shifting Safety Priorities
A full wired system on site during the construction phase is not a possibility; their temporary nature means they have limited power access and supply. In North America and in many countries around the world, we are short sighted when it comes to this phase of projects.
However, wireless systems are primed to be able to address the current problem. Many of these technologies are portable, and come with long battery lifespans. As temporary systems, they can also be reused and redeployed from one site to the next, which is particularly advantageous for contractors with multiple projects in one area or large sites.
As an industry, it has become normalised that constructed buildings have designated building methods and materials, a required number of protected exits, a fully monitored fire alarm system, sprinkler system, and other safety measures, all prior to receiving the certificate of occupancy. However, the very same building during the construction phase has far fewer requirements and in actual practice has minimal controls in place.
While technology offers new possibilities, it's an attitude shift that is needed. A wireless system eradicates many of the problems and dangers on temporary sites regarding speed responsiveness and human error, acting as a 24/7 smoke and heat detection system, with mobile alert integration for fire program managers. Where manual methods are not enough, we must put our faith in technology, and we must treat the temporary phase of construction with the same level of fire safety importance as the finished product.
Futureproofing Fire Safety
The major issue for the construction industry is the perceived notion that for something to be done right, correct, and safely, it cannot be cost or time effective – this simply isn’t the case anymore.
It is high time now for all stakeholders involved in the fire safety and construction process to collaborate, educate and train on best practices and possibilities afforded by wireless safety technology. Accidents can and will happen, and it is therefore important that ‘safety first’ becomes widely adopted in a construction site manager’s glossary book.
Contractors may need to spend a little more to improve fire prevention efforts, but it is nothing compared to the larger picture of these projects, which are often measured in years and tens of millions of dollars, alongside the huge cost associated with fire loss on site. That is simply a price for which one cannot be assigned to.
