TOOLBOX TALK TOPIC: FIRE PREVENTION

 All fires start small. If not extinguished they may rapidly get out of control and
cause death or costly damage. It is therefore, very important to keep
emergency fire equipment properly maintained. This means that fire
extinguishers and hose reels must remain unobstructed and operable at all
times and that employees must know how to use the equipment and how to
deal with fires.

CLASSES OF FIRE
Class A: COMBUSTIBLE REFUSE: Card Board, Plastic Bags. Packing Materials,
Wood, Grass, Paper etc.

Class B: FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS: Petrol Diesel, Oil, Thinners, Solvents, Oil Based
Paints, Certain Adhesives

Class C: ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT: Overloaded Circuits, Switchgear Failure,

Cables/Leads in Poor Condition Causing Shorts

CAUSES OF FIRE
Carelessly Discarded Cigarette Ends

Hot Ashes/Smouldering Combustibles

Overheating Moving Machinery Parts e.g. Worn/Dry Bearings

Leaking Gas

Electrical Shorts/Overloaded Circuits

Static Electricity

Spontaneous Combustion

EXTINGUISHING AGENTS
WATER: For Class A Fires

DRY POWDER: For Class A, B and C

Most Effective for Class B

INERT GAS e.g. CO2: For Class A, B and C. Most Effective for Class C

FIRE BLANKETS

SAND

WATER BASED EXTINGUISHANTS MUST NEVER BE USED ON ELECTRICAL

FIRES
TEST – ANSWER TRUE OR FALSE

1. Class A: fire is COMBUSTIBLE REFUSE: Card Board,

Plastic Bags, Packing Materials, Wood, Grass, Paper etc True or False

2. WATER is suitable to extinguish Class A Fires. True or False

3. Water may be used on electrical fires. True or False