14 Fire Hazards Guidelines 14.1 FIRE HAZARDS Workplace fires and explosions kill 200 and injure more than 5000 workers every year. In 1995, more than 75,000 workplace fires cost businesses more than $2.3 billion. Fires wreak havoc among workers and their families and destroy thousands of businesses each year, putting people out of work and severely impacting their livelihoods. The human and financial toll underscores the gravity of workplace fires. 14.2 CAUSES OF FIRES The most common causes of workplace fires are as follows: . Electrical causes—lax maintenance in wiring, motors, switches, lamps, and heating elements . Smoking—near flammable liquids, stored combustibles, etc. . Cutting and welding—highly dangerous in areas where sparks can ignite combustibles . Hot surfaces—exposure of combu stibles to furnac es, hot ducts or flues, electric lamps or heating elements, and hot metal . Overheated materials—abnormal process temperatures, materials in dryers, overheating of flammable liquids . Open flames—gasoline or other torches, gas or oil burners Cluttered work areas increase the potential for fires. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. . Friction — hot beari ngs, misaligned or broken machi ne parts, chokin g or jammi ng mat erials, poor adjus tment of movi ng parts . Unknown substances — unexpect ed material s . Spontan eous heating — deposi ts in ducts and flues, low-grad e storage , scrap waste, oily waste, and rubbi sh . Combus tion sparks — burni ng rubbish, foundr y cupola s, furnaces, and fi re- boxes . Miscell aneous — including incend iary cases, fires spread ing from adjoi ning buildings , molten metal or glass , stat ic elect ricity near flamm able liqu ids, chemical action, and lightin g 14.3 OSHA STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS Occupati onal Safety an d Health Administr ation (OSHA) stand ards require employers to provide proper exit s, fire fighti ng equipm ent, and empl oyee trai ning to prevent fire deaths and inju ries in the workplace . Eac h wor kplace building must have at least two exit s far from each other to be used in a fi re emer gency. Fire doors must not be blocked or locked to prevent emergency use when employees are in the build ings. Delayed openin g of fi re doors is permitted when a n approve d alarm system is inte- grated into the fire d oor design. Exit routes from buildings must be clear and free of obstructi ons and proper ly mark ed with signs designati ng exit s from the buil ding. Each workplace buil ding must have a full compl ement of the proper type of fire extinguis her for the fi re hazards present, except ing when employers wish to have employees evacuat e instead of fighti ng small fires. Em ployees expect ed or anti- cipated to use fire exting uishers must be instruct ed on the hazards of fighti ng fire, how to proper ly operate the fi re extinguis hers available, and what procedu res to follow in alerting other s to the fire emer gency. Only approve d fire extinguis hers are permitted to be used in wor kplace s, and they must be k ept in good operating condition . Proper maintenan ce and inspe ction of this equipm ent is required of each employer. The appli cable OSHA standard on fire prote ction is 29 CFR 1910.157 . Figure 14.1 show s a well maintained fire exting uisher. Where the empl oyer wishes to evacuat e employees instea d of having them figh t small fires there must be written emer gency plans and employee trai ning for proper evacuat ion. Emergen cy action plans are requi red to describe the route s to use and procedu res to be foll owed b y employees. Also procedu res for account ing for all evacuat ed employees must be part of the p lan. The written plan must be avail able for employee revie w. Where needed, speci al procedu res for helpi ng physi cally imp aired employees must b e addressed in the plan; also, the plan must includ e procedu res for those employees who must rema in behind tem porarily to shut down crit ical plant equipment before they evacuat e. The prefer red means of alerting empl oyees to a fi re emer gency must be part of the plan and an employee alarm system must be avail able throughout the workplace complex and must be used for emergency alerting for eva cuation. The alarm system may be voice communication or sound signals such as bells, whistles, or horns. Employees must know the evacuation signal. Fire alarm boxes should be readily accessible as show n in Figure 14 .2. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Employees must be trained to face emergency situations. Employers must review the plan with newly assigned employees so that they know correct actions in an emergency and with all employees when the plan is changed. FIGURE 14.1 Adequate fire extinguisher. FIGURE 14.2 Example of fire alarm box. