SPI TRAINING MODULE

GE07 – FIRE PREVENTION

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SWISSPORT
INTERNATIONAL LTD.

GE07 – FIRE PREVENTION

Version 1 | July 2012 Page 1 of 21

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DOCUMENT CONTROL

Document owner and approved by: Author and contact person: Valid as of:
VP Global Operations Global Training 06 JULY 2015
Version number: 2 Last Review:
06 JULY 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. I NTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3
2. B ASIC FIRE S AFETY ....................................................................................................... 4
2.1. E MERGENCY EXITS ............................................................................................................... 5
2.2. E MERGENCY P LAN AWARENESS ............................................................................................. 5
3. H OW A F IRE C AN B E S TARTED ....................................................................................... 6
3.1. HOW DOES A FIRE START ...................................................................................................................... 6
3.2. HOW FIRE SPREADS ............................................................................................................................... 6
4. E XTINCTION O F F IRE ......................................................................................................... 7
4.1. EXTINGUISHER CLASSIFICATION ....................................................................................................................7
4.2. FIRE RATINGS ...............................................................................................................................................8
4.3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER ANATOMY .............................................................................................................. 10
4.4. FIRE EXTINGUISHER APPLICATIONS ....................................................................................................... 11
4.5. FIRE EXTINGUISHER USAGE .................................................................................................................. 13
4.6. KNOW YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ........................................................................................................ 14
4.7. FIRE EXTINGUISHER SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 15
5. F IRE E MERGENCY R ESPONSE ........................................................................................ 16
5.1. FIRE FIGHTING CRITERIA....................................................................................................................... 16
5.2. FIGHTING THE FIRE .............................................................................................................................. 17
5.3. RULES OF FIRE FIGHTING ..................................................................................................................... 17
6. F IRE P REVENTION M ETHODS ......................................................................................... 18
6.1. HOUSEKEEPING.................................................................................................................................... 18
6.2. INSPECTION OF BUILDINGS .................................................................................................................... 18
7. F IRE F IGHTING S UMMARY ............................................................................................. 19
8. L ITHIUM B ATTERIES ..................................................................................................... 20
9. D O YOU K NOW ? .......................................................................................................... 21

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1. INTRODUCTION
At the end of this lesson one will be able to:

 List causes of fire hazard

 Identify classes of fire
 Know methods of extinguishing fire
 Identify and operate portable fire fighting equipment
 Know rules for fire fighting
 Take fire prevention measures

If we can use an old phrase ... Safety is No Accident

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2. BASIC FIRE SAFETY

Fire can cause serious physical injury. It can also kill.
We have a legal duty to look after our own health and safety, that of our colleagues and anyone
visiting the workplace. This means that we should help to prevent fires from starting and know what to
do if we are ever involved in a fire.

Make sure you find out about the procedure for dealing with a fire at your facility.
If you do discover a fire at work, you will need to act calmly and quickly.
If it is a small fire, you may be able to put the fire out:

 Before you make any attempt to do so, you must sound the alarm. Do this by setting off the
fire alarm.
 Make sure that you have a clear escape route. Do not tackle the fire if there is a danger of
being trapped, or if you have not been trained.
 Leave the area. Close doors behind you to help stop the fire from spreading. Leave the
building. Go to the fire assembly point.

Fire Evacuation Procedure notices are posted at the warehouse entry and at various points
throughout the building. Read & know your drill!

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2.1. EMERGENCY EXITS

In order to ensure your safety and that of your co-workers in a fire, always remember to keep the fire
exit clear at all times.
Keep escape roots free. In the offices, warehouses and stair-wells all escape roots should be
accessible.

2.2. EMERGENCY PLAN AWARENESS

All Swissport Cargo facilities must have an emergency action plan as part of their standard operating
procedures. This emergency action plan should include:
 Emergency contact list.
 Emergency evacuation plan.
 Emergency shelter plan.
 Specific procedures to account for all employees once the emergency action plan has been
initiated.
More specifically, all staff should have access to

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3. HOW A FIRE CAN BE STARTED

 Direct ignition – throwing a cigarette end on dry grass, lighting a stove / using a matchstick
 Spontaneous – heaped material i.e. saw dust, damp vegetable matter impregnated over a
long period of time
 Prolonged heat – stove pipes, UPS, electrical appliances etc. (careless use of heat producing
appliances)
 Explosion – gas, ignited petrol vapour
 Chemical reaction - lime, acids
 Friction – shafts heating against each other (welding activities)
 Natural causes - thunder, earthquake etc.

