Permanent fire workplace as part of fire safety

In many industrial and construction projects, welding, flame cutting, metal grinding and soldering, cutting with a spot cutter or hot air blasting are essential operations. Fire is a good servant, but a bad master, is also true in these jobs, as fire work involves significant risks due to the flame, other high heat or sparks generated. The instructions and regulations must therefore be followed carefully to minimise the risks and ensure safety at work.

Fire work can be carried out in both temporary and permanent fire workplaces, depending on the company's industry and its fire work needs. A permanent fire workplace is a fire-safety-compliant space adapted for fire work, where the risks inherent in carrying out work involving fire hazards have been taken into account, the materials in the space are non-combustible, it is adequately protected and no liquids or gases are stored in the vicinity of the space. Fire work is carried out in a temporary fire station only if a permanent fire station is not possible. In this article, we will focus only on the guidelines and practices related to a permanent fireplace.

The safe execution of fire work is guided by international and national regulations and standards, such as the Rescue Act, the Occupational Safety Act, the SFS 5900 standard and the safety guidelines of insurance companies. According to these, fire work should always be carried out primarily in a permanent fire workplace where the structures, equipment and environment are already designed to meet the requirements of the regulations. This may be a clearly marked dedicated fire compartment or, in a larger hall, an area separated from the rest of the environment. In a permanent fireplace, a firefighter is not required to have a firefighter's card or a firefighting licence.

• Explosion and fire risk - consider all possible fire safety factors. The structures of the room must be non-combustible, protected by fire-resistant materials or by sufficiently long protective curtains that tightly prevent the spread of sparks into the work area environment or structures. All non-working and flammable materials must also be removed from the workplace and its vicinity.
• Efficient ventilation - ensure adequate ventilation to ensure that harmful gases and fumes generated at the fireplace are quickly removed from the work area.
• Fire-fighting equipment - remember! Adequately effective and readily available fire-fighting equipment, which has been tested for its effectiveness, must be available in the vicinity of the workplace to combat fire hazards at the workplace. Remember to check the regulations set by your insurance company, for example on the power rating of hand-held extinguishers.
• Staff training and instruction - all staff working at a fire site must be properly trained and instructed so that they are aware of the risks of the job and know how to act correctly in the event of a potential hazard. Maintaining staff competence and training is a strong safety factor in order to be able to take into account the safety aspects of the work method, the work site and the environment.

The fire plan is part of the company's own emergency and safety plan. Most insurance companies require the policyholder to have a written fire work plan to guide the safe conduct of fire work. The insurer's requirements are usually based on the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the purpose of the plan is to prevent and minimise potential damage caused by the work. According to a study commissioned by the Finnish Rescue Association, 97% of fire damage caused by fires has been attributed to human activity. Better risk assessment and identification of work hazards could prevent many incidents.

A fire work plan is an electronic or written instruction on how to carry out fire work safely. The plan records the permanent fire workplaces, the risks and hazards of the work and the protective measures to prevent them. Persons assigned to firefighting roles are important for the safe performance of firefighting work, although in a small company these roles may be combined in some cases. The fire safety plan is binding on everyone working in the company, including any external contractor. It is particularly important to distribute the document to all persons designated in the plan and to those who will carry out fire work in the company, and to ensure that they are adequately trained in fire-fighting tasks.

• Permanent jobs in the company
• Methods used for fire work
• Roles / persons assigned to firefighting
• Protection and fire-fighting measures
• Pre-fire / during-fire / post-fire safety measures
• Hot Work Guarding

The fire safety plan is drawn up by the person responsible for fire safety in the organisation, who is well aware of the risks of the company's operations and is familiar with fire safety issues. A well-drafted plan will include information on the methods to be used and clear work instructions for the different types of fire, which are easy for the person carrying out the work to follow. At the same time, the plan can also include instructions for carrying out work with a low fire risk. It is important to note that if there is an alternative way of carrying out the work, it is always sensible to try to carry it out without fire work and the resulting fire risk. Remember to update your plan whenever circumstances, people or contact details change!

More information to help you with your fire action plan can be found behind these links:

fire work instructions for insurance companies

Fire safety standards SFS5900 / SFS5991

rescue law

law on damages

law on safety at work

Criminal Code

Where and how is fire work done in your country? Have all safety factors been taken into account? Do you need help to implement a fire plan or would a permanent fire workplace require an expert to carry out a safety and regulatory survey?

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