How to Use: Construction Phase Fire Plan & Site Fire Risk Assessment

Purpose and outcome

This resource combines two things in one place:

• A Site Fire Plan (what everyone does if there’s a fire, where to go, how to raise the alarm, where kit is, and how Fire & Rescue get in).
• A practical construction-phase fire risk assessment (what could start a fire on this job, who could be harmed, and what controls/actions you’ve put in).

Good completion looks like: it matches the real site layout, it names people, it shows clear controls for hot works/electrics/storage/housekeeping, and it’s kept up to date with weekly checks and when things change. It should be easy for a new starter to understand in 2–3 minutes.

Who uses it (and who does what)

When to use it (workflow triggers)

• Before site set-up / start on site: create the first version and brief it at induction.
• At each new phase (strip-out, first fix, second fix, roofing, fit-out, etc.): update layout, storage areas, access/egress, and hazards.
• Before higher-risk activities: hot works, temporary heating, big deliveries of timber/insulation, bringing fuel/gas on site, setting up charging stations.
• Weekly: do the 10-minute walkaround and record it.
• Immediately after changes (new route blocked, compound moved, new scaffold stair, new trade, new materials, changes to occupied areas).
• After an incident or near miss: update controls so it can’t happen again.

Before you start (inputs and evidence you’ll need)

• Site address and access details: exact postcode, best gate/entrance for Fire & Rescue, gate codes/keys.
• Current site layout: welfare position, work areas, stores/compound, scaffolds/upper floors, hoarding lines.
• Existing emergency arrangements: alarm method (air horn/klaxon/call points), who calls 999, assembly point.
• Fire-fighting equipment info: what extinguishers/blankets you have, where they will be placed, and who checks them.
• Planned activities and materials: hot works locations, temporary electrics set-up, charging needs, fuels/solvents/adhesives, temporary heaters.
• Site rules you already use: smoking arrangements, housekeeping standards, security/out-of-hours checks.
• People at risk: visitors, delivery drivers, lone workers, language needs, mobility/hearing issues, and any occupied areas next to the works.

Tip: don’t fill this in from the office. Start with a quick walkaround and a rough sketch, then write it up.

How to complete it (step-by-step)

1. Fill in the site details and name the Fire Lead.

   Set a next review due date (usually one week ahead for active sites). Add nearest A&E info so it’s easy in an emergency.

2. Agree the “Raise the alarm” method and make it simple.

   Choose one clear site method (e.g., air horn pattern) and make sure everyone can hear it in the work areas. Decide who calls 999 (and back-up).

3. Set escape routes, exits/gates, and an assembly point.

   Use the escape route table to cover welfare, work areas, stores, and upper floors/scaffolds. If routes are temporary, write that down and plan the next route before the old one is blocked.

   • Make sure exits open easily during working hours (no “key-only” surprises).
   • Decide roll-call method (sign-in sheet/app) and name who leads it.
4. Place and record fire-fighting equipment (escape support only).

   List extinguisher types/quantities/locations. Keep them accessible (not behind stacked materials). Record checks (date/initials) so it’s obvious they’re being looked after.

5. Decide if you need a fire watch and end-of-shift checks.

   If you do hot works or have higher-risk areas (voids, timber frames, lots of packaging), write:

   • When fire watch is needed
   • Who does it
   • How long after hot works (e.g., 60 minutes) and what “final check” means (including voids)
6. Complete the practical fire risk assessment by walking the site.

   For each hazard area (hot works, electrics, charging, gas, fuels, flammables, waste, smoking, heaters, arson/security, work near occupied areas):

   • What’s on this job? Be specific (e.g., “battery charging for cordless tools in welfare”, “torch-on felt on roof”, “diesel for telehandler”).
   • Controls in place: What you have actually set up (not what you intend to do).
   • Actions needed: Name + date. If it matters, it gets an owner and a deadline.
7. Complete the key controls checklist.

   This is your “quick proof” that the basics are covered: escape routes, exits, alarm, assembly point, extinguishers, hot works controls, combustibles, temporary electrics, charging, cylinders, flammables, housekeeping, smoking, security.

8. Set hot works controls for the job (and record them).

   Use the hot works pre-check before any task that throws heat/sparks. If you don’t run a separate permit system, use the hot works record table to log what was done and who checked/signed.

9. Set temporary electrics and charging rules in plain site language.

   Agree the charging location and whether overnight charging is allowed. If you allow overnight charging, write down the controls (who checks, when, and what they look for).