3.1. HOW DOES A FIRE START

Four components:
 All four components are needed to
start a fire.
 Fire extinguishers remove one or
more of the components.
 Oxygen is required as a catalyst –
may come from the air OR from the fuel itself.
Fire extinguishers are used to ‘extinguish’ one
of the three components that allow the fire to
exist.

3.2. HOW FIRE SPREADS

Once a fire has started, it will spread if not extinguished and can do so in the following ways:
 Convection: circulation of superheated gases e.g. liquids, smoke
 Radiation: Heat transmission through space e.g. from sun to earth
 Conduction: heat energy travelling through solid materials e.g. through metals.

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4. EXTINCTION OF FIRE
Extinction is achieved by breaking the chain reaction between the bond of fuel, heat and oxygen.
Combustion will continue as long as oxygen, ignition and temperature are present.
Removal of any one of them leads to collapse of the triangle of combustion. To suppress fire just
remove any one of the three components.
Fire prevention at its most basic level is keeping fuel away from heat sources.

 Smothering/Blanketing – Eliminating oxygen

 Starvation – Removing the fuel (starving)
 Cooling – Removing heat by lowering temperature

Portable fire extinguishers and fixed installation systems use various extinguishing agents to attack
and break the chemical reaction of combustion directly and hence, extinguish the fire.

4.1. EXTINGUISHER CLASSIFICATION

Letter classification given to an extinguisher to designate the class or classes of fire on which it will be
effective:

Class A – ordinary combustibles (wood, cloth, paper)

Class B – flammable liquids, gases, greases
Class C – energized electrical equipment
Class D – combustible metals

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4.2. FIRE RATINGS

There are five classes of fire.

Fires involving combustible non-saturated vegetable or animal cooking fats in commercial cooking
equipment

F Cooking Media

All fires are grouped into classes, according to the type of materials which are burning.

 Class A fires are those involving free burning materials such as paper, wood, fabrics and
other textiles and also plastics
 Class B fires involve flammable liquids and solids such as diesel, petrol and oils (but not
cooking oils), plus solid fuels such as wax
 Class C fires involve flammable gases such as propane, butane and methane
 Class D fires involve flammable metals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium
 Class F fires are specific to cooking oils and fats

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Class A

 Class A rated fire extinguishers are often water-based, and are highly effective in
extinguishing burning materials found or stored in an office or warehouse, for example. Water-
based Class A extinguishers may also have additives to make them more effective.
 A number before the letter A such as 13A indicates the length of a wooden crib test fire (1.3
metres in this case) successfully extinguished under rigorous test conditions. If you need a
13A rating, anything higher such as 21A will be even better.

Class B

 Class B rated fire extinguishers are usually foam (AFFF) or powder fire extinguishers. These
extinguishers work not only by extinguishing flames, but also by sealing in any potentially
dangerous vapours.
 A number before the letter B such as 144B indicates the size of the flammable liquid test fire
that can be extinguished under test conditions. The higher the number, the bigger the fire.

Class C

 Class C rated fire extinguishers are dry powder fire extinguishers, but flammable gas is a
strange case as, when extinguished without the gas supply being turned off, the escaping gas
is far more dangerous.

Class D

 Class D rated fire extinguishers are highly specialised extinguishers designed to be used on
specific metal fires, with such exotic names as M28, L2 and Purple-K. They have a long lance
with a low velocity applicator at the end.

Fires Involving Electrics

 Electrical equipment fire extinguishers are specially designed for use on live electrical
equipment without harming the fire extinguisher user. While a powder fire extinguisher is non-
conductive and safe to use, the most popular fire extinguisher for use on electrical equipment
fires is carbon dioxide, which extinguishes flames without causing further damage.

Class F

 Class F rated fire extinguishers, known as wet chemical fire extinguishers, are specifically for
fires involving cooking oils and fats.

