Fire Three essential factors

1
FireThree essential factors

• Fuel
• any combustible material
• a) liquid
• b) solid
• c) gas

2
FireThree essential factors

• Heat
• any means of raising the temperature of substance
  to its ignition temperature
• Oxygen
• always present in the air
• Fuel
• Anything will burn..
• (Remember, many highly flammable materials have
  low flash points and can be easily ignited)

3
Fire hazards

• Fire can be spread in four ways
• conduction heat transmission along any
  conductive substance
• convection heat rising and carrying hot
  particles elsewhere

4
Fire hazards

• radiation direct transfer of heat from the
  source of the fire to nearby combustible
  materials
• direct burning actual spread of fire to other
  combustible materials
• Prevention is better than control

5
convection
radiation
conduction
6
Fire prevention

• Remove the fuel
• tidiness and safe storage
• isolate when not in use
• Remove the heat
• keep hot tools, etc., away from anything
  flammable

7
Fire prevention

• Exclude or reduce the oxygen
• select fire-fighting equipment that will smother
  the fire
• turn off and if possible remove oxygen cylinders,
  etc.
• Be prepared
• fire-fighting equipment
• trained staff

8
Site fires

• Unsupervised fires are prohibited
• All fires must be extinguished before work ends
• Keep fires away from other flammables
• No lighting fires with flammable liquids

9
Fires

• Other hazards
• smoking in high risk areas
• security children and other trespassers
• cutting or welding trained and competent
  operators
• propane or butane outdoors with fixed pipework
• no refilling oil heaters when alight
• End of the day is
• everything turned off?

10
Classes of fire

• Class A
• paper, cloth, wood, rubber
• Class B
• oils, fats, paints, fuels

11
Fires

• Class C
• propane, butane, hydrogen, acetylene
• Class D
• magnesium, sodium, phosphorus
• Electrical
• any fire involving electrical equipment

12
Extinguishers
Water Red body Suitable for use on Class A Fires,
wood and paper etc. Not suitable for combustible
liquids, cooking fats etc. Not safe to use on
fires involving electricity Extinguishes by
cooling
Dry Powder Blue body (Old type) or Red body with
blue label. Best on Class B fires but safe to use
on any type of fire. Works by chemically
interfering with the combustion reaction
Foam Cream body (Old type) or Red Body with Cream
label. Suitable for Class A and B Fires. Not
suitable for use on fires involving electricity
Extinguishes by cooling and sealing the surface
of a burning liquid
Carbon dioxide CO2 Black body (Old type) or
red body with black label (New type). Best on
Class B and C fires but safe to use on any type
of fire Safe to use on fires involving
electricity Extinguishes by reducing oxygen
levels and cooling.
13
Use of water

• Never use hose reels, water extinguishers or any
  other means of extinguishing with water on
• live electrical apparatus
• fires involving fats, oils, paints, etc.
• metal fires
• Risk of electrocution or explosion

14
Fire blankets

• Used for small, contained fires
• involving fats or oils.
• To use
• switch off gas or electricity
• wrap corners of blanket around hands, hold at
  chest level and gently place over the fire

15
Fire blankets

• do not throw blanket it may miss or cause the
  fire to spill
• do not remove the blanket until the area has
  cooled

16
Training

• All staff trained to
• select correct fire fighting equipment
• use equipment safely
• Buildings with a Fire Certificate
• training is a requirement

17
Training

• Staff training should include
• recognising evacuation signal
• timing of tests
• who will be in charge
• location of fire exits
• location of assembly points
• what to do once there

18
Training

• Sources of training (procedures)
• in-house
• a)site induction
• b) refresher
• Sources of training (fire-fighting)
• Fire Brigade
• extinguisher companies
• Physical strength can be a factor for users of
  fire extinguishers

19
Fire alarms

• Weekly testing
• from different call points
• Fire Brigade informed
• Fire drills
• at least every 6 months
• evacuation procedures
• arrangements for visitors

20
In case of fire, no matter how small

• Raise the alarm
• Call the Fire Brigade
• Close all doors and windows to prevent the spread
  of fire

21
In case of fire,no matter how small

• If trained
• fight the fire with the extinguishers provided
  but do not put yourself in danger
• keep between the fire and the way out, so that
  you can get out safely
• Leave the building
• Report to assembly point
• Roll call