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Emplo yers n eed to imp lement a writt en fire prevention plan (FPP ) to compl ement the fire evacua tion plan to minim ize the freque ncy of evacuation. Stopping unwanted fires from occurring is the most ef ficient way to handle them. The writt en plan shall be available for empl oyee review. Housekeepi ng procedu res for stor age and cleanup of flammable materials and flamm able was te must be incl uded in the plan. Recycli ng of flammable was te such as paper is en courage d; howe ver, handli ng and packagi ng procedures must be included in the plan. Procedures for controlling workplace ignition sources such as smoking, welding, and burning must be addressed in the plan. Heat- producing equipment such as burners, heat exchangers, boilers, ovens, stoves, fryers, etc., must be properly maintained and kept clean of accumulations of flammable residues; flammables are not to be stored close to these pieces of equipment. All employees are to be apprised of the potential fire hazards of their job and the procedures called for in the employer’s fire prevention plan. The plan shall be reviewed with all new employees when they begin thei r job and wi th all empl oyees when the plan is changed. The minim um provi sions that make up an FPP are as follow s: . List of all major fire hazards, proper handling and storage procedu res for hazardo us materials, potent ial igni tion source s and their contr ol, and type of fire p rotection equipm ent necess ary to contr ol each maj or hazard . Procedur es to control accum ulation of flamm able and combu stible materials . Procedur e for regular maintenan ce of safeguards installe d on heat- producing equipment to prevent the accide ntal ignitio n of combu stible mat erials . Name or job tit le of employees respon sibl e for maintai ning equipment or control source s of ignitio n or fires . Name or job title of employees respon sible for the control of fuel source hazards Any employee assi gned to a job must be infor med of the fire hazards to which they could be exposed . The employee must have received an explan ation of fire prevention plan and how it was designed to protect them. 14.4 AVOIDING FIRES General safet y precaut ions for avoidi ng fires cau sed by smok ing are by obeyin g ‘‘ No Smoking ’’ signs. By watchin g for danger spots even if no war ning is poste d (e.g., temporary storage area that contains combustibles), do not place lighted cigarettes on wooden tables or workbenches, even if smoking is permitted, and do no put ashes in a wastebasket or trash can. Flammable and combustible liquids can cause fires if they are near open flames and motors that might spark. When you transfer them , bond the containers to each other and ground the one being dispensed from, to prevent sparks from static electricity (Figure 14.3). Clean up spills right away, and put oily rags in a tightly covered metal container. Change clothes immediately if you get oil or solvents on them. Watch out for empty containers that held flammable or combustible liquids; vapors might still be present. Store these liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated areas away ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. from heat and sparks. Be sure all containers for flammable and combustible liquids are clearly and correctly labeled. Electricity can cause fires if frayed insulation and damaged plugs on power cords or extension cords are not fixed or discarded. Also, electrical conductors should not be damp or wet and there should be no oil and grease on any wires. A cord that is warm to the touch when current is passing through should warn you of a possible overload or hidden damage. Do not overload motors; wat ch for broken or oil-soaked insulation, excessive vibration, or sparks; keep motors lubri- cated to prevent overheating. Defective wiring, switches, and batteries on vehicles should be replaced immediately. Electric lamps need bulb guards to prevent contact with combustibles and to help protect the bulbs from breakage. Do not try to fix electrical equipment yourself if you are not a qualified electrician. Housekeeping is often a factor in fires in the workplace. Keep your work areas clean. Passageways and fire doors should be kept clear and unobstructed. Material must not obstruct sprinkler heads or be piled around fire extinguis her locations or sprinkler controls. Combustible materials should be present in work areas only in quantities required for the job, and