Multi-Rated Fire Extinguishers

 Many fire extinguishers which you see in public areas and offices can be used on two or more
classes of fires. For more details, see our guide to multi-rated fire extinguishers.

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4.3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER ANATOMY

Note that CO2 extinguishers are unique as they don’t have pressure gauges.

The extinguisher should be mounted on the wall.

The area in front of the extinguisher shall be clear of any obstructions
The pressure gauge should be in the green zone
The inspection tag should show that the extinguisher has been inspected within the last year.

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4.4. FIRE EXTINGUISHER APPLICATIONS

PRESSURIZED WATER

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

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DRY POWDER

FOAM

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4.5. FIRE EXTINGUISHER USAGE

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4.6. KNOW YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Mark each box highlighting which fire extinguishers should be used for each specific fire risk.

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4.7. FIRE EXTINGUISHER SUMMARY

Europe recognizes six fire classes:

Class A fires involve organic solids such as paper and wood.
Class B fires involve flammable or combustible liquids, including petrol, grease and oil.
Class C fires involve flammable gases.
Class D fires involve combustible metals.
Class E fires involving electrical appliances (no longer used, as when the power supply is turned off,
an electrical fire can fall into any category).
Class F fires involve cooking fat and oil.

Suitable for use on fire classes

Type Old code BS EN 3 colour code
(brackets denote sometimes

Water Signal red Signal red A

Red with a cream panel above the

Foam Cream A B
operating instructions
Red with a blue panel above the
Dry powder French blue (A) B C E
operating instructions
Red with a black panel above the
Carbon dioxide CO2 Black B E
operating instructions
Red with a canary yellow panel above
Wet chemical Not yet in use A (B) F
the operating instructions
Red with a blue panel above the
Class D powder French blue D
operating instructions

Halon 1211/BCF Emerald Green No longer in general use A B E

There is no official standard in the United States for the colour of fire extinguishers, though they are
typically red, except for Class D extinguishers, which are usually yellow, and water, which are usually
silver, or white if water mist. Extinguishers are marked with pictograms depicting the types of fires that
the extinguisher is approved to fight. In the past, extinguishers were marked with coloured geometric
symbols, and some extinguishers still use both symbols.

Fire
Geometric Symbol Pictogram Intended Use Mnemonic
Class
A Green Triangle Garbage can and wood pile burning Ordinary solid combustibles A for "Ash"
B Red Square Fuel container and burning puddle Flammable liquids and gases B for "Barrel"
C Blue Circle Electric plug and burning outlet Energized electrical equipment C for "Current"
D Yellow Decagon (Star) Burning Gear and Bearing Combustible metals --
K &nbsp -- Oils and fats K for "Kitchen"

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5. FIRE EMERGENCY RESPONSE

“What should I do if I see a fire?”

Rescue victims.
Activate alarm to summon help.
Contain fire to prevent spread, close doors, windows, shut off exhaust, etc.
Extinguish the flames, put out the fire.

5.1. FIRE FIGHTING CRITERIA

How do I decide to fight the fire or evacuate?

 Know department emergency procedures and evacuation routes.

 Know locations of extinguishers in your area and how to use them.
 Always sound the alarm regardless of fire size.
 Avoid smoky conditions.
 Ensure area is evacuated.
 Don’t attempt to fight unless:
 Alarm is sounded.
 Fire is small and contained.
 You have a safe egress route (can be reached without exposure to fire).
 Available extinguishers are rated for size and type of fire.
 If in doubt, evacuate!

If one or more of the above criteria aren’t met, don’t risk it.

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5.2. FIGHTING THE FIRE

If you decide to fight the fire, use P.A.S.S. acronym to remember how to operate the extinguisher
properly.

5.3. RULES OF FIRE FIGHTING

When a fire is discovered

 Assist any person in immediate danger to safety
 Activate the building fire alarm; Shout for help- Fire! Fire! Fire! and Call 999 or locate your
local fire station numbers (emergency)
 Switch off electricity and air conditioning system to prevent and slow the spread fire and
smoke
 Know what is burning.
 Use the available suitable equipment to prevent the spread of fire while awaiting fire brigades’
arrival.
 The time to use an extinguisher is at the beginning stages of the fire.
 If the fire is spreading rapidly beyond its starting point, simply evacuate the building and close
doors and windows behind you as you leave.

