Fire Risk Analysis for Construction Sites

Abstract

In construction, fire safety refers to preventing fires from igniting as well as assuring workers’ safety when it occurs. Industry players devote less emphasis to the prevention of fires at building sites than they do to other forms of construction mishaps. The after effects of construction site fires are very severe even though they are not very frequent to occur they often result in injury and death of workers, project time delay and project cost overrun. This study aims to address and analyse the fire hazards in construction sites concluding with an expansive list of factors that contribute to fire hazards in construction sites. Since not all factors have a substantial likelihood of occurrence or severity of impact it’s important to eliminate those factors that have a tolerable or trivial level of risk. The factors were shortlisted using a risk matrix by using the inputs of likelihood of occurrence and severity of impact of various risk factors present in case studies. A list of 7 risk groups and 18 risk factors were finalised for further analysis in this study. The likelihood of occurrence and severity of impact of those 18 factors were obtained through questionnaire surveys. After which Fuzzy synthetic evaluation was used to calculate the risk index at 3 levels, the risk factor level, risk group and finally an overall risk index for construction sites. It was analysed that construction sites had a risk index of 3.97 out of a maximum score of 5 which indicated that construction sites were at a substantial risk to fire. Finally, a risk assessment matrix was developed which could be then used at various construction sites to keep track of the level of fire risk present in the site at any point in time. This risk assessment matrix developed in this study could be made a part of the safety checks that happen at site regularly.