should be removed to a designated storage area at the end of each workday. Hot work such as welding and cutting should never be perm itted without supervision or a hot work permit. Watch out for molten metal; it can ignite combustibles or fall into cracks and start a fire that might not erupt until hours after the work is done. Portable cutting and welding equipment is often used where it is unsafe; keep combustibles at safe distance from a hot work area. Be sure tanks and other containers that have held flammable or combustible liquids are completely neutralized and purged before you do any hot work on them. Have a fire watch (another employee) on hand to put out a fire before it can get out of control. Hand pump Transfer hose Transfer containe r Flammable liquids Fuel drum Ground FIGURE 14.3 Safe transfer procedures for flammable liquids. (Courtesy of the Department of Energy.) ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. 14.5 FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION 14.5.1 F IRE PROTECTION To protect workplace from fire the following items should be adhered to: . Access to all available firefighting equipment will be maintained at all times. . Firefighting equipment will be inspected periodically and maintained in operating condition. Defective or exhausted equipment must be replaced immediately. . All firefighting equipment will be conspicuously located at each jobsite. . Fire extinguishers, rated not less than 2A, will be provided for each 3000 sq ft of the protected work area. Travel distance from any point of the protected area to the nearest fire extinguisher must not exceed 100 ft. One 55 gal open drum of water, with two fire pails, may be substituted for a fire extinguisher having a 2A rating. . Extinguishers and water drums exposed to freezing conditions must be protected from freezing. . Do not remove or tamper with fire extinguishers installed on equipment or vehicles, or in other locations, unless authorized to do so or in case of fire. If you use a fire extinguisher, be sure it is recharged or replaced with another fully charged extinguisher. Table 14.1 depicts the types of fire and the classes of fire extinguishers used to extinguish these fires. 14.5.2 FIRE PREVENTION To prevent fire the following principles should be followed : . Internal combustion engine powered equipment must be located so that exhausts are away from combustible materials. . Smoking is prohibited at, or in the vicinity of operations which constitute a fire hazard. Such operations must be conspicuously posted: ‘‘No Smoking or Open Flame.’’ . Portable battery powered lighting equipment must be approved for the type of hazardous locations encountered. . Combustible materials must be piled no higher than 20 ft. Depending on the stability of the material being piled, this height may be reduced. TABLE 14.1 Types of Fires and Classes of Extinguishers Class A (wood, paper, trash)—use water or foam extinguisher Class B (flammable liquids, gas, oil, paints, grease)—use foam, CO 2 , or dry chemical extinguisher Class C (electrical)—use CO 2 or dry chemical extinguisher Class D (combustible metals)—use dry powder extinguisher only ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. . Keep driveways between and around combustible storage piles at least 15 ft wide and free from accumulation of rubbish, equipment, or other materials. . Portable fire extinguishing equipment , suitable for anticipated fire hazards on the jobsite, must be provided at convenient, conspicuously accessible locations. . Firefighting equipment must be kept free from obstacles, equipment, mater- ials, and debris that could delay emergency use of such equipment. Famil- iarize yourself with the location and use of the project’s firefighting equipment. . Discard and=or store all oily rags, waste, and similar combustible materials in metal containers on a daily basis. . Storage of flammable substances on equipment or vehicles is prohibited unless such a unit has adequate storage area designed for such use. 14.6 FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS (29 CFR 1910.106) Flammable liquids are to be kept in covered containers or tanks when not actually in use. The quantity of flammable or combustible liquid that may be located outside of an inside storage room or storage cabinet in any one fire area of a building cannot exceed the following: . 25 gal of Class IA liquids in containers . 120 gal of Class IB, IC, II, or III liquids in containers . 