Basic fire safety -What you need to Know

Basic
fire safety(Part1)
Basic fire safety -What you need to Know
Introduction
Whatever
the nature of your business, there will always be a potential for damage or
loss due to fire. Health and safety is a good business, ask your supervisor!! People may be injury or even killed in fire-related
incidents. Thousands of business are adversely affected by fires every year,
with many suffering a complete loss of livelihood.

This element will give advice
on the law relating to fire safety and general guidance on fire precaution in
the homes and workplaces.

Full
and further advice should always be sought from the state fire and rescue
service, responsible for issuing fire certificated and enforcing other
requirements of fire safety legislation.
The
law
 The fire precautions (workplaces) regulations
1997 (amended in 1999) and the management of health and safety at work
regulation 1999 place responsibility on the employer to ensure safety from fire
in the workplace. These regulations require the employer to assess the
livelihood of fire and its consequences for those in the workplace and take
appropriate measures to reduce or eliminate the risk. In the case of the
workplace having 5 or more employees, the employer must record the significant
findings of the risk assessment and identify any groups of people who are
especially at risk.
      The
workplace includes any place within the premises to which employees have
access, such as an room, lobby or corridor and staircases, as well as any road
used as a means of entering or leaving the workplace.
A
fire certificate is required in respect of factory premises in or under which
certain explosive or highly flammable materials are used or stored (depending
on kind and quantities). 
Fundamental Objective
1.     
The
objective of basic  fire  fighting is to highlight the fundamentals of
fire fighting using the various items of fire fighting equipment to be found in
the work place, so that personnel on the spot will be able to deal effectively
with an outbreak.
2.     
Time
is an important factor in the fire fighting; therefore the man on the spot with
some training is more valuable for fighting a fire than the full time fire
brigade. This is more so because prompt invention will save the situation
before the fire develops into an inferno.
3.     
As
fire are not welcome because they disrupt our operations, cost money, and may
loss of lives, more and more attention is being focused on fire prevention in
safeguarding not only our production facilities, but also the offices, workshop,
residential accommodation etc.
4.     
Despite
the best effort of fire preventing, fires do occur from time to time.
Application of preventive/protective measures to control or limit fire damage
should therefore from part of our daily operational routine.
 
Scope
The
following areas shall be covered during the discussion:
1.     
Theory
of combustion.
2.     
Transmission
of heat.
3.     
Causes
of fire.
4.     
Classification
of fire.
5.     
Methods
of fire extinction.
6.     
Fire
prevention.
7.     
Emergency
response/evacuation procedures.
8.     
Fire
considerations.
9.     
How
to use fire extinguisher.
10.  Practical fire fighting.
Theory
of combustion:
Definition
of fire:
Fire
is a combustion process of oxidation characterized by the production of that,
flame and smoke.
Triangle
of combustion:
Basic fire safety -What you need to Know

