Fire is a risk for any building structure; but that this risk increases when the building in the state of construction. Builders and developers need to put all the proper fire safety measures in place to mitigate risk and protect their assets.
According to the Canadian Wood Council, the three leading causes of fire for building under construction are:
- Incendiary or Suspicious (40%)
- Open Flame or Torches (21%)
- Heating Equipment (10%)
Construction sites, by their very nature, are more prone to large fires. The main reason is the lack of compartments in a finished structure. Walls, floors and doors all aid with slowing down a fire and help prevent it from spreading; but if a fire starts in the early stages of construction, these compartments will not be in place yet.
Developing an effective fire prevention strategy needs to incorporate both the right equipment and personnel. This can include:
- fire extinguishers
- controlled strategies for using heating equipment
- staff trained on implementing and ensuring fire safety measures
- automatic sprinkler systems
- tool to mitigate accidental sprinkler discharge
According to Construction Canada, temporary sprinklers are often recommended during both the construction phase and post occupancy.
However, some builders hesitate installing automatic sprinklers; reasons being the time involved to properly install temporary systems and the fear of accidental discharge. Heavy equipment, cold temperatures and heat mediation can all result in setting off the valve. And if anyone has been on a site where a sprinkler head has discharged, the damage can be extensive.
That being said, the risk of fire on a construction site is a very real one. Several sites have been destroyed by arson and or internal accidents. Automatic sprinkler systems are the best way to protect your assets in the case of fire.
“So how does a construction manager protect their employees and the building from fire, without running the risk of further damage from a sprinkler system? ”
We say you can have both – Construction managers can still protect their assets by installing an automatic sprinkler and have a Shutgun tool on hand to prevent the damage in case of accidental sprinkler discharge.
Don’t let fear of accidental discharge stop you from protecting your site from fire! You’ll never regret having the Shutgun in your toolbox for back up.
#OneInEveryToolbox