660 gal of Class IB, IC, II, or III liquids in a single portable tank Flammable and combustible liquids are to be drawn from or transferred into con- tainers within buildings only through a closed piping system, from safety cans, by means of a device drawing through the top, or by gravity through an approved self-closing valve. Transfer by means of air pressure is prohibited. Not more than 60 gal of Class I or Class II liquids, nor more than 120 gal of Class III liquids may be stored in a storage cabinet. Inside storage rooms for flammable and combust- ible liquids are to be constructed to meet required fire-resistive rating or wiring for their uses. Outside storage areas must be grated so as to divert spills away from buildings or other exposures, or be surrounded with curbs at least 6 in. high with appropriate drainage to a safe location for accumulated liquids. The areas shall be protected against tampering or trespassing, where necessary, and shall be kept free of weeds, debris, and other combustible material not necessary to the storage. Adequate precautions are to be taken to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors. Sources of ignition include, but are not limited to, open flames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reac- tions; and radiant heat. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Class I liquids are not to be dispensed into containers unless the nozzle and container are electrically interconnected. All bulk drums of flammable liquids are to be grounded and bonded to containers during dispensing. 14.6.1 FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS Some of the more specific rules for flammable and combustible liquids are as follows: . Explosive liquids, such as gasoline, shall not be used as cleaning agents. Use only approved cleaning agents. . Store gasoline and similar combusti ble liquids in approved and labeled containers in well-ventilated areas free from heat sources. . Handling of all flammable liquids by hand containers must be in approved type safety containers with spring closing covers and flame arrestors (Figure 14.4). . Approved wooden or metal storage cabinets must be labeled in conspicuous lettering: ‘‘Flammable—Keep Fire Away.’’ . Never store more than 60 gal of flammable, or 120 gal of combustible liquids in any one approved storage cabinet. . Storage of containers shall not exceed 1100 gal in any one pile or area. Separate piles or groups of containers by a 5 ft clearance. Never place a pile or group within 20 ft of a building. A 12 ft wide access way must be provided within 200 ft of each container pile to permit approach of fire control apparatus. Flame arrestor Pressure relief valve Approved safety can FIGURE 14.4 Example of an approved safety container. (Courtesy of the Department of Energy.) ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. 14.7 FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS Combus tible scrap, de bris, and waste material s (oil y rags, etc.) stored in covered metal recept acles are to be removed from the wor ksite promptl y. Proper storage must be pract iced to minim ize the risk of fi re including spontaneous combu stion. Fire extinguis hers are to be selec ted and provi ded for the types of material s in areas where they are to be u sed. ‘‘ No Smoki ng’’ rules shoul d be enforc ed in areas involving storage and use of hazardo us materials. 14.8 FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS Properly designed and i nstalled fi xe d fi re suppression systems enhance fi re safety in the w orkplace. Automatic sprinkl er system s t hroughout the workplace are among the m ost r eli abl e fi refi ghting m eans. The fi re sprinkler system detects the fi re, sounds an alarm, and sprays water at the source of the fi re and heat. Autom atic fi re suppression systems require proper maintenance to keep them in serviceable con- di tion. W he n it is necessary to take a fi re suppression system out of service while bu s in e ss c o n ti nu e s , th e e m pl o ye r m us t te m po r a ri ly s u b st itu t e a fi re watch of t rained em ployees standing by to respond quickly to any fi re em ergency in t he normally pr otected ar ea. The fi re watch m ust interface with the employers’ fi re prevention pl an and emergency action plan. Signs must be posted about areas prot ected by total fl ooding fi re suppression systems which use agents t hat are a s erious heal th hazard such as carbon dioxide, Halon 1211, etc. Such automatic systems must be equi pped with area predischar ge alarm systems to warn employees of the i mpending dis- charge of the system and thereby provide time to evacuate the area. Ther e m ust be an em ergency action plan t o provi de for the safe evacuation of empl oyees from within the protected area. Such plans are to be part of the overall evacuation plan for the workplace facility. The local fi re depart ment needs to be well acquainted with your facilities, its location, and speci fic hazards . The fire alarm system must be certi fi ed as requi red and tested at least once a year. Interior stand pipes must be inspe cted regularly. Outsid e private fi re hydrant s must be flushed at least once a year and on a routine preventive maintenan ce schedul e. All fire doors and shutters must be in good operat ing cond i- tion and unobstructed and protected against obstructions, including their counter- weights. 