Fire Watch personnel are trusted with the duties to prevent and/or react to emergency situations in event of a fire. Their sole duties are to observe for emergency situations and to prevent unsafe acts.
Fire Watch Requirements
- A Fire Watch is required for open-flame hot work or whenever operations requires one due to conditions in the area.
- Fire Watchers are required to wear a vest as their outer most garment identifying them as the fire watch.
- The Fire Watch shall be equipped with appropriate type of fire extinguisher and/or water hose. The extinguisher type will be established on the Hot Work Permit. If for any reason if you feel there is an issue with the type of extinguisher or fire hose you have, shut down the work and contact your supervisor.
- Fire Watchers are required to stay on site for at least a half hour after completion of hot work, through breaks and after hours as needed, to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires.
Fire Watch Duties and Responsibilities
- Watch the hot work and surrounding area.
- Have and maintain line-of-sight to hot work being watched. A fire watch may watch more than one hot work activity as long as it is in unobstructed view and within a 30 ft. radius. If no line-of-sight or beyond 30 ft., have additional fire-watches. Work may require Fire Watches on both sides of a wall or vessel shell.
- Have firefighting equipment in hands or within arms’ reach. Do not take or rely on the fire extinguishers that are on the operating Units for fire watch duties.
- Inspect extinguishing equipment before the hot work starts – Check connections, hydrants, hoses, extinguishers or other components for operability, discoloration, corrosion, or wear. Verify pressure is ok, and tag is current.
- Wet down areas where combustibles may be present, to reduce chance of ignition.
- Ensure containment and barricading is sufficient to control slag and sparks.
- Verify that a gas meter is present at the hot work at all times. If LEL readings change (beyond meter “drift”) or the meter goes into alarm, hot work must be shut down.
- Only try to extinguish fires when they are small enough to handle with your on-hand fire extinguishing equipment. Call your site emergency response number immediately prior to trying to extinguish fire.
- All fires, even flash-fires, must be reported to the site emergency operations center.
- Stop (and don’t start) unauthorized hot work.
- Do not perform any other duty that might interfere with primary duties as Fire Watch.
Fire Watch: What to look for
While on duty, fire watch officers should pay particular attention to the following when conducting a fire watch inspection of the building:
• Fire alarm panel: Make sure there are no yellow or red lights, unless the system is impaired.
• Sprinkler system: all water flow control valves should be open, unless the system is impaired, and sprinkler heads should not be obstructed.
• Fire pump
• Hot Operations: if welding, torch cutting, heavy grinding or other hot work is being performed.
• Potential arson-accelerant; forced entry.
• Flammable Liquids: Must be in approved containers and in designated storage areas.
• Pull stations: the fire watch officer should know where these are located and how to activate.
• Fire extinguishers: fire watch officers should know the location of all portable extinguishers and how to use them. Fire extinguishers should only be used if safe to do so.
• Exits: fire watch officers should know where all exits are located and all exit doors should be accessible for use.
• Fire Doors: should be closed properly.
Contact Primelift Safety Resources Limited now! We’re here to provide you and your workers with essential training. If you have a question or concern regarding safety in the workplace, reach out today. We would love to see how we can assist you.
Email us at [email protected]. Call us on +2348037957878, +2349115687051
