> Disclaimer: SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not legal or health and safety advice. Always follow your site-specific risk assessments and talk to a qualified professional.
The short version
On construction sites, the main fire law is the Fire Safety Order -- it says the "responsible person" (usually the principal contractor or whoever controls the site) must do and keep up-to-date a fire risk assessment and put proper measures in place.
HSG168 then sets the standard for construction: design out fire risks where you can, stop fires starting, and make sure people can get out fast and the emergency services can get in.
Why it matters
Construction fires spread fast -- part-built structures, timber frames, temporary electrics, hot works, gas bottles, fuel, hoarding, and long escape routes.
Workers and neighbours can be killed or seriously injured, and you can wipe out months of work in a night, with the principal contractor and key subcontractors facing enforcement and big civil claims.
HSE and the fire authority expect fire safety to be built into the job from the start, not bodged together when the first extinguisher inspector turns up.
Who is responsible for what
On a construction site you've got a mix of duties:
"Responsible person" under the Fire Safety Order:
- On a live building site, this is usually the principal contractor or whoever has control of the site as a workplace at that time.
- They must do the fire risk assessment, put in precautions, maintain them, and have emergency plans in place.
Client and designers (CDM side):
- Expected to think about fire risk at design and planning stage -- materials, methods, phasing -- and eliminate or reduce fire risk where they can.
Principal contractor / site management:
- Must plan, manage and monitor fire safety day-to-day: site rules, hot works, storage of combustibles, alarms, escape routes, fire points, drills.
Contractors / trades:
- Must follow site fire rules, control hot works, store gases and flammables correctly, and not block routes or fire points.
Workers:
- Must follow instructions, keep routes clear, report fire hazards, and know what to do if there's a fire.
HSG168 is the blueprint HSE use to judge whether those roles are being done properly on construction work.
What a decent site fire setup should include
HSG168 and the Fire Safety Order boil down to a handful of basics:
Fire risk assessment that's site-specific
- Looks at ignition sources (hot works, electrics, smoking, plant), fuels (timber, packaging, waste, fuel, gas), and people at risk (workers, neighbours, the public).
- Keeps up with the build -- what's fine at groundworks is hopeless once you've got timber frames up.
Controls to stop fires starting
- Tight hot-works controls (permits, segregation, fire watch, no hot works near combustible materials).
- Safe storage and handling of gas cylinders, fuels, flammable liquids -- secure, ventilated, away from ignition and not under escape routes.
- Good housekeeping -- regular waste removal, no big piles of timber and packaging, no smoking in the wrong places.
Detection, alarm and communication
- Means to raise the alarm that everyone can hear/see -- manual call points, air horns or temporary wired/wireless alarms, depending on size and noise.
- Clear instructions on who calls 999 and how you meet the fire service.
Means of escape
- Sufficient escape routes and exits, kept clear, signed and lit as needed; doors and stairways sized for the headcount on each level.
- Temporary stair towers and scaffolds planned as escape routes where needed, not blocked with materials.
Fire-fighting equipment
- Enough suitable extinguishers (e.g. water/foam for general combustibles, CO2 for electrical risks) at clearly marked fire points, maintained and checked.
- Fire blankets/extinguishers in welfare and canteens.
Emergency plan and drills
- Written fire procedure: how to raise the alarm, where to assemble, headcount, who liaises with the fire service.
- Regular drills so people actually know where to go and what it sounds like.
If a site you're on has none of that -- no obvious alarm, no fire points, no plan, routes blocked -- they're well offside against both HSG168 guidance and the Fire Safety Order.
Quick fire-safety basics on any site
Ask yourself, today:
Fire risk assessment: Is there a site-specific fire risk assessment that matches the current stage of the build (not just a generic template from month one)?
Alarm: Is there a clear way to raise the alarm that everyone can hear/see where they're working (air horns, manual call points, temporary alarm system), and do people know what it sounds like?
Escape routes: Are escape routes and stairs from your work area obvious, signed where needed, and kept clear of materials and waste?
Fire points and kit: Are there suitable, maintained extinguishers and fire points on each level or zone you're working in, and are they easy to get to -- not buried behind pallets?
Ignition and fuel control: Are hot works controlled (permits, fire watch), smoking confined to proper areas, and combustibles (waste, timber, gas, fuel) stored and cleared so they're not building a bonfire next to the job or under escape routes?
If you can't genuinely tick those off, the site fire setup isn't where HSG168 and the Fire Safety Order expect it to be.
What to do on your job -- as a small builder
If you're running the job (PC or only contractor), you should:
- Build fire into your Construction Phase Plan from day one -- not just a line about extinguishers.
- Do a simple fire risk assessment and keep it updated as the build changes -- especially with timber frames, high-rise works, or when hot works start.
- Set site rules: where you can smoke, how you manage hot works, where gases and fuels live, when waste gets cleared.
- Put in basics: alarm method, assembly point, escape routes, extinguishers at fire points on each level, and brief them at induction.
If you're working on someone else's site:
- Make sure you know how to raise the alarm, where the muster point is, and what routes you'd use from where you're working today.
- Don't block escape routes or fire points with your gear.
- If you spot obvious fire hazards (gas bottles next to hot works; escape stairs blocked; no alarms working), raise it with the site manager -- and escalate if they shrug it off.
What to do next
- Check your current site has a fire risk assessment that matches today's stage of the build, not a generic one from month one.
- Walk your escape routes right now -- are they clear, signed and actually usable, or blocked with materials?
- Make sure every person on site knows how to raise the alarm and where the muster point is.
- Check your extinguishers are in date, visible and not buried behind pallets.
- If you're running hot works on the job, make sure a permit system and fire watch are actually in place (see 4.16).
Sources
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 -- main fire safety law in workplaces and construction sites.
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 -- planning and management duties.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 -- general duties.
- HSE -- HSG168 Fire safety in construction (3rd edition) and related guidance.
Disclaimer
This guide is general information for small UK construction businesses and trades, not formal legal or fire engineering advice.
SiteKiln is not a law firm and this page is not a substitute for getting advice on your specific situation.
Fire safety law and HSE guidance, including the Fire Safety Order, CDM and HSG168, are updated from time to time, and how they apply will always depend on the exact facts on your project and your role.
If you're dealing with a serious fire risk, enforcement notice or major project (e.g. timber frame, high-rise), get specific advice from a competent fire safety professional and/or solicitor before you make big decisions.
Know someone who needs this?
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? Samaritans 116 123 ·