14.9 FIREFIGHTING If an employer expects workers to assist in fighting fires, then he must have them trained to do so. If they are not trained to use fire extinguishing equipment then they should report the fire and sound the alarm followed by evacuation of the premises. 14.10 FIRE HAZARD CHECKLIST To reduce the chances of fire, all the checklist questions should have an affirmative answer. Figure 14.5 is an examp le of a fire prevention checkl ist. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. 14.11 SUMMARY Spotting fire hazards in the workplace is the first step in prevention. Become familiar with the most common causes of fires. Inspec t on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. (Review briefly the employee’s responsibility for fire inspection and prevention.) When a fire hazard is spotted, eliminate it immediately if you have the ability and the authority to do so. File a fire hazard report form or bring it to your supervisor’s attention. If a fire has started notify the appropriate personnel (company fire brigade, your supervisor, safety director, etc.) or turn in a general alarm following company policies. If the fire is not out of control, attempt to extinguish it with the appropriate fire extinguishing equipment if you have been trained in the use of fire extinguisher. If the fire is out of control or is not in your area, follow evacuation procedures. Fire checklist Ye s & No & Are fire extinguisherslocationsunobstructed? Ye s & No & Are operatinginstructions onthe front of eachextinguisher? Ye s & No & Isfire extinguisherlocationsvisiblyidentified? Ye s & No & Are there fire extinguisher types sufficient torespondto thelocalarea hazards? Ye s & No & Dothefireextinguishersmeet thehydrostatictestrequirements (every12years)? Ye s & No & Are monthly fire extinguisher checksbeing conducted? Ye s & No & Are fire hose cabinets accessible andunobstructed? Ye s & No & Are fire hose cabinets ingoodphysicalcondition? Ye s & No & Is flammab l e li qui d stor ed in approved cabinet? Ye s & No & A re flammabl e li qu i d stor age cabinets used foronly fl ammabl e li qui ds? Ye s & No & Isthevolume of flammableliquidsstored in cabinetslessthanthelimits stated on the cabinet door? Ye s & No & A re the flam mabl e liq u i d s tor age cabi net vent bungsin p l ace and cabinet doors kept closed? Ye s & No & Are the flammable liquidsstorage cabinets structurallyundamaged? Ye s & No & Are cautionlabels affixed to flammableliquidscabinets, such as ‘‘KEEP FI RE A W AY’’? Ye s & No & Are electrical pane l s free and cl ear foraccesswitha minimum of 3 ft open space in front of the cabinet? Ye s & No & Are electrical disconnectslabeledwith a description ofthe equipment they control? Ye s & No & Isthearea free of visible exposedwiring? Ye s & No & Are equipment powercordsin good condition? Ye s & No & H as yourar ea refr ained fromusi ngextension cords aslong-term po wer sources? Ye s & No & Are allemployeeswearing ANSI approvedsafetyglasseswith side shields? Ye s & No & A re work ar eas kept c l ean and orderly? Ye s & No & A re passageways c l early marked and e xi t r outes vi s i b l e? Ye s & No & Are exits markedwith signsandilluminated? Ye s & No & Are exits easilyaccessible andunobstructed? Ye s & No & Do self-closi ng d oors operate properly? Ye s & No & Are allwork areas properly lighted? FIGURE 14.5 Fire prevention checklist. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. . action, and lightin g 14. 3 OSHA STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS Occupati onal Safety an d Health Administr ation (OSHA) stand ards require employers to provide proper exit s, fire fighti ng equipm ent, and. most ef ficient way to handle them. The writt en plan shall be available for empl oyee review. Housekeepi ng procedu res for stor age and cleanup of flammable materials and flamm able was te must. s: . List of all major fire hazards, proper handling and storage procedu res for hazardo us materials, potent ial igni tion source s and their contr ol, and type of fire p rotection equipm ent necess