Basic Fire Safety Training

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Basic Fire Safety TrainingBasic Fire Safety Awareness Course Notes

FIRESAFETY

IntroductionFire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. The negative effects of fire include water contamination, soil erosion, atmospheric pollution and hazard to life and property. Fire hazards are referred to as threats to fire safety. This hazard may be a situation that increases the possibility of a fire to occur or may hinder escape in the event of a fire.Triangle of FireOne way of looking at combustion is in terms of the triangle of combustion. It is considered that for combustion to occur, three factors are necessary:

Combustion will continue as long as these three factors are present Presence of fuel vapour GASES. Natural gas Propane Butane Hydrogen Acetylene LIQUIDS. Gasoline Kerosene Paints Varnishes Vegetable oils Alcohols SOLIDS Charcoal Wood Paper Textiles Waxes Plastics Sugar Grain Metals Rubber P/U foams

Presence of oxygen Atmospheric Oxygen Oxydising agents Other chemicals (Permanganates, Acids, Chlorine, Fluorine, etc)

Presence of heat/ source of ignition Open flame Hot surfaces Sparks and Friction Chemical reactionsKey Terms When a combustible material is heated, it gets hotter; its temperature rises. As it gets hotter it will begin to give off flammable vapours. When it is producing enough vapour to Flash when a flame is applied it is said to have reached Flash Point. Flash Point Flash Point is the lowest temperature at which there is sufficient vaporisation of a combustible material to produce a vapour, which will flash momentarily when a flame is applied. If the combustible material continues to be heated to even higher temperatures, there will be enough flammable vapour given off for it to continue burning if a flame is applied. It is said to have reached Fire Point.Fire Point Fire Point is the lowest temperature at which the heat from the combustion of a burning vapour is capable of producing sufficient vapour to enable combustion to continue'.The difference between flash point and fire point is that the flash point temperature is only required to produce vapour to enable a momentary flash to take place, whereas the fire point temperature has to be high enough to produce sufficient vapour so that the combustible material continues to burn after the ignition source has been taken away.If, instead of igniting the material, we now allow it to get even hotter so that the vapours coming off it are visible, the material will soon burst into flame without a source of ignition being introduced. It has now reached its Auto-Ignition Temperature.Auto-Ignition Temperature The lowest temperature at which the combustible material will ignite spontaneously, that is the substance will burn without the introduction of a flame or other ignition source. This is sometimes referred to as the ignition temperature. Spontaneous combustionCertain materials, especially organic materials based on carbon, may react with oxygen at room temperature. If the fuel is a good thermal insulator, the heat generated in this way cannot escape and the temperature rises. This increases the rate of reaction and the situation escalates. Eventually the auto-ignition temperature for the material is reached and true combustion commences; a fire has broken out. Alternatively, the action of bacteria on certain organic materials can cause a rise in temperature eventually leading to active combustion. A fine state of sub-division, as in flour, powdered coal and some metals, could also lead to spontaneous combustion.The thermal insulation factor is of great importance in this type of combustion. Without this insulation, the heat would escape and there would be no fire.Flammable Liquids with a flash point between 320C and 550CHighly flammable Liquids with a flash point below 320C

Causes of FireFires in workplaces start for many different reasons. Some of the most common causes of workplace fires are: Electrical equipment faulty wiring, overloaded conductors, misused equipment and the incorrect use of electrical equipment in inappropriate environments.

Deliberate ignition many workplace fires are started deliberately. In some cases the workplace has been targeted, e.g. by a disgruntled employee or an unhappy customer; in other cases it has not, e.g. youths playing with matches

Hot work any work involving the use of naked flames (e.g. a propane torch or oxy-acetylene cutting equipment) or that creates a significant ignition source (e.g. arc-welding and grinding).

Smoking in particular carelessly discarded smoking materials such as cigarette butts and matches.

Heating appliances like electric fan heaters and space heaters, especially when left unattended.

Unsafe use and storage of flammable liquids and gases, e.g. petrol, acetone and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Static sparks can be generated which could ignite a flammable vapour.

Mechanical heat generated by friction between moving parts such as a motor and its bearings, or cold work generating sparks.

Chemical reactions can also generate heat e.g. oxidisers

Consequences of FireConsequences may be split into three main groups Human Harm Fire has the potential for major loss of life due to direct contact with heat and flame or from the effects of smoke and toxic gases. Economic Loss Commercial losses from fire are substantial even though recent workplace injury and death has been low. When fire do occur in the workplace the organization is usually so badly affected it does not resume business again. Environmental Degradation Our local and wider environment are polluted and deteriorated at the time of occurrence of fire in workplace. Air pollution may arise due to harmful and toxic gases released as result of fire in workplace. Water and land pollution also increased due to debris of collapsed building and structure. Even though sudden increase in temperature may disturb natural cycles of environment.

