PDCA guide to managing construction fire safety
To support the five main dutyholders with fire safety responsibilities under the CDM Regulations, CONIAC has issued helpful guidance based on the well-established principles of Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA). The new guidance includes flowcharts and tables that aim to clarify roles and responsibilities for construction fire safety and give users a structured framework for decision making. In addition, to ensure industry-wide consistency the PDCA flowcharts adopt duty holder colour coding used in CITB's CDM duty holder guidance. Construction Fire Safety sub-group chair and NFRC SHE Officer Gary Walpole says: 'The new guides support fire safety in construction activities covered by CDM 2015. Whilst it's not possible to define every situation in these flowcharts and tables, the guidance will give the user a structured framework for decisions or flag opportunities to seek further clarity. In addition, the processes needed to achieve fire prevention under CDM and those under the new Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) share similarities, such as effective information sharing and risk management.
Anyone applying the CDM fire prevention principles set out in this new guidance should be in good stead if they are also involved in ensuring BSA compliance.' Paul Reeve, Chair of CONIAC's ‘Managing Risk Well' Group adds: 'This clear and remarkably helpful duty holder guidance covers a vitally important area of construction risk management. Construction fire safety needs to be managed from the earliest stages of design and procurement, as well as in the construction phase. These new flowcharts and information should be invaluable in helping this to happen both beforehand, and onsite'. The new guidance has been produced by CONIAC's ‘Managing Risk Well' Construction Fire Safety sub-group. CONIAC is the Construction Industry Advisory Committee, supported by HSE.