Procedures for Controlling the Risk of Abandoned Hot Works During an Evacuation?

[Messy]

Does anyone have any procedures for dealing with the control of abandoned hot works during an emergency evacuation?

In line with most responsible persons, we have a very strict hot work permit system which includes a one hour (sometimes two hour) Cool down period, where hot works are ceased but staff stay on site effectively fire watching.

Obviously we have procedures for accounting for staff and visitors. On two large city centre sites - staff just disappear into the local area as there is no space to assemble. This includes anyone engaged on hot works!

At all sites, the fire coordinators have checklists for evacuation sweeps, but do not get informed about any live hot works that have been abandoned. Similarly, we haven't got a process to inform the fire service of live hot works. Contractors will often just sit in their vans during evacuations, drink tea or sleep!

I will be addressing this in due course but wonder what others have in place to cover this risk?

[SeaBass]

I?ve always organised a rendezvous point where the project managers who authorize the hot works, and/or the leading hand on the hot works team, go to, to  meet with the responding emergency services. 

If the hot works team is large enough, working in teams of two, they are required to sweep the area that they have been working in to conform that they are, or aren?t, the cause of the alarm, before also reporting to the RV, or radioing their findings into their leading hand/project manager before going to the assembly point or dispersing. 

It can take some time to get contractors to comply with the procedure, but most are pretty good and understand the implications of not complying. Which, by the way, included forfeiture of a percentage of their fee if they didn?t comply and/or where the cause of the alarm.

[Messy]

Thanks Seabass. I will have a word with the Estates Team and set something up.

Embarrassingly , I haven't ever considered this issue until I found a hot works site unattended over lunchtime, as the two guys wanted to lunch together (how sweet!) and it got me thinking of other reasons hot works may be unattended

[lyledunn]

We're hearing word on the vine that it was hot works that caused the devestating fire in Primark In Belfast City Centre. Beautiful building completely destroyed. There is talk of ?75million cost.

[Messy]

I noted that the management press release the following day said they would be talking to their employees and builders (to see what their needs were).

I did wonder if there was a not so well hidden message there!

[SeaBass]

I don't know if it is still the case, but at one time it was generally accepted that allowing visiting contractors into your premises increased the risks of a fire by 70%. Not sure where the statistic came from, but from memory, I recall the FPA quoting it quite a bit.

[nearlythere]

In my hot works policy I state that a person trained in the use of extinguishers, their own at that,  must keep a watch for up to 1 hr after hot works ceases and that watch means at the scene of the works and for the 1hr duration. Not having a quick look every 10 or 15 minutes between cups of coffee.