Fire Watch

OSHA, NFPA, specific localities, and specific facility guidelines all require fire watch when certain conditions exist.  Below are some of the more common types of fire watch:  

1) Hot work is occurring in the building. Hot work includes welding, using a torch, or other spark or flame producing work. Many building fires have been ignited by activities considered hot work.  

2) The building’s fire alarm, fire sprinkler, or fire suppression system is out of order or an outage is preplanned for a period to exceed four hours. The fire marshal often requires notification for conditions like these. *Check with your local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) for local requirements.  

3) During demolition of a building during certain hazardous activities similar to hot work.  

4) Dense crowds in a building requiring extra precautions. Some public assembly buildings are required to conduct fire watches during events for extra crowd protection.