Method of Fire SpreadHeat travels from regions of high temperature to regions of lower temperature. This is true no matter how small the temperature difference. There are four methods by which heat may be transmitted, these are: 1. Direct burning2. Convection3. Conduction4. Radiation

1. Direct burning the simplest method of fire spread where a flame front moves along or through the burning material. For example, set fire to the corner of a piece of paper and then watch the flame front spread across the paper.

2. Convection the principle that hot air rises and cold air sinks. Hot gases generated by the fire rise straight up from the fire: Inside a building these hot gases will hit the ceiling and then spread out to form a layer underneath the ceiling. When these hot gases touch any combustible material (such as a wooden curtain pole) they may heat that material up sufficiently so that it bursts into flame.

3. Conduction the principle that heat can be transmitted through solid materials. Some metals, in particular, conduct heat very efficiently (e.g. copper). Any pipes, wires, ducts or services running from room to room can act as conduits for heat and spread the fire.

4. Radiation heat energy can be radiated through air in the form of infrared heat waves which travel in straight lines (just like speed of light) and can pass through transparent surfaces (such as glass). Radiant heat generated by a fire shines onto the nearby surfaces and is absorbed. If the material heats up sufficiently it can burst into flames.

Types of Fire - The 5 Fire ClassificationsIt is very important to understand the five different classifications, or types of fire. As fires are classified according to the type of fuel that is burning if the wrong type of fire extinguisher is used, a dangerous situation may arise. Class A

Class A type fires involve combustible materials like wood, paper, textiles, straw, coal, car tyres. They are often found in commercial and home buildings.

Class B

Class B type fires are caused by combustion of liquids or materials that liquify for example fats, oils, petrol, paints alcohol and parraffin.

Class C

Class C type fires are caused by combustion of gases for example: hydrogen, natural gas, methane, propane and acetylene.

Class D

Class D fires involve combustible metals such as sodium, magnesium, aluminium, lithium and potassium. These types of fires require special fire extinguishers.

Class F

Class F fires involve combustible oils and grease commonly found in commercial kitchens. The new cooking formulations used for commercial food preparation require a special wet chemical extinguishing agent that is specially suited for extinguishing these hot fires that have the ability to re-flash. Never use other pressurised extinguisher types, as water, foam, powder or CO2 on burning cooking oil, as the pressure jet might carry the burning oil and spread the fire!

Fire Risk AssessmentFire risk assessment is a legal requirement for every workplace. Even a small fire could have fatal consequences and will have serious financial implications for any business.

Fire safety risk assessment

1Identify fire hazardsIdentify: sources of ignition such as naked flames sources of fuel such as flammable liquids sources of oxygen such as the air around us

2Identify people at riskIdentify: people in and around the premises and people who are especially at risk

3Evaluate, remove or reduce, and protect from risk Evaluate the risk of a fire starting Evaluate the risk to people from a fire Remove or reduce fire hazards Remove or reduce the risks to people from a fire Protect people by providing for precautions

4Record, plan, inform, instruct and train Record any major findings and action you have taken Discuss and work with other responsible people Prepare an emergency plan Inform and instruct relevant people Provide training

5Review Review your fire-risk assessment regularly Make changes where necessary

Remember to review your fire-risk assessment regularly

Extinguishing MethodsBasically to extinguish fire using either the portable fire extinguishers or fire hose lines, we could either remove any 1, 2 or 3 elements of fire by:1.Cooling the fire using pressurized water fire extinguisher or water hose lines for class A fires. This is removal of the heat element.2.Smothering Blanketing, replacing or removal of oxygen from the fire using carbon dioxide for Class C fires, foams for class B fires3.Starvation Removal of the fuel like burning gas/ oil pipeline, shut off main valve and valve leading to next pipeline.Fire Prevention, Protection and PrecautionFire Prevention is a process to educate the public to take precautionary actions to prevent fires and be taught about surviving such fire. It is a proactive method of reducing emergencies and the damage caused by fire.1. Smoking and nonsmoking areas should be clearly posted and strictly enforced.2. Rig heaters must be approved before use.3. Investigate all unusual odors, smoke or gases. Determine the source and promptly report the problem.4. There should be an approved hot work permit filed before any welding and cutting Operation begin5. Matches and all other smoking material should be left in places designated safe for smoking.6. Oil, diesel fuel or other flammables should not be allowed to collect around, or under, engines, cellar or similar places.7. Avoid spillage during refueling or fuel transfer. Static electricity can ignite a fire.8. Flammable or combustible liquids should be stored in a proper container in Designated, posted areas.9. Do not overload electrical circuits.10 Make sure all liquefied petroleum lines, fittings, and valves are leak proof.

Fire Protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It includes the study of behaviour, suppression and investigation of fire and its appropriate emergencies. Fire prevention personnel like fire-fighters, fire investigators, are called to mitigate, investigate and learn from the damage of a fire. Lessons learned from fires are studied and used as references for the improvement of building and fire codes.

