Jobsite Safety, Materials, and Coordination
Site safety
OSHA requires fall protection at 6 ft in construction, guardrails or personal fall arrest on elevated work, and safe ladder/scaffold use. Use PPE for cutting, grinding, and solvent cementing. Hot work needs a permit and fire watch. Lockout/tagout applies to pumps and controllers. Confined-space entry into vaults or pits requires atmospheric testing and rescue planning.
Materials and coordination
Store CPVC out of sunlight and use listed solvent cement; do not mix steel and CPVC without dielectric protection. Hangers must match pipe material and spacing. Coordinate sleeve locations, structural members, ductwork, and ceiling grids before rough-in. Firestopping is required where pipe penetrates rated assemblies; seismic separation and flexible couplings need coordination with structural drawings.
Worked example
A crew is installing a 2-in. main at 12 ft in a warehouse. A scissor lift with guardrails is used; no personal fall arrest is needed while the operator stays inside the platform. A pipe penetration through a 2-hour wall is sleeved and firestopped with a listed system, and the sprinkler contractor records the penetration on the coordination log before the wall is closed.
Traps
Cutting structural steel for pipe; omitting firestopping; using unlisted hangers; mixing materials without dielectric protection; and allowing hot work without a permit or fire watch.