Fire safety in construction requires minimizing flammable materials, properly storing fuels and oxidizers, preventing smoking in risky areas, and taking electrical safety precautions. Sites should have fire extinguishers and trained personnel, a fire tender on standby, and water available for fires. Fire detection systems use heat, smoke, or flame sensors to quickly detect fires and alert people. The Confederation of Indian Industry issued ten fire safety commandments including having a written prevention plan, eliminating risks, training employees, and following regulations.

1. FIRE PROTECTION IN CONSTRUCTION

2. INTRODUCTION
 Fire safety can be ensured if flammable materials
are kept away from heat and oxygen.
 3 ingredients of fire are fuel, oxygen and source of
ignition.
 If any of them is removed no fire will occur.
 Precautionary measures should be planned before
starting any construction work.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:
 Less use of flammable materials like timber,
bamboo, coal, paints etc.
 Quantities of flammable materials should be kept to
minimum at work sites.
 Flammable solids, liquids and gases must be stored
away from oxygen and oxidizing materials.
 Smoking should be prohibited at fire risk areas of
work place.
 Precautions must be taken in transporting, storing,
handling and using flammable materials.

4.  Electrical fires occur due to insulation failure,
overloaded conductors and poor connections. Hence,
proper care must be taken.
 Fire extinguishers should be kept at strategically
convenient points.
 Personnel should be trained to use them.
 Fire tender should remain parked at site round the
clock.
 Adequate water should be available for fighting the fire.
 Buckets filled with sand should be kept at appropriate
places for smothering the fire.

5. FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEM
 Fire detection cum alarm system detects fire at the
earliest stage and alerts the people, hence life and
property could be saved.
 A fire detector is designed to detect one of the 3
characteristics of fire i.e., heat, smoke and radiation
(flame).
 The type of detector to be installed at a place
depends on nature of construction and type of
hazard that might take place.

6. FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEM
 Heat detectors:
 Fixed heat detectors respond when the ambient
temperature reaches a high value (like 58 deg etc.)
 Rate of rise heat detector measures rate of increase in
ambient temperature and responds when increase in
rate is above normal or when temp reaches 58 deg
whichever is earlier.
 Smoke detectors:
 Ionization smoke detectors respond when smoke enters
detector and causes a change in ionization currents in
the detector.
 Optical smoke detector contains a light source and
photo electrical cell responds when light is scattered by
smoke particles.

7.  Flame detectors:
 It is detector that looks over a given area and responds
when it detects UV or IR radiation.
 Because of its inability to detect smouldering fire it is
used in specialized applications to supplement heat and
smoke detectors.

8. TEN COMMANDMENTS
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Eastern
Region concluded the chapter on fire safety by
issuing 10 commandments which are as follows:
1. Have a written down fire prevention plan for your
company and ensure it is sincerely implemented.
2. Identify and eliminate fire risks or reduce them to
the maximum extent possible.
3. Train and retrain your employees in fire prevention
and fire fighting.

9. 4. Install suitable fire protection equipment and make
sure your employees know how to use it in case of
fire.
5. Regularly inspect your fire safety equipment so
that it doesn’t fail in an emergency.
6. Establish an emergency plan in close connection
with the public fire department.
7. Take utmost care while handling flammable
materials.
8. Follow good house keeping practices, because a
clean house is a safe house.

10. 9. Protect plant against hazards within and outside
by having suitable construction.
10. Never violate any fire safety laws.
NBC, Part IV issued by BIS is a comprehensive
document covering all aspects of fire safety.
BIS plays a major role in formulating the general
standards related to fire safety and fire fighting.

11. SOME SAFETY RELATED CODES:
 IS:933 – specification for portable chemical foam
fire extinguisher
 IS:934 - specification for portable water type fire
extinguisher
 IS:2878 - specification for fire extinguisher (carbon
dioxide type – portable, trolley mounted)
 IS:8758 – recommendations for fire precautionary
measures in the construction of temporary
structures and pandals (fabricated structure).