511 EM 385-1-1 Chapters 9-15

Sections

9-8. General Requirements.

Fire Prevention Duties

Develop and train employees on a Fire Prevention Plan according to specific guidelines.
Keep fires, open flame devices, and sources of ignition away from potential fire hazards or flammable materials.
Maintain clearances around lights, heating units, and segregate noncompatible materials to prevent fire risks.

Fire Protection Responsibilities

Establish agreements for external fire protection services and maintain accessible fire lines.
Provide and maintain firefighting facilities like water supply and portable fire extinguishers as per NFPA standards.
Design and install standpipe, hose system equipment, and fixed fire suppression systems following specific guidelines.

Fire Fighting

Do not attempt to fight a fire that is in imminent danger of contact with explosives.
Relocate all employees to a safe area and guard the fire against intruders.
Provide suitable firefighting equipment.
Ensure compatibility of fire hose connections with local firefighting equipment and provide necessary adapters.

Fire Alarm and Mass Notification System Guidelines

Install and maintain fire alarm systems as per specific codes and ensure the alarm is recognizable and distinctive.
Equip detection systems with supervised systems, protect them from damage, and ensure manual alarm devices are accessible and operable.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

9-5. What should employees do who are attempting to fight a fire in imminent danger of contact with explosives?

Take extra precautions

Move upwind from the fire

Do not fight the fire

Call emergency services

You forgot to answer the question!

EM 385-1-1 Paragraph 9-8 (a.–d.).

9-8. General Requirements. (a.–d.).

Follow applicable NFPA recommendations in situations not covered in this chapter. When unusual fire hazards exist or fire emergencies develop, provide additional protection as required by the USACE supervisor/KO or COR.

a.  Fire Prevention. (9-8.a)

(1)  Fire Prevention Plan.  A Fire Prevention Plan must be developed for all USACE facilities and project sites according to paragraph 9-7.a.  All employees must be trained on the plan according to paragraph 9-3.f.  Use the plan to brief emergency first responders on the fire hazards, the materials and processes, and the emergency evacuation procedures.

(2)  Do not leave fires and open flame devices unattended.

(3)  Separate all sources of ignition, including smoking, at least 50 feet (15.2 m) from any operations with a potential fire hazard or areas where flammable, combustible, or oxidizing materials are stored.  Conspicuously post with legible signs stating, “NO SMOKING, MATCHES, or OPEN FLAME.”

(4)  Segregate DOT-identified noncompatible materials that may create a fire hazard with a barrier having a fire resistance rating equivalent to a listing of at least one hour. See chapter 20 for compressed gas cylinders.

(5)  Do not install low-density fiberboard, combustible insulation, or vapor barriers with a flame spread greater than 25 inches in permanent buildings.

(6)  Space temporary buildings according to the IBC.

(7)  Shield all combustibles from all types of hot work activities.

(8)  Take precautions to protect formwork and scaffolding from exposure to and spread of fire.

(9)  Control the growth of tall grass, brush, and weeds adjacent to facilities. Maintain a break of at least 3 feet (0.9 m) around all facilities.

(10) Maintain sufficient clearance around lights and heating units to prevent ignition of combustible materials.

(11)  Housekeeping.

(a)  Promptly remove and dispose of accumulations of combustible scrap and debris.

(b)  Use self-closing containers to collect waste saturated with flammable liquids.

(c)  Use non-combustible or Underwriters Laboratories (UL)-labeled nonmetallic containers to dispose of waste and rubbish.

b.  Fire Protection.  (9-8.b)

(1)  When outside help is relied upon for fire protection, prepare a written agreement or a memorandum of record stating the terms of the arrangement and the details for fire protection services and provide it to the USACE supervisor/KO or COR.

(2)  Provide and maintain water supply and distribution facilities for firefighting according to NFPA 1142.

(3)  Establish and maintain fire lines that are free of obstructions and provide access to all areas.

