BASIC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

FIRE PROTECTION AND CONTROL – RULE 1940

Raymond G. Blanco

DOLE Accredited OSH Practitioner

Course Content and Objectives
Causes of Fires
To Understand the Principle of Fire prevention
To Understand Chemistry of Fires – How Fire Develops
To Understand Passive and Active Fire Protection
To Understand Fire Loads
To Understand Evacuation in Events of Fire
General Provision – Rule 1941
General Provision – Rule 194
General Provision – Rule 1943.03
General Provision – Rule 1948.02
Causes of Workplace Fires
• DIRT AND UNTIDINESS
Refuse and process waste are good kindling for a fire
to start or help a fire to expand.
• CONTRACTORS’ OPERATIONS
Building and maintenance contractors often use a
variety of Equipment, which can produce a great
deal of heat (blowlamps, welding and simple
drilling.)
Causes of Industrial Fires

• PROCESS HAZARD
A: Faults in process plants leads to:
1.Overheated machinery bearings and frictional sparks.
2. Tremendous amount of HEAT.
B: Sparks from cutting and welding tools
C: Lack of regular maintenance
Causes of Industrial Fires
• FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
• Flammable solvents of all kinds are both necessary and
dangerous in many industrial processes.
• With peculiar problem of petrol shortages, experience
has shown that often this most dangerous of all
substances is badly transported and stored.
Causes of Industrial Fires
• POOR HOUSE KEEPING

• Warehousing inadequate standards .

• Improperly stacked goods allow a fire to start unnoticed and

also impede fire-fighting operations when eventually
detected.

• Office waste must be regularly removed. Cleanliness is

particularly essential in an office to avoid simmering files,
which can spread undetected during the many hours (nights
and weekends) when premises are unoccupied.
Causes of Industrial Fires

• ARSON
• This subject has already received substantial
publicity in the national press and other media.
• Damage by riot is another danger, which can be
included in this category.
• Bomb Blast/Terrorist Activities
Effects of Industrial Fires
• Direct EFFECT:
• (a) ‘no effect’ or near
misses
• (b) minor injury
• (C) major injury
• (d) property damage
• (e) Business closure
Effects of Industrial Fires
• INDIRECT EFFECTS: refers to the
consequence flowing from the direct
effect of fire.
• (a) for the injured person
• * loss of earning or earning capacity
• *disrupted family life.
• *disrupted personal life, and
• *other consequences e.g. pain & suffering
Effects of Industrial Fires
• (b) for the company:
• * injury costs
• * production loss costs.
• * property damage costs.
• * reduction in employee morale.
• * poor reputation as a result of adverse
media publicity.
• * poor customer relations following
adverse media publicity.
Effects of Industrial Fires
• * lost time – supervisors, workers and others.
• * product damage cost.
• * first aid and medical cost.
• * increased employer’s liability premium.
• * legal cost, e.g. fines imposed by court, legal
representation fees
• * cost of changes in practice arising from
prosecution or as a result of enforcement
action, e.g. prohibition or improvement
notice.
• * training cost e.g. retraining of injured
employee or training of replacement Labour.
 PREVENTION OF INDUSTRIAL FIRE
• FIRE RISK ASSESMENT

• Identify the FIRE HAZARD in our offices.

• Identify the PEOPLE who could be at RISK.

• ELIMINATE, CONTROL or AVOID the fire hazard.

• Ensure that the existing FIRE SAFETY PROVISION

meet up to standard.

• Record FINDINGS.

• Prepare EMERGENCY PLAN.

• REVIEW FRA Periodically.

INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY
Chemistry of Fires – How Fire Develops and Spreads

