Page 28 - Occupational Health & Safety, January/February 2020

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY
Features to Look for in a Temporary Construction Site Fire Alarm System
It makes good sense to have an adaptable, durable, highly functional alert system in place from the first phase of construction to the last.
BY JOHN NEWBURY
When 6.5 million construction work- ers report to work on 252,000 jobsites each day in the United States, they do so under the assumption that certain safeguards are in place in order to protect them. Their families are counting on it, too. The expectation is that no matter where a worker is onsite or what job they may be carrying out that day, they’ll be alerted and have the ability to alert others when—not if—an emergency occurs. With the rate of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities higher in the construction industry than most other industries, emergencies are an inevitable part of the regular routine. It makes good sense to have an adaptable, durable, highly functional alert system in place from the first phase of construction to the last.
The statistics for construction fires are harsh; the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that for each year between 2010 and 2014 there were 3,750 fires in structures under construction; 2,560 fires in structures undergoing major renovation; and 2,130 fires in structures being demolished in the U.S. These fires led to $310 million in direct property damage, claimed 13 lives, and injured 132 people during that time period. Most are attributed to heaters, welding, cutting, grinding, soldering, and/or accumulated con- struction materials and cardboard.
There’s no doubt that construction is an inherently high-risk industry, but in many cases the impact of emergency incidents can be minimized or, better yet, prevented from happening in the first place. The sim- ple fact is that technology can help, and construction companies who are willing to explore new technolo- gies and implement them into their projects are al- ready seeing the benefits—both in terms of improved safety procedures onsite and the financial return. While there will inevitably be an initial cost of invest- ment in the technology itself, the potential savings in terms of improved efficiencies, reduced lost-time in- juries, and elimination of paperwork means a return on the investment is rapidly achieved for companies willing to adapt.
But how? Many challenges exist on an active job- site that don’t necessarily need to be considered else- where. There’s an obvious need for new solutions in this area. Does such technology exist, and if so, what should a safety professional be looking for to ensure the investment pays out in the best way possible?
24 Occupational Health & Safety | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
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When choosing such a system, there are several fac- tors to keep in mind.
Construction Sector’s Unique Demands
Ideally an alarm system for a construction site would be wireless with a strong, long-range signal to alert everyone onsite, built for the unique demands of the construction sector. Because most alarm systems are battery-powered, the batteries should have several years of operational life under normal conditions be- fore a change is required. The system should have the ability to be activated at any point, and to be loud enough to be heard across every corner of the site, be- cause the traditional reliance on hand bells, whistles, and airhorns is simply not an appropriate measure for today’s large, complex construction sites. It should have the ability to distinguish between smoke and dust in order to eliminate false alarms.
Look for an optional inspection delay to enable site managers to establish whether a false alarm has been raised, and to undertake a staged evacuation process. Units should be able to be added, repositioned, or re- moved from the network at any point, suited to the constantly changing landscape of a construction site. Also, the system must be rugged enough to withstand the abuse that equipment is typically subjected to on a construction site.
Rapid Deployment
In order to eliminate downtime and frustration, an