(4)  Do not permit vehicles, equipment, materials, and supplies to obstruct access to fire hydrants and other firefighting equipment.

(5)  Portable Fire Extinguishers.  Provide portable fire extinguishers according to table 9-2.

(a)  All portable fire extinguishers must be approved by a NRTL and labeled to identify the listing and labeling organization and the fire test and performance standard that the fire extinguisher meets or exceeds.

(b)  All portable fire extinguishers must be marked with their extinguisher classification and rating.

(c)  Fire extinguishers must be suitably placed, distinctly marked, and readily accessible. All fire extinguishers must be fully charged and in operable condition.

(d)  Inspect fire extinguishers according to paragraph 9-5.a.

(e)  When fire extinguishers are provided in the workplace, employees must be trained according to paragraph 9-3.c.

(f)  Do not use fire extinguishers with carbon tetrachloride or bromochloromethane extinguishing agents.

(g)  Do not use soldered or riveted shell self-generating foam or gas cartridge water-type portable extinguishers that are operated by inverting the extinguisher to rupture or initiate an uncontrollable pressure generating chemical reaction to expel the agent.

(6)  Standpipe and Hose System Equipment.

(a)  The design and construction of standpipes must be according to UFC 3-600-01.

(b)  Locate standpipes or otherwise protect them against damage.  Promptly repair damaged standpipes.

(c)  Design and maintain reels and cabinets used to contain fire hose to ensure easy access to the hose valve, hose, and other equipment.  Conspicuously identify reels and cabinets and only use them for fire equipment.

(d)  Locate hose outlets and connections high enough above the floor to avoid their obstruction and to be accessible to employees.  To ensure hose connections are compatible with support fire equipment, standardize the screw threads or provide adapters throughout the system.

(e)  Equip standpipe systems with vinyl type or lined hoses of such length that friction loss resulting from water flowing through the hose will not decrease the pressure at the nozzle below 30 psi (206.8 kilopascal (kPa)) gauge.  The dynamic pressure at the nozzle will be within 30 psi (206.8 kPa) gauge and 125 psi (861.8 kPa) gauge.

(f)  Equip standpipe hoses with basic spray nozzles with a straight stream to wide stream spray pattern. Nozzles must have a water discharge control capable of functions ranging from full discharge to complete shutoff.

(g)  Perform the following tests on standpipe and hose systems before placing them in service:

(g-1)  Hydrostatically test piping (including yard piping) for at least two hours at not less than 200 psi (1379 kPa), or at least 50 psi (344.7 kPa) more than normal pressure when the normal pressure is greater than 150 psi (1034.2 kPa).
            (g-2)  Hydrostatically test hose with couplings in place at a pressure of not less than 200 psi (1379 kPa).  Maintain this pressure for at least 15 seconds, but not more than one minute, during which time the hose must not leak or the jacket thread break.

(h)  Keep water supply tanks filled to the proper level except during repairs.  When pressure tanks are used, always maintain proper pressure except during repairs.

(i)  Always keep valves in the main piping connections to the automatic sources of water supply fully open, except during repairs.

(j)  Inspect the system according to paragraph 9-5.c.

(k)  The minimum water supply for standpipe and hose systems provided for the use of employees must provide at least 100 gal (0.38 m3) per minute for at least 30 minutes.

(l)  For all structures in which standpipes are required, or where standpipes exist in structures being altered, install the standpipes as soon as practical and maintain them
        as construction progresses so that they are always ready for fire protection use.  There must be at least one standard hose outlet at each floor.

(7)  Fixed Fire Suppression Systems.

(a)  Design, install, and acceptance test fixed fire suppression systems according to the requirements of the UFC 3-600-01.

(b)  Inspect the system according to paragraph 9-5.b. (c)  Protect automatic sprinkler systems from damage.

(d)  Maintain a vertical clearance of at least 18 inches (45.7 cm) between the top of stored material and sprinkler deflectors.