• Fuel
• Heat
• oxygen
Fire Safety Engineering
Incomplete Fire and Complete Fire Combustion
• Incomplete combustion - If there is not
enough oxygen available during a chemical
reaction, incomplete combustion occurs
• and products such as carbon (C) and carbon
monoxide (CO) as well as water and carbon dioxide
are produced.
• Less heat energy is released during incomplete
combustion than complete combustion.
• In incomplete combustion, the burning flame is
typically yellow or orange and there is smoke.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY
Incomplete Fire and Complete Fire Combustion
• Complete combustion - If there is enough
oxygen available during a chemical reaction,
combustion occurs
• complete combustion, the burning fuel will produce
only water and carbon dioxide (no smoke or other
products).
• The flame is typically blue. For this to happen, there
needs to be enough oxygen to combine completely
with the fuel gas.
• Many of us use methane gas (CH4), commonly known
as natural gas, at home for cooking.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY
How Fire Spreads
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
STAGES OF FIRES
These stages are:
• incipient
• growth
• fully developed
• decay
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
STAGES OF FIRES • It is the stage where anyone in the workforce can
utilize the fire
These stages are: • It is the Stage that a Fire can be deplete using
• incipient conventional fire Extinguishers or Waters.
• growth • It is the stage that the need for PPE for fire fighting is
not required (such as SCBA and Fire Suits)
• fully developed • Fire is not on a large quantity
• decay
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
STAGES OF FIRES Growth –
• The growth stage is where the structures fire
These stages are: load and oxygen are used as fuel for the
• incipient fire. Self-sustaining
• growth • There are numerous factors affecting the
growth stage including where the fire
• fully developed started, what combustibles are near it,
• decay ceiling height and the potential for
“thermal layering”.
• It is during this shortest of the 4 stages when
a deadly “flashover” can occur; potentially
trapping, injuring or killing firefighters.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
STAGES OF FIRES
Growth –
These stages are: • Hot gases spread across the room and
• incipient raise everything within the room
• growth closer to ignition temperature at the
• fully developed same time.
• decay • Size of fire increases, flames reach
ceiling
• Flashover may occur
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
STAGES OF FIRES Fully Developed –
• When the growth stage has reached its
These stages are: max
• incipient • all combustible materials have been
• growth ignited.
• This is the hottest phase of a fire and the
• fully developed most dangerous for anybody trapped
• decay within.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
STAGES OF FIRES Decay – During the final stages of fire, a flame will enter
the decay phase.
These stages are: • This stage occurs after the fully developed flame
• incipient starts to run out of fuel or oxygen. F
• The decay stage is reducing the oxygen supply with
• growth firefighting equipment.
• fully developed • during this phase that it has to limit the fire’s access
to combustible material and oxygen.
• decay • Even if a fire appears to be out, there is a chance of
reigniting when the right materials are available.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
Active Fire Protection
Active Fire Protection (AFP) is a group of systems
that require some amount of action or motion in
order to work efficiently in the event of a fire.
• Actions may be manually operated, like a fire
extinguisher or automatic, like a sprinkler, but
either way they require some amount of
action.
• AFP includes fire/smoke alarm systems,
sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers as well
as firefighters.
• Fire/smoke alarm systems are used to detect
whether there is fire and/or smoke in a
building.
• Sprinkler systems are used to help slow the
growth of the fire.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
Flooding System
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
Sprinkler System
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
Fire Extinguishers malfunctions
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
Fire Extinguishers Proper Use
Fire Extinguishers Malfunction convection
Fire Safety Engineering convection
Fire Extinguishers Inspection
 Fire Extinguisher Types (1/6)
PRESSURIZED WATER
A
• Class “A” fires only.
A Trash Wood
Trash Wood Paper Paper

• 2.5 gal. water at 150-175 psi (up to 1

minute discharge time).
• Has pressure gauge to allow visual capacity
B Liquids Grease
B Liquids Grease
check.
• 30-40 ft. maximum effective range.
• Can be started and stopped as necessary.
C

• Extinguishes by cooling, burning material

C Electrical Equipment
Electrical Equipment

below the ignition point.

 Fire Extinguisher Types (2/6)
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
• Class “B” or “C” fires.
A
Trash Wood Paper
• 2.5-100 lb. of CO2 gas at 150-200 psi (8-30
A Trash Wood Paper

seconds discharge time).

• Has NO pressure gauge--capacity verified
Liquids Grease
B
B Liquids Grease by weight.
• 3-8 ft. maximum effective range.
• Extinguishes by smothering burning
Electrical Equipment
materials.
C
C Electrical Equipm ent

• Effectiveness decrease as temperature of

burning material increases.
 Fire Extinguisher Types (3/6)
MULTIPURPOSE DRY CHEMICAL
A
A
Trash Wood Paper
Trash Wood Paper
• Class “A”, “B”, or “C” fires.
• 2.5-20 lb. dry chemical (ammonium
phosphate) pressurized to 50-200 psi by
B
nitrogen gas (8-25 seconds discharge time).
B Liquids Grease
Liquids Grease

• Has pressure gauge to allow visual capacity

check.
C Electrical Equipment
• 5-20 ft. maximum effective range.
C Electrical Equipm ent