There
are three essential elements, which must be present at the same time in order
to produce fire.
1.     
Enough
oxygen to support combustion.
2.     
Enough
heat to raise the material to its ignition temperature.
3.     
Some
sort of fuel or combustion material.
The
chemical/exothermic reaction as a result gives off fire.
An
understanding of these elements will help us see more clearly the role they
play in the combustion process.
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Heat
Heat
is a form of energy
, and flows from an area of high temperature to an area of
low temperature. Heat and temperature is not the same thing, and must not be
confused. For combustion to take place, most substance must be heated rather
rapidly.
Heat
for ignition can come from many sources. Open flame, electricity, hot surfaces,
friction, etc. after ignition temperature has been reached, burning will
continue as long as the fuel remains. The amount of heat produced during a fire
is called heat of combustion.
Fuel
Fuel
is defined as anything that can burn; it exists in three basic forms i.e.
solid, liquid, or gas. Fuel may exist in these forms, but combustion normally
occurs when fuel is in gaseous or vapor state. Solid and liquids therefore must
have applied energy usually, to vaporize them before oxygen can react with the
fuel in the combustion process. 
Solid
fuels:
e.g. wood, paper, furniture, rubber, carbonaceous substances textiles
etc.
Liquid
fuels:
e.g. crude oil, P.M.S., D.P.K., A.G.O., cooking oil, paint, etc.
Gaseous
fuels:
e.g. LPG, butane acetylene, propane and natural gases etc. 
Oxygen
Oxygen
constitutes about 21% of the total volume of air. It is a great supporter of
life and combustion. Most fires draw their oxygen from air. Some materials,
however, contain enough oxygen in a form that is liberated adequately to
support combustion.
Flash
point:-
Lowest
temperature a substance gives off sufficient flammable vapor to ignite, if a
flame is applied, but will; not continue to burn. 
Ignition
temperature:
Lowest  temperature of a substance at which sustained
combustion can be initiated.
  Spontaneous
ignition   temperature:
This
is lowest temperature at which the substance will be ignited spontaneously,
i.e. the substance will burn without the introduction of a flame or other
ignition source.
Transmission
of heat
Heat
is usually transformed when a temperature difference exist between two bodies.
There are three basic modes of heat transfer. 
Conduction
Involves
the transfer of heat by the interaction of atoms or molecules of a material
through which the heat is being transferred . it is transmitted through metal objects
or through unprotected steel work, e.g. walls floors, beams steel girders and
deck plating.
Convection
It
involves the transfer of heat by the mixing and motion of macroscopic portions
of a fluid. Boiling water transfers heat through convention.
Radiation
Radiation
or radiant heat transfer involves the transfer of heat by electromagnetic
radiant waves that arises due to the temperature of the body.
Reasons
for fire spread
·        
Delayed
discovery
·        
Large
inventory of combustibles
·        
Lack
of fire resisting structure
·        
Openings
in the floors and walls
·        
Raid
burning of dust deposits
·        
Flowing
oils, fats and hydrocarbons
·        
Combustible
furnishing and fabrics 
 
What are the possible Causes
of fire Outbreak?
There are several causes of fire outbreak, which include the following;
Industrial
fire
; Carelessness

1.     
Electricity
– neglect and misuse of wiring and electrical appliances. Defective electrical
appliances.
2.     
Refuse/rubbish
– accumulating in work/storage areas.
3.     
Smoking
– discarded cigarettes, matches, inadequately ashtrays.
4.     
Heaters
– portable heaters can be knocked over, poorly sited or inadequately guarded.
All heaters could over heat if obstructed.
5.     
Hazardous
gods – includes material such as paints, adhesive or other chemicals.
6.     
Arson
– by mischievous children and adult fire raisers, facilitated by ineffectively
secured buildings.
7.     
Specific
hazard – machinery in dusty environments, heated equipment (e.g. soldering
irons), blow lamps, cutting and welding equipment, flammable liquids/gases.
8.     
Spontaneous
ignition.
9.     
Leaking
fuel hoses in vehicle engine housing.
10.  Leaking as valves, explosion.
11.  Faulty machinery.
Natural
causes
1.     
Thunder
and lightning.
2.     
Hurricane/wild
wind.
3.     
Earthquake.
4.     
Volcanic
eruption
Intentional
acts.
1.     
Political
unrest.
2.     
Bank
fraud.
3.     
Insurance
claim.
4.     
Grievances
at work.
5.     
Civil
disturbance.
Common
cause of domestic fires
1.     
Careless
discarding  of cigarette ends.
2.     
Children
playing with matches.
3.     
Overheated
oil/fats.
4.     
Unsafe
use of candles at home.
5.     
Smoking
on bed.
6.     
Wrong
uses fuses/wires.
7.     
Procurement/storage
of leaking gas cylinders at home.
8.     
Dual
usage of one container for petrol and kerosene.
9.     
Power
surge/fluctuations.
10.  Refueling of generator set whilst
running.
11.  Electrical/electronic appliances
left on after power outage.
12.  Short circuits.
13.  Unattended cooking stove/gas.
14.  Radiated heat.
15.  Hoarding of fuel at home.
16.  Poor house – keeping.

Basic fire safety -What you need to Know