Compartmentation - Splitting a building into separate sealed areas made of fire-resisting materials.Restricts the spread of fire and smoke within a building depends upon: use of the building building height floor area compartment volumeFire Precaution is measures taken to reduce the risk in the event of fire. Fire/smoke detection Fire alarms Means of escape Means of fighting the fire Emergency evacuation procedures

Fire/Smoke detection The function of fire detectors is to detect one or more changes in the protected environment indicating the development of a fire condition. They may operate: a. When the invisible products of combustion are being released; b. When smoke is being produced: c. When temperature in the vicinity of fire rises rapidly or reaches a pre-determined figure.

Fire Alarms The purely manual means for raising an alarm involve the use of basic devices which include the following: a. Rotary gongs which are sounded by simply leading the handle around the rim of the gong b. Hand strikers e.g. iron triangles suspended from a wall accompanied by a metal bar used to strike the triangle and produce a loud clanging noise c. Handbells d. Whistles. These devices are normally found in a readily available location on the walls of corridors, entrance halls and staircase landings. The call points in a manual/electric system are invariably small, wall mounted boxes. They are designed to operate either: automatically, when the glass front is broken, or when the glass front is broken AND the button pressed in. The majority of available models are designed to operate immediately the glass front is broken. Means of escape A means of escape is a continuous path along which a person can travel from wherever he/she may be in the building and reach safety by his own unaided efforts.

Suitability of means of escape: Number of employees to use it Any people with special needs Fire resistance of structure Position/Number of escape routes Contents which are readily ignitable Open wells, open staircases Use of building

Means of fighting the fire 1. Portable extinguishers e.g. hand held or on a trolley 2. Fixed installations e.g. Hose reel, flood, sprinklers

1. Fire ExtinguishersPortable fire extinguishers can be divided into four categories according to the extinguishing medium they contain, namely: (i) Water (ii) Foam (iii) Powder (iv) Carbon dioxide Extinguishers are normally operated by the use of gas pressure in the upper part of the container which forces the extinguishing medium out through a nozzle. The required pressure is produced by one of the following methods: GAS CARTRIDGE. The pressure is produced by means of compressed or (more commonly) liquefied gas released from a gas cartridge fitted into the extinguisher. STORED PRESSURE. The gas is stored with the extinguishing medium in the body of the extinguisher, which is thus permanently pressurised.In the case of carbon dioxide extinguishers, the gas is itself provides the pressure within the extinguisher.Colour of extinguishers It is recommended that extinguishers be wholly red with a coloured area as follows, for easy recognition: EXTINGUISHING MEDIUM COLOUR

Water Signal red Foam Signal red with pale cream Powder Signal red with blue Carbon dioxide Signal red with blackFire Blankets A method of tackling small fires, e.g. in fat fryers, is by smothering with a fire blanket. This is usually available packed into a small container designed to give a quick release to the blanket.BS 6575: specification for fire blankets specifies two types of blanket: (a) LIGHT DUTY for extinguishing small fires in containers of cooking fats or oils, or fires in clothing worn by people(b) HEAVY DUTY for industrial applications, to resist penetration by molten metal e.g. in cutting or welding operations, and to protect against radiant heat

2. Fixed installations e.g. Hose reel, flood, sprinklers

Hose Real -When dealing with small outbreaks of fire, the hose reel equipment is often the most effective, depending on the type of fire. As it delivers only water, its use is restricted to Class A fires.

Automatic Sprinkler System A network of water pipes with spray heads normally at ceiling height is installed in vulnerable areas. Large coverage of water to prevent the spread of fire in large open plan buildings where compartmentalisation is not practical. its use is restricted to Class A fires.

Total Flooding System A high concentration of an extinguishing gas (usually carbon dioxide) is automatically dumped in an enclosed area.

Emergency Evacuation Procedure Means of raising the alarm Contacting the emergency services Fire evacuation routes Fire evacuation signs Who are and the role of fire marshals Assembly points/place of safety/role call When not to tackle a fire Types of extinguishers Prevention of spread of fire e.g. closing fire doors Not to use lifts Evacuation in an orderly fashion Prevention of return Disabled evacuation procedure

Fire Extinguishers Practical

Basic anatomy of fire extinguisher

How to use a portable fire extinguisher

How to Use a Portable Fire Extinguisher

It is easy to remember how to use a fire extinguisher if you remember the acronym, PASS.Pull the pinThis will allow you to discharge the extinguisher.

Aim at the base of the fireHit the fuelif you aim at the flames, the extinguishing agent will pass right through and do no good.

Squeeze the top handleThis depresses a button that releases the pressurized extinguishing agent.

Sweep from side-to-side until the fire is completely out.Start using the extinguisher from a safe distance away and then slowly move forward. Once the fire is out, keep an eye on the area in case it re-ignites.

PullAimSqueezeSweep

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