Fire Safety · Mandatory · Pre-Construction

Temporary Fire Strategy

A fire strategy for the construction phase covering temporary detection and escape routes.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. RRO 2005 / CDM 2015 remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) + Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) + HSG 168 Fire Safety in Construction
Purpose	A living document that sets out fire safety management arrangements throughout the entire construction programme, from mobilisation to practical completion
Highest risk	Timber frame construction — HSG 168 identifies timber frame as the highest-risk construction type for fire and requires specific additional controls
Review frequency	The strategy must be reviewed and updated at every significant phase transition, change of use, or change to the site layout or fire precautions
Responsible person	The principal contractor is the responsible person under the RRO 2005 for the duration of the construction phase and must appoint a competent fire safety manager

1. Temporary Fire Strategy

A temporary fire strategy is a comprehensive fire safety management document that governs fire precautions throughout the construction programme. Unlike the permanent fire strategy for the completed building, the temporary fire strategy addresses the unique and evolving fire risks that exist during the construction phase — a period when the building has no permanent fire detection, no permanent compartmentation, and when large quantities of highly combustible materials are present on site.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the principal contractor is the responsible person for fire safety on the construction site. CDM 2015 reinforces this duty by requiring the principal contractor to plan, manage, and monitor fire precautions as part of the overall health and safety management of the project. HSG 168 (Fire Safety in Construction) provides detailed practical guidance on the specific fire risks encountered during construction and the controls needed to manage them.

Construction sites present fire risks that are fundamentally different from those in occupied buildings. During early construction there is no permanent fire detection or alarm system, meaning fires may go undetected until they are well established. Highly combustible materials such as insulation, timber, packaging, solvents, and LPG cylinders are routinely stored and used on site. Hot works — cutting, welding, grinding, and bitumen heating — introduce direct ignition sources. Partially completed compartmentation means that fire and smoke can spread rapidly through the structure. Arson is a significant risk, particularly on sites with inadequate perimeter security or sites that are unoccupied during evenings and weekends.

The temporary fire strategy is not a static document. It must evolve with the construction programme as the building progresses through different phases, each of which presents different fire risks and requires different fire precautions. A strategy written at mobilisation will not be adequate for the fit-out phase, and a strategy written for fit-out will not be adequate for phased handover and occupation.

Timber frame: the highest-risk construction type

HSG 168 identifies timber frame construction as presenting the highest fire risk of any construction method. Large volumes of exposed structural timber, combined with insulation materials and the absence of completed fire-stopping, create conditions in which fire can spread with extreme speed. Specific additional controls are required, including a dedicated fire safety manager, enhanced fire detection, 24-hour fire watch during critical phases, strict hot works exclusion, and phased installation of fire barriers before the next level of timber is erected. Several major fires in recent years have destroyed entire timber frame structures during construction, causing losses running into tens of millions of pounds.

2. Content

The following table sets out the key elements that a temporary fire strategy must address. Each element should be detailed enough to provide clear, practical instructions for site personnel and should be reviewed at every phase transition.

Element	Detail
Project overview	Description of the project, construction type, number of storeys, programme duration, and site address. Identifies the responsible person, fire safety manager, and key contacts for emergency services.
Fire risk by construction stage	Assessment of fire risks at each significant stage of the programme — substructure, superstructure, envelope, fit-out, commissioning, and phased handover. Each stage presents different risks and requires different controls.
Temporary fire detection & alarm	Specification of the temporary fire detection and alarm system to be installed before construction activity begins. This should include the type of detectors, coverage, alarm sounders, call points, and the point in the programme at which the permanent system takes over.
Escape routes	Identification of all temporary escape routes, including stairways, corridors, and external routes. Maximum travel distances, emergency lighting, directional signage, and the arrangements for keeping escape routes clear of obstructions and combustible materials at all times.
Fire-fighting equipment & facilities	Location, type, and number of portable fire extinguishers, fire points, dry risers (if applicable), and temporary water supplies for fire-fighting. Access routes for the fire and rescue service, including turning circles, hard standings, and gate access arrangements.
Hot works management	The permit-to-work system for all hot works, exclusion zones, fire watch requirements during and after hot works (minimum 60 minutes after completion), and the prohibition of hot works in high-risk areas such as timber frame zones or areas with exposed insulation.
Arson prevention	Perimeter security measures, CCTV, security patrols, removal of combustible waste at the end of each shift, secure storage of flammable materials, and lighting of the site perimeter. Arson is a leading cause of construction site fires, particularly during unoccupied periods.
Timber frame provisions	Specific controls for timber frame construction as required by HSG 168, including phased installation of fire barriers, dedicated fire safety manager, enhanced detection, 24-hour fire watch during critical phases, and prohibition of hot works within or adjacent to exposed timber.
Phased occupation	Where part of the building is handed over and occupied while construction continues in other areas, the strategy must address the separation between the occupied and construction zones, the independent fire detection and alarm systems, and the independent escape routes for occupants and construction workers.
Handover of permanent systems	The programme for commissioning and handing over permanent fire safety systems — fire detection and alarm, emergency lighting, dry and wet risers, sprinklers, smoke ventilation, and fire doors. The strategy must identify the point at which each permanent system becomes operational and the temporary system is decommissioned.
Review & update schedule	The defined intervals and triggers for reviewing and updating the strategy. At a minimum, the strategy must be reviewed at every significant phase transition, after any fire-related incident or near miss, and whenever changes are made to the site layout, access routes, or fire precautions.

3. Common Mistakes

Not updating the strategy at phase transitions

A temporary fire strategy written at mobilisation is not valid for the entire construction programme. As the building progresses through substructure, superstructure, envelope, fit-out, and phased handover, the fire risks change fundamentally. Escape routes move, temporary detection coverage must expand, combustible material loading changes, and the availability of permanent fire safety systems evolves. Failing to update the strategy at each significant phase transition means the document no longer reflects the actual site conditions, and the fire precautions in place may be entirely inadequate for the current risks. The strategy must be treated as a living document that is reviewed and reissued at every phase change.

Commissioning permanent fire safety systems too late

A common and serious error is leaving the commissioning of permanent fire safety systems — fire detection and alarm, emergency lighting, sprinklers, dry and wet risers, smoke ventilation, and fire doors — until the very end of the project. During the later stages of construction, particularly fit-out and phased occupation, the fire risks are often at their highest, yet the temporary systems may have been partially decommissioned in anticipation of the permanent systems taking over. The result is a gap in fire protection that can last weeks or months. The temporary fire strategy must include a clear programme for the commissioning of each permanent system and must ensure that temporary provisions remain in place until the permanent system is fully operational and verified.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Is a temporary fire strategy the same as a fire risk assessment?▾

No. A fire risk assessment (FRA) is a statutory requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and is an assessment of the fire risks present at a specific point in time. It identifies hazards, evaluates the risk to persons, and records the fire precautions in place. A temporary fire strategy is a broader management document that sets out the overall fire safety arrangements for the entire construction programme. The strategy provides the framework within which fire risk assessments are carried out. In practice, the temporary fire strategy should reference and incorporate the findings of fire risk assessments carried out at each phase of construction, and the FRA findings should trigger updates to the strategy where necessary. Both documents are required — they serve different but complementary purposes.

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