• Extinguishes by smothering burning

materials.
 Fire Extinguisher Types (4/6)
HALON • Class “A”, “B”, or “C” fires (smaller sizes ineffective against
Class “A”).
• 9-17 lb. Halon 1211 (pressurized liquid) released as vapor
A Trash Wood Paper
A Trash Wood Paper (8-18 seconds discharge time).
• Has pressure gauge to allow visual capacity check.
• 9-16 ft. maximum effective range.
B
B Liquids Grease
Liquids Grease
• Works best in confined area--ideal for electronics fire due
to lack of residue.
• Extinguishes by smothering burning materials.
C Electrical Equipment • Fumes toxic if inhaled.
C Electrical Equipm ent

• Halon is ozone depleting chemical--production halted in

Jan ‘94.
Fire Extinguisher Types (5/6)
COMBUSTIBLE METAL
• Class “D” combustible metal fires only.
• 30 lb. pressurized dry powder optimized for
specific combustible metal (also available in bulk
containers for hand scooping onto fire to
extinguish).
• 6-8 ft. maximum effective range.
• To activate, must first open nitrogen cylinder on
COMBUSTIBLE back to pressurize body.
• Extinguishes by smothering, burning materials.
D
METALS
 Fire Extinguisher Types (6/6)
WET CHEMICAL
AA Trash
Trash Wood
Wood Paper
Paper
• Class “A”, “C”, and “K” fires.
• 1.5 gal. of stored pressure PRX wet
chemical extinguishing agent (40 sec.
C
C Electrical Equipment
Electrical Equipm ent discharge time).
• 10-12 ft. maximum effective range.
• On Class “K” fires, don’t use until fixed
K Cooking Media extinguishing system has activated.
• Extinguishes by cooling and forming foam
blanket to prevent re-ignition.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
Passive Fire Protection
Passive fire protection (PFP) is an integral
component of the components of
structural fire protection and fire safety in a
building.
• PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the
spread, through use of fire-resistant
walls, floors, and doors (amongst other
examples).
• PFP systems must comply with the
associated listing and approval use and
compliance in order to provide the
effectiveness expected by building
codes.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
The Elements of PFP
Structural fire protection. Structural fire
protection guards essential structural
components (such as structural steel and
joint systems) from the effects of fire. This
is accomplished with a fireproofing
material (spray-on thin-film intumescent,
endothermic materials like gypsum-
based plasters and cementitious
products, mineral wool wraps and
insulation, and fireproofing cladding) or
building the structure out of concrete
products. "When structural fire protection
is designed and applied properly," the
building's structural integrity should be
maintained when it's exposed to fire."
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
The Elements of PFP
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
The Elements of PFP
Compartmentation
• Fire barriers, firewalls, fire partitions, and smoke barriers Fire barriers
• include fire-rated walls, floors, and ceilings (often made of concrete,
combination wood, gypsum, or masonry).
• These barriers are used to limit the spread of fire in a building and allow safe
egress.
• Walls extend from a fire-rated floor to the fire-rated ceiling above, and
continue into concealed spaces for full protection.
INDUSTRIAL FIRE SAFETY convection
The Importance of PFP
Familiarization of Fire Loads
The fire loading of a building or compartment is a way of establishing the potential
severity of a hypothetical future fire. It is the heat output per unit floor area, often
in kJ/m2, calculated from the calorific value of the materials present.
Familiarization of your Workplace and Exits
Familiarization of your Workplace and Exits
Familiarization of your Workplace and Exits
FIRE SAFETY and CONTROL
SUMMARY
• Active and passive fire protection systems, although different, are important to a building's
overall fire safety.
• AFP uses systems that take action in putting out the fire, while PFP uses systems that help
prevent the spread of fire and smoke. Just because one is working doesn’t mean you should
ignore the other, or that one is more important than the other.
• AFP takes action in putting out the fire, but may not always work properly. Especially during cold
weather, sprinklers often fail due to frozen pipes, roads could become icy, and hydrants could
freeze, which all delays a firefighter’s job and let's the fire grow.
• PFP compartmentalizes a building into smaller sections to prevent the spread of fire and smoke
throughout the building, while also providing occupants more time for evacuation. However, it
doesn’t put out the fire altogether, it just helps contain it to one location.
• Therefore, to ensure that a building has total fire protection, both AFP and PFP should be
working together in unison.