Fire watch: Definition and What It Means for Your Property

Two situations create a fire watch

The first is an impairment. When a sprinkler system, fire alarm or standpipe is out of service, the building has lost the protection its occupancy permit assumes. The International Fire Code, section 901.7, requires the owner to notify the fire department and the fire code official at once and, where the official requires it, to either evacuate the building or provide an approved fire watch until the system is back. Houston adopts the International Fire Code with local amendments, and the Houston Fire Marshal’s Office is the authority that decides what applies to a given building.

The second is hot work. OSHA’s welding standard, 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii), requires a fire watch whenever welding, cutting or brazing happens where combustibles are within 35 feet, or further away but easily ignited, or where openings in walls or floors expose combustibles. The watch stays at least 30 minutes after the work stops. NFPA 51B, the standard many hot work permits follow, calls for at least one hour.

What the watch actually does

A fire watch officer walks a defined route at defined intervals, checks every floor or every part of the work area, looks and smells for smoke and heat, checks that exits are clear and extinguishers are in place, and logs each round with the time. If a fire starts, the officer raises the alarm by the method the plan specifies, calls 911, alerts occupants and uses an extinguisher only on a fire small enough to be put out safely. The officer does not fight a growing fire. The log is available to the fire marshal on request.

What it means for you

A fire watch is a temporary substitute for a system, not a replacement. Price Protection staffs permanent, temporary and emergency watches on short notice, with officers trained in fire safety, and the fire watch services page explains how a watch is started. This summary is for planning and is not legal advice.