Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Fire Hazards & Life Safety

Chapter 19 – Section 12

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Three elements are required to start and sustain fire:
• Oxygen; Fuel; Heat.

• Fire, or combustion—a chemical reaction—is the process by which fire converts fuel & oxygen into energy, usually in the form of heat.
• By-products of combustion include light and smoke.
• A source of ignition, such as a spark or open flame, or a sufficiently high temperature is needed.
• Ignition temperature or combustion point is the temperature at which a given fuel can burst into flame.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Exothermic chemical reactions create heat.
• Combustion and fire are exothermic reactions,
  and can often generate large quantities of heat.
• Endothermic reactions consume more heat than they generate.
• Cooling is a principal way to control or put out a fire.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• In the process of combustion, materials are broken down into basic elements.
• Loose atoms form bonds to create molecules of substances not originally present.

• When a substance burns released carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide/monoxide.
• Carbon dioxide is produced when there is more oxygen than the fire needs.
• Carbon monoxide—the result of incomplete combustion of a fuel—is produced when there is insufficient oxygen to burn the fuel present efficiently.
• In general, most fires have insufficient oxygen and produce large quantities of carbon monoxide.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Hydrogen, found in most fuels, combines with oxygen to form water.
• Synthetic polymers, found in plastics & vinyls, often form deadly fumes when consumed by fire, or if they melt/disintegrate from being near fire or high heat.
• Liquids & solids (oil & wood) do not burn directly, but must be converted to a flammable vapor by heat.
• Vapors will burn only at a specific range of mixtures of oxygen & fuel, determined by the composition of the fuel.
• A fire may be extinguished by removing the fuel source, starving it of oxygen, or cooling it below
  the combustion point.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• An explosion is a very rapid, contained fire.
• When gases produced exceed the pressure capacity
  of the vessel, a rupture or explosion must result.
• The simplest example is a firecracker.
• Heat always flows from a higher temperature to
  a lower temperature.
• Excess heat from a fire transfers to surrounding
  objects, which may ignite, explode, or decompose.
• Heat transfer is accomplished by three means, usually simultaneously:
• Conduction; Radiation; Convection.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Conduction is direct thermal energy transfer.
• Materials near a source of heat absorb the heat, raising their kinetic energy.
• Metals are very good conductors of heat.
• Concrete and plastics are poor conductors.

• Radiation is electromagnetic wave transfer of heat, in all directions from the fire, and may be reflected off a surface, as well as absorbed by it.
• Absorbed heat may raise the temperature beyond a material’s combustion point, and then a fire erupts.
• Heat may also be conducted through a vessel to its
  contents, which will expand and may explode.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Convection is heat transfer through movement
  of hot gases, which may be:
• Direct products of fire.
• Results of a chemical reaction.
• Additional gases brought to the fire by movement of air.
• Convection determines the general direction of the spread of a fire, causes fires to rise as heat rises & move in the direction of the prevailing air currents.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Spontaneous combustion is rare, but can happen.
• Organic compounds, decomposing through natural processes, release methane gas, a fuel.
• The degradation—a chemical reaction—produces heat.
• In a pile of oil-soaked rags—especially in a closed container—the fibers of the rags expose a large surface area of oil to oxidation.
• The porous nature of rags allows additional oxygen to
  be absorbed, replacing the oxygen already consumed.
• When the temperature rises sufficiently, the surfaces of the
  oil on the rags vaporize.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE HAZARDS DEFINED

• Hypergolic reactions occur when mixing fuels.
• Oxidizers produce just such a rapid heