Updated 5 March 2026
Complete guide to fire safety on UK construction sites. Covers fire risk assessment, hot works permits, fire prevention, and emergency procedures.
Construction sites have multiple fire risk factors that make them more dangerous than completed buildings: temporary electrical installations, hot works (welding, cutting, grinding), flammable materials stored on site (timber, insulation, solvents), incomplete fire compartmentation, fire detection systems not yet commissioned, no permanent water supply for firefighting, and transient workforce who may not know emergency procedures. The Joint Code of Practice on the Protection from Fire of Construction Sites (Fire Prevention on Construction Sites) provides the industry standard guidance.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO), the 'responsible person' (usually the principal contractor on a construction site) must carry out a fire risk assessment. This must identify: sources of ignition (hot works, electrical faults, smoking, arson), sources of fuel (timber, insulation, packaging, chemicals), people at risk (workers, visitors, neighbours, public), existing fire precautions, and additional measures required. The assessment must be reviewed regularly and after any significant change to the site.
Hot works (welding, oxy-fuel cutting, grinding, brazing, soldering) are the single most common cause of construction site fires. A hot works permit system should include: written permit issued by the site manager before work begins, site inspection to identify combustible materials within 10 metres, removal or protection of combustible materials (fire blankets), provision of suitable fire extinguisher within 3 metres of the work, designated fire watch during and for at least 60 minutes after work is complete, and no hot works in the last hour of the working day (to allow fire watch to be completed before the site is vacated).
Key fire prevention measures for construction sites include: segregated and secure storage for flammable liquids (metal cage, away from buildings), daily removal of waste and combustible materials from work areas, controlled smoking areas away from combustible materials, temporary fire detection and alarm systems installed as early as practical, fire extinguishers at key locations (site office, each floor level, near hot works, near electrical distribution), and maintained escape routes with clear signage.
Every construction site must have documented fire emergency procedures covering: method of raising the alarm (air horn, klaxon, or temporary alarm system), assembly point location (marked on site layout plan), roll call procedure (how to account for everyone on site. sign in/out board), nominated persons for calling the fire service (999), fire warden responsibilities for each work area, procedures for people with disabilities or working in isolated areas, and liaison arrangements with the fire service (site access for fire appliances, hydrant locations, hazardous substance locations).
Arson is the leading cause of large fires on construction sites. Prevention measures include: perimeter security (hoarding, CCTV, security lighting), remove or secure all flammable materials at the end of each working day, lock site offices and welfare units, remove gas bottles to a locked compound, security patrols or monitoring outside working hours, and report suspicious activity. Insurance companies may impose specific arson prevention conditions. check your policy.
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