JCoP: Further Sources of Ignition and Fuel 4: Plant, Vehicles & Smoking

Cranes And Scaffolding On Building Site

In this article we go over the HSE requirements about location of plant on site, parking of vehicles and how to provide smoking areas. Remember, for full guidance, please read the FPA’s JCoP on Fire Prevention on Construction Sites and the HSE guide to Fire Safety in Construction

Plant & Vehicles

  • Stationary plant such as generators and compressors, should be either stored in a well ventilated, non-combustible enclosure with exhausts and vents positioned away from combustible material, or should be positioned outside
  • All refueling of plant and vehicles should be done in designated areas. They should not be refueled when the engines are running or hot, and the fuel should be stored in accordance with section 14 of JCoP
  • Compressors should be housed separately to other machinery
  • Sand trays or other non-combustible materials with absorbent qualities should be used to catch drips and leaks of fuel and oil
  • Vehicles should be parked no closer than 10m from the building under construction, ideally in a designated parking bay. They should also be no closer than 10m when loading / unloading
  • An FRA should be conducted before any long-term parking should be permitted

Smoking

  • A ‘no smoking’ policy must be established on all sites, apart from in designated smoking areas
  • A smoking shelter must be included in the site FRA and it must be situated as far away from the building as practically possible, but at least 20m away from the building on high risk sites
  • A smoking shelter should be provided with a suitable fire extinguisher. For a smoking area, this isn’t mandatory, but there must be some fire fighting equipment in the vicinity
  • The area around the smoking area should be kept free of debris and rubbish
  • Smoking shelters should not be made of a combustible material
  • Smoking areas/shelters should not, in any circumstance, be situated near windows, ventilation intakes or extracts, entrances/exits to the building, hazardous materials (stored or not), bins, skips or beneath a canopy or low slung eaves
  • Smoking areas/shelters should have metal bins with lids and metal ashtrays provided
  • ‘No smoking’ policies must be established in areas where fire hazards exist, such as areas near refuse and storage areas containing combustible materials, flammable substances and cylinders. ‘No smoking’ signs should be clearly visible and prominent in these areas
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