10. Set fuel, gas, and flammables storage rules and locations.

    Write down where each item is stored and the controls (locked store, separation, upright/secured cylinders, quantities kept sensible, spill control where needed).

11. Draw the fire plan sketch.

    Keep it simple and readable. Mark exits, routes, assembly point, alarm points, extinguishers, hot works areas, and gas/fuel stores. Update it whenever the site layout changes.

12. Set the weekly review routine and use the change control page.

    Do the weekly walkabout (10 minutes). When anything changes (layout, access, new phase, new materials), use the change control section to capture what changed and what you did about it.

13. Brief it and record the brief.

    Use the briefing record to show you’ve covered alarm, escape routes, assembly point, hot works, and storage/housekeeping at induction and toolbox talks (attendance can be kept separately).

14. Sign off.

    The person completing it signs and dates it. This is your confirmation it matches the site at that time.

Review and approval (what to check before you sign)

Before the Site Manager/Fire Lead signs, check these “reality tests”:

• Could a new starter find the assembly point without asking?
• Can you hear/see the alarm method from the work areas?
• Are escape routes actually clear today (not just “usually”)?
• Are extinguishers accessible and placed where the work is happening (not left at the gate)?
• Are hot works controls happening (clear area, screens, extinguisher present, fire watch and final check)?
• Is charging controlled (not on escape routes, not on piles of timber/packaging, no daisy-chained adaptors)?
• Are gas/fuel/flammables locked and sensible quantities (no stockpiles)?
• Is housekeeping holding up (waste off site / in skips, not building up inside)?

Escalate immediately if you cannot keep escape routes/exits usable, if hot works can’t be controlled, or if fuel/gas storage is unmanaged. Stop and fix the basics first.

Recordkeeping (storage, version control, retention)

• Keep it with the Construction Phase Plan (CPP) and make it easy to find on site (site folder/binder and a digital copy).
• Use one “live” version: write the date on the front, and avoid multiple conflicting copies in vans/phones.
• Store supporting records: induction/toolbox talk attendance, hot works permits (if separate), extinguisher service certificates, and any incident/near miss notes.
• Retention: keep the final signed version (and key review records) for at least the project duration plus your normal H&S retention period. If you don’t have one, a practical rule is several years (often 6) to support insurance, claims, and audits.

How often to review or update

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Escape routes shown on paper but blocked in real life.
  Fix: make “routes and exits clear” part of daily tidying and the weekly walkabout. If a route is about to be blocked, plan the new route first.
• Alarm method not workable (can’t be heard, nobody knows the signal).
  Fix: agree one signal, test it in work areas, and brief it at induction/toolbox talks.
• Extinguishers present but buried behind materials or left in the welfare.
  Fix: place them where the work is, keep them visible, and include them in weekly checks.
• Hot works treated as “normal work”.
  Fix: use the pre-check every time, clear combustibles (including behind/under/other side of walls), and do fire watch/final check properly.
• Charging chaos (multi-plugs, daisy chains, charging on timber/offcuts, on escape routes).
  Fix: set a charging area on a non-combustible surface, ban daisy chaining, and decide on overnight charging controls (or prohibit it).
• Fuel/gas/flammables stockpiled “for convenience”.
  Fix: keep quantities sensible, lock away, separate oxygen/fuel gases, and keep stores away from hot works and routes.
• Weekly review not done (or done but actions never closed).
  Fix: keep the review to 10 minutes, write one or two real actions, assign an owner/date, and chase closure.
• No change control when the job shifts phase.
  Fix: if the layout changes, the fire plan changes—use the change control table as a quick “what changed / what we did” log.

Worked example (realistic site scenario)

Job: Small refurb with strip-out, new stud walls, and a roof repair. Two exits, one welfare cabin, mixed trades, lots of packaging.

• Week 1 set-up: Fire Lead walks site, sets assembly point away from deliveries, chooses air horn as alarm, marks escape routes from welfare/work areas/compound, places extinguishers at welfare and near hot works area.
• Hot works introduced (roofing): Adds “torch-on felt on roof” under hot works hazards, sets 60-minute fire watch and final check of roof voids, records each hot works activity in the hot works record.
• Charging problem appears: Finds chargers plugged into a daisy chain in the corridor. Moves charging to a designated non-combustible area in welfare, updates the charging location section, and briefs it in a toolbox talk (records the briefing).
• Layout change (new partition closes a corridor): Uses change control to record the new route, updates the sketch, moves an extinguisher to cover the new escape line, and re-briefs escape routes.
• Weekly review: Notes housekeeping slipping (packaging building up), assigns supervisor to clear by end of day and sets “waste out daily” expectation.