Supervise firestopping installation teams on site (small cavity barriers)

Install | FS035

This activity is about supervising firestopping teams on site carrying out work to install small cavity barriers in voids between elements of construction, for example those around windows, in external walls and under raised access floors etc. This includes arranging for work to take place at site, allocating individuals to carry out work, ensuring that the appropriate resources are available to installation teams, resolving problems and communicating information about the progress of works. It also includes monitoring the quality of firestopping installations as they are being carried out, to ensure that the work of firestopping teams complies with the requirements set out within the project specification.

Culture & behaviour

Core abilities

Culture & behaviour
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Effective working behaviours

You must:

  • Work within limits of own capability and know when to seek advice from others
  • Manage own time effectively
  • Work effectively individually and as part of a team
  • Communicate effectively
  • Undertake personal development activities to maintain currency of competence
Culture & behaviour
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Passive fire protection installation behaviours

You must:

  • Use organisational processes to flag up non-compliant works
  • Challenge unsafe behaviours and activities, and report where necessary
  • Identify and manage risks to self and others
  • Keep own work area clean and tidy
  • Work in accordance with quality requirements and challenge where they are not being met
Culture & behaviour
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Passive fire protection installation supervisory behaviours

You must:

  • Act ethically to ensure safe outcomes
  • Demonstrate effective leadership
Currency of competence
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Experience supervising on-site installation (small cavity barriers)

You must have:

  • 1 instance of supervision every year
Core abilities
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Firestopping knowledge

You must:

  • Know the importance of firestopping
    • To include: Compartmentation; How firestopping impedes fire to protect structures and people
  • Know the materials that services are commonly made from and their implications for use of firestopping products
  • Know the substrate materials that are commonly used and their implications for use of firestopping products
Core abilities
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Safe working practices for installation

You must:

  • Know organisational procedures to report and rectify inappropriate information and unsuitable resources, and how they are implemented
  • Know the purpose and importance of risk assessment
  • Know how emergencies should be responded to and who should respond
  • Know the organisational security procedures for tools, equipment and personal belongings
  • Know what the accident reporting procedures are and who is responsible for making the report
  • Know why and when personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used
  • Understand your responsibility to follow organisational rules about construction products
  • Understand the limits of your authority with regards to construction products
    • To include: understanding that at this level a construction product choice, substitution or recommendation cannot be made; Knowing that if information on construction products is communicated information must be passed on accurately and without changes from that created by the relevant authority.
Core abilities
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Core supervision of passive fire protection installation

You must:

  • Know the organisational procedures required to solve problems relating to information and resources provided for firestopping work
  • Know how to determine the competence of individuals to be allocated firestopping work
  • Understand that substitution of construction products may impact conformance or compliance, and that review, evaluation and approval must be sought
  • Know how to obtain advice and raise concerns about construction products

You must be able to:

  • Liaise at site to obtain access to complete firestopping work
  • Check and confirm that health and safety requirements, and relevant statutory and industry regulations are complied with on site
  • Allocate installation work and ensure that people undertaking firestopping are competent and aware of their role in installation activities
  • Solve problems at site resulting from incorrect information or unsuitable resources
  • Liaise at site to resolve issues and progress the works
  • Escalate risks to safety discovered as a result of monitoring the quality of installation work
  • Ensure that records of installation are captured, in line with organisational and regulatory procedures, including progress and variation information where applicable
  • Ensure that work is carried out to time
  • Provide accurate and complete information on firestopping installations to colleagues when required
Core abilities
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Developing and maintaining relationships

You must:

  • Know how to maintain good working relationships with colleagues and other stakeholders
  • Know the types of problem that many occur when supervising an installation team, and how to deal with them
Core abilities
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Recording & communicating information for installation supervisors

You must:

  • Understand the importance of recording information correctly
  • Understand the systems used to record installation information and how they are used
  • Understand the processes for signing off installation work
Specific abilities
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Selecting and using resources for installation of small cavity barriers

You must:

  • Know the types of information relevant to installation of small cavity barriers, their source, and how they should be interpreted
  • Know the characteristics, quality, uses, limitations and defects associated with the resources for installation of small cavity barriers
    • To include: additional characteristics where related to their function in firestopping, for example compatibility, durability, air tightness or structural movement.
  • Know how methods of work to meet the specification are carried out, and any problems reported
  • Know hazards associated with the resources and methods of work, and how they are overcome
  • Know how risk of damage to the work and the surrounding area is minimised, and the importance of doing so
Specific abilities
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Supervise on-site installation (small cavity barriers)

You must:

  • Know how to identify and confirm the installation work required
  • Know how to determine the resources required for installation of small cavity barriers
  • Know how legislation and official guidance relates to the work being carried out, particularly with regard to hazards to health and the environment, and use of construction products
    • To include: consequences of not operating within requirements.
  • Know how equipment used for the installation of firestopping should be used, maintained and any defects reported or rectified

You must be able to:

  • Check project specifications, drawings & verbal information relating to installation of small cavity barriers to determine the scope of the work required
  • Ensure appropriate method statements, risk assessments and work instructions are being followed by team members conducting installation of small cavity barriers
  • Ensure that the correct quality and quantity of resources are being used in the installation of small cavity barriers
  • Ensure that installation of small cavity barriers is being carried out in line with manufacturer's instructions
  • Ensure that equipment is used and maintained following safe working practices and manufacturer's instructions
  • Support team members to take corrective action where incorrect installation of small cavity barriers is identified
  • Sign off installation of small cavity barriers as complete and share that information according to organisational processes

Currency of competence

Specific abilities

Culture & behaviour

Core abilities

Currency of competence

Specific abilities

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