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FIRE HAZARDS
Fire is simply a product of heat and light that is evolved during a chemical reaction called combustion. It relies upon the presence of oxygen from the air reacting with flammables.
Fire is combination of oxygen, fuel and ignition source and cannot take place when one of the element is missing.
This can be can be represented in a fire triangle as shown below
Fire triangle
Classification of Fire
CLASS |
FUEL |
Examples |
Fire extinguisher |
A |
Solid organic carbonaceous material |
Rubbish, wood, paper, textiles |
Water, CO2, foam, dry powder etc. |
B |
liquids or easily melted solid organic compounds |
petrol, ethanol, plastics etc. |
CO2, Foam, dry powder but not water |
C |
flammable gases |
petroleum gases |
CO2, Foam and dry powder |
D |
Flammable Metals |
Na, Mg etc. |
Dry powder, C02 |
E |
Electric |
Electric faults |
CO2, dry powder but not water |
Safety precautions for fire hazards
- Every work place must have a fire extinguisher, wide enough exit door opening outwards or sideways but not inwards, the door should be marked in red and no obstructions should be on the way.
- Regular inspection of fire safety should be in any workplace and records kept.
- Regular fire drills should be held in which the staff and the public should be informed and made familiar with the emergency routine to be followed in case of fire outbreak.
- There should be a final point of meeting from the adjoining fire risk areas where everybody who may have escaped the fire tragedy in the building should assemble and their names taken so as to easily identify those that could still be trapped inside the building. This point should be easily accessible and protected from fire risk.
- In case of fire, the personnel inside the building should be immediately evacuated from the fire risk area. While trying to slow down the spread of fire, all doors and windows should be closed to rid off oxygen supply from the room, then call the fire brigades and raise the alarm for everybody to run to the fire assembly point where the roll call will be taken.