Do not fight a fire if

 You don’t have adequate or appropriate equipment.
 You might inhale toxic smoke.

Always position yourself with an exit or means of escape at your back before you attempt to use an
extinguisher to put out a fire.
 Stay upwind of to the fire.
 Stay low; never try to work over the top of the fire.
 Spray the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
 Never go into an unknown area to fight a fire.

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6. FIRE PREVENTION METHODS

6.1. HOUSEKEEPING

 Keep your warehouse / office clean and well arranged at all times
 Store inflammable substances in a safe, clean and dry place away from other buildings
 Where inflammable liquids are in use and in all stores, smoking and use of naked flames or
lights should be prohibited by displaying suitable and prominent notices.
 Elsewhere, provide smoking zones with non–combustible receptacles for cigarette ends and
matches.
 Discourage cooking in offices and where it must be done, it should be in specially designated
kitchenettes equipped with appropriate fire extinguishers.

6.2. INSPECTION OF BUILDINGS

 To be carried out every day before closing and especially on the last day of the working week
to ensure that cookers, electrical switches, sockets and other electrical appliances are
switched off and disconnected from the main power supply.
 Appliances such as Fax Machines, VHF Radio telephones, PABX Machines, Servers, Cooling
Equipment in essential services, Security and Emergency Systems may remain connected to
electricity at all times, but MUST be protected against power fluctuation or surges.

6.3. (C) FORMULATE A FIRE PLAN AT THE PLACE OF WORK TO ENSURE

THAT:

 Fire fighting equipment is provided and well maintained.

 All personnel are made aware of what immediate action to take in the event of fire and other
emergencies.
 A fire fighting team (fire marshals) is established to be in charge of fire safety.
 A responsible officer is appointed to ensure that efficient fire prevention measures are in force
at all times and organizes regular fire drills.
 Procurement, installation, repairs and servicing of electrical appliances and fire protection
equipment in all government buildings is done by qualified professionals (in consultation with
the Ministry of Roads and Public Works)

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7. FIRE FIGHTING SUMMARY

Fire: the combustion process where chemical formation of fuel is broken by heat energy in the
presence of oxygen.

Possible causes of fire within our work environment:

 Direct ignition, e.g. through cigarette ends.

 Prolonged heat, e.g. careless use of heat producing appliances.
 Explosion, e.g. petrol vapours from fuelling vehicles.
 Chemical, reaction reference to dangerous goods chapter.
 Friction, e.g. towing pins on tractors.

Combustion process
Class A, B, C, D, F fires.
Types of portable fire extinguishers
Operating procedures
Capabilities and limitations
Basic fire fighting concepts: R.A.C.E. & P.A.S.S.

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8. LITHIUM BATTERIES
Lithium batteries - which are used in a number of portable electronic devices, such as digital cameras
and laptop computers – pose a growing safety concern to the aviation industry. Batteries power our
lives. Lithium Batteries in particular are becoming more and more commonplace. We have reached
the point where people use lithium batteries so regularly that most people are not even aware that
they are dangerous goods.
Batteries do meet the definition for dangerous goods and can pose a risk if they are not safety
packaged and handled.
Lithium ion batteries (rechargeable, also called Li-ion) and lithium metal batteries (often non
rechargeable), provide more energy and a longer operating life than other types of batteries.
Each consignment must be accompanied with a document such as an air waybill with an indication
that:
 The package contains lithium ion cells or
batteries
 The package must be handled with care and
that a flammability hazard exists if the package
is damaged
 Special procedures should be followed in the
event the package is damaged, to include
inspection and repacking if necessary
 A telephone number for additional information
 Each package must be labelled with a lithium
battery handling label
 Any person preparing or offering cells or
batteries for transport must receive adequate
instruction on these requirements
commensurate with their responsibilities.

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9. DO YOU KNOW?
 Where the nearest fire alarm station is?
 Where the nearest fire extinguisher is?
 Where the primary and secondary exits are?
 Where the primary and secondary designated meeting locations are?
 Where the emergency procedure manual is?
 What your specific role in patient evacuation and emergency equipment shut-off is?

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