(e)  If a fixed extinguishing system becomes inoperable, the employer must notify the employees and take necessary precautions to assure their safety until the system is restored to operating order.

(f)  Provide effective safeguards to warn employees against entry into fixed extinguishing system discharge areas where the atmosphere remains hazardous to employee safety and health.  Identify manual operating devices as to the hazard against which they will provide protection.

(g)  Post warning or caution signs at the entrance and inside the areas protected by fixed extinguishing systems that use agents in concentrations known to be hazardous to employee safety and health.

(8)  Dry Chemical Fixed Extinguishing Systems.

(a)  Dry chemical extinguishing agents must be compatible with any foams or wetting agents with which they are used.

(b)  Do not mix dry chemical extinguishing agents of different compositions.

(c)  Refill dry chemical extinguishing systems with the chemical stated on the approval nameplate or an equivalent compatible material.

(9)  Gaseous Agent Fixed Extinguishing Systems.

(a)  Agents used for initial supply and replenishment must be of a type approved for the system's application.

(b)  Do not expose employees to toxic levels of the gaseous agent or its decomposition products.

(10) When water and spray foam fixed extinguishing systems are used, drain the water away from work areas and emergency egress routes.

(11) When fire blankets are provided, keep them in a conspicuous and accessible location.

c.  Fire Fighting.  (9-8.c)

(1)  Do not attempt to fight a fire that is in imminent danger of contact with explosives. Relocate all employees to a safe area and guard the fire against intruders.
    (2)  Firefighting Equipment.

(a)  Provide and install firefighting equipment according to applicable NFPA and OSHA regulations (see para 9-1).

(b)  Do not make any fire protection equipment or device inoperative or use them for other purposes, unless specifically approved by the USACE supervisor or accepted by the KO or COR.

d.  Fire Alarm and Mass Notification Systems.  The employer must establish an alarm system so that employees onsite and the local fire department can be alerted of an emergency. (9-8.d)

(1)  Design, install, and maintain fire alarm and mass notification systems according to UFC 3-600-01 and UFC 3-601-02.

(2)  Restore fire detection systems and components to normal operating condition as soon as possible after each test or alarm. Maintain spare devices and components in sufficient quantities for prompt system restoration.

(3)  Maintain fire detection systems in operable condition, except during maintenance or repairs.  Only a QP, will service, test, maintain, or repair fire detection, alarm, and mass notification systems.  (See para 9-4)

(a)  Test and adjust fire detectors and detector systems as often as necessary to maintain operability and reliability.  Factory calibrated detectors do not need to be adjusted after installation.

(b)  Clean fire detectors of dirt, dust, or other particulate matter at regular intervals according to the manufacturer’s instructions to be fully functional.

(4)  Equip pneumatic and hydraulic operated detection systems installed after January 1, 1981, with supervised systems.

(5)  Protect fire detection systems and devices from weather, corrosion, and mechanical and physical damage.

(6)  Do not support fire detectors from their control wiring or conduit.

(7)  Manually operated alarm actuation devices must be conspicuous, accessible, and inspected and maintained in operable condition.

(8)  The alarm must be distinctive and recognizable as a signal to evacuate the work area or to perform actions designated in the Emergency Plan according to paragraphs 1-7.d or 2-8.d, as applicable.  The alarm must be capable of being perceived above ambient noise and light levels by all employees in the affected area. Tactile devices must be used to alert those employees who would not otherwise be able to recognize the audible or visual alarm.

(9)  Instruct employees in the preferred means of reporting emergencies, such as manual pull box alarms, public address systems, or telephones (see para 9-3.f).

(a)  Post the alarm code and reporting instructions in conspicuous locations such as at phones and at employee entrances.

(b)  Post evacuation instructions in a conspicuous location.

(10) For work at installations that are equipped with radio wave fire alarm systems, a compatible fire alarm transmitter should be used at the construction site.

(11)  Install and maintain smoke detectors where personnel are quartered.