What are the major steps involved in fire watch duties?
Fire Watch Responsibilities May Include: Constantly patrolling areas where “hot work” is being performed, maintaining vigilance of potential fires. Being familiar with facilities and procedures for sounding an alarm in the event of a fire and having a means of notifying emergency services.
What are the requirements for Firewatch?
Basic Requirements for Fire Watches According to the NFPA, for fire alarm systems, a fire watch is required if the system is impaired for more than four hours in a 24-hour period. For water-based fire protection systems, fire watches are required for impairments lasting 10 hours or more in a 24-hour period.
What is a fire watch and what responsibilities do fire watch personnel have?
Fire watch personnel are mandated by OSHA. They literally watch for fire in areas of hot work. When is a fire watch required? These areas of hot work include those where workers weld and cut with torches.
When a worker is assigned the responsibility of providing a fire watch the worker?
Assigning employees to fire watch duty. The employer must not assign other duties to a fire watch while the hot work is in progress. If unable to extinguish fire in the areas exposed to the hot work, activate the alarm.
What is the 35 foot rule?
The 35-Foot Rule • All flammable and combustible materials within a 35-foot radius of hot work must be removed. • When flammable and combustible materials within a 35-foot radius of hot work cannot be removed, they must be covered with flame-retardant tarps and a fire watch must be posted.
What does OSHA say about fire watch?
A fire watch shall be maintained for at least a half hour after completion of welding or cutting operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires. Authorization. Before cutting or welding is permitted, the area shall be inspected by the individual responsible for authorizing cutting and welding operations.
How long should a fire watch be used?
A fire watch shall be provided during hot work activities and shall continue for not less than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the work.
When should fire watch be performed?
A fire watch is usually required for one of four reasons: The building’s fire alarm, fire sprinkler, or fire suppression system is out of order or an outage is preplanned for a period to exceed four hours. The fire marshal often requires notification for conditions like these.
How do you write a fire watch report?
FIRE WATCH LOG SHEET
- Times that the periodic patrol was completed (include your start and end of shift).
- Name of the person conducting the fire watch.
- Record of any communication(s) to the Fire Department.
- Note any alarm system work or any hazardous conditions found.
How long is fire watch after hot work?
►ANSI Z49. 1, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes, 2012 Fires can start after the hot work is complete. The fire watch must remain on site for a minimum of 60 minutes to monitor for smoldering fires, per NFPA 51B.
How long should a fire watch?
Fire watches are required during any hot work activity and for at least 30 minutes after the work is completed in order to reduce the potential for ignitions and large fire losses.
How long does OSHA require a fire watch?
a half hour
A fire watch shall be maintained for at least a half hour after completion of welding or cutting operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires.
What is a fire watch?
In Chapter 3 of the LSC, a fire watch is defined as the assignment of one or more people with the following tasks: Emergency impairments can include an interruption in the water supply to the system, frozen or ruptured pipes, equipment failure, and any impairments that are identified during inspections of the system.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a fire watchman?
Firewatch Duties & Responsibilties. A fire watch is a temporary situation in which a person checks building property for fires in progress or for extreme fire hazard situations.
Who must complete and maintain the fire watch form?
This form must be completed and maintained by the department whenever a Fire Watch is implemented.
What equipment do you need to be a fire watchman?
This means reliable communication devices such as a cell phone, walkie-talkie or portable radio. A portable horn can help them to sound an initial alarm as well. Fire watch personnel should carry a flashlight, writing materials, keys to their area fully and a copy of their specific duties.