Fire watch security guards are a crucial part of construction site safety and security measures. They protect construction crews and the site from hazards like faulty wiring, trespassers, and chemical accidents that can spark a fire.
These responsibilities involve monitoring and surveillance, assisting in evacuations, enforcing rules and regulations, and keeping documentation of incidents and fire safety issues. This helps your company maintain a high level of safety while also ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations and FDNY codes.
Monitoring & Surveillance
Monitoring and surveillance are essential responsibilities of fire watch guards during construction. This is especially true in places where welding, high temperatures, furnaces, and combustible materials are core to the operations.
The responsibilities of a Construction Fire Watch guard are to patrol the premises around the clock at pre-arranged intervals to identify any areas that may pose fire risks. The guards should also log and share their findings to alert contractors and local code enforcement.
They should also ensure that the safety systems, including smoke detectors and fire sprinklers, are properly functioning. They should also check the location of the fire extinguishers and the safety exits.
A fire watch guard must thoroughly know the building, its facilities, and the existing fire safety equipment and procedures. This will help them to ensure that the building meets all the required safety standards and regulations.
Assisting in Evacuation
Assisting in evacuation is a critical responsibility for any fire watch guard during construction. This is because, in the event of an emergency, everyone needs to get out of the building.
The evacuation process of high-rise buildings requires many people to travel great vertical distances on stairs. This can cause physical stress and fatigue.
Suppose you have a person with a disability who needs assistance during an evacuation. In that case, you must help them find a safe area away from danger to remain until they can safely evacuate the building. This may be a pressurized stair enclosure or an open-air exit balcony in another building.
Be sure that you take a head count after an evacuation. This will let you know if all your team members have left the building safely and have been accounted for. This can save time and money on unnecessary search and rescue operations.
Enforcing Rules & Regulations
If a building has fire alarms or other safety equipment, it’s important to ensure they work properly. This is something a fire watch guard can help with during construction.
When a guard is working, they must be on a schedule to check their fire safety equipment and ensure everything is up to par. They should also keep logs detailing their rounds and any fire hazards they identify.
Then, they can call the authorities in case there’s an emergency and help with the evacuation. This can save lives and reduce the amount of property damage and liability.
Besides monitoring and assisting in evacuation, fire watch guards can enforce construction rules and regulations. This is especially important for buildings that contain hot working processes.
