5 Reasons You May Need Fire Watch Guards During Construction

Do you plan to have construction on your business site? If so, you may need to consider adding a little-known security feature for the duration. This security service, known as fire watch, is a vital part of keeping your investment, your staff, and your hired crews safe during construction. Discover a few reasons you may need it.

1. Security May Be Necessary

Local fire officials – often called the Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) – set rules for fire protection standards within their communities. These rules may or may not adhere to the same standards as national recommendations like those from the National Fire Protection Association. Therefore, even if you did not expect it, an AHJ has the right to mandate that your project put a fire watch in place.

Check with your insurance company as well. Your policy may have a clause requiring fire watch in certain situations or the policy will be negated. You might also be able to negotiate a discount for the additional fire protection efforts.

2. Hot Work May Be Involved

Hot work’s hazardous and somewhat unpredictable nature means that fires are much more likely to spark and puts everyone and everything at higher risk. Add in the other inherent dangers of construction work – like chemicals, flammable debris, and electrical work – and the risk goes up.

Those who work with welders and spark-producing equipment do their best to keep everyone safe, of course. But they must focus on their particular, often detailed work. A fire watch guard’s job is to take in the bigger picture by actively looking not at what is being constructed but at its potential effect on fire danger.

3. Fire Protection Systems May Not Work

Fire watch is often necessary when the normal fire protection systems in buildings do not function. If fire alarms, sprinkler systems, sensors, and extinguishing systems are offline for any lengthy period of time during a 24-hour period, live fire watch should take over to help catch any fires (or potential fires) from getting out of hand. Construction is one of the most common reasons these systems are out of order.

4. Your Construction Site Isn’t Always Active

Even though a construction site is only active during work hours, fire danger does not stop when everyone clocks out. Accidental sparks, spontaneous combustion of chemicals, electrical shorts, and even trespassers can all cause fire danger during the night and on weekends. This can be especially dangerous if the construction area still does not have functional fire protection systems.

Fire watch providers offer not only full-time protective services while work goes on but also patrols and part-time services throughout the off hours. They can walk the construction zone, for instance, check on specific danger points based on current work, and ensure that crews heading home for the weekend follow proper procedures.

On the other hand, unarmed officers can guard against trespassing, theft, and vandalism, thus great for businesses vulnerable to such crimes. Also, these types of guards are a good addition to security features like CCTV cameras and video surveillance.

5. Live Fire Watch Is Proactive

The difference between automated systems and live security is the human element. Professional security personnel recognize dangers before they even become a problem and mitigate fires in different ways. This is something that even the most sophisticated fire protection systems can’t match. A good fire watch service can also work with you to reduce fire dangers and practice the best safety procedures.

Want to know more about hiring fire watch guards for your construction project? No matter what the expected hazards are or how long you may need live guards, the team at All State Security can help. Call today to learn more about our services and consult about your specific needs during construction. We look forward to helping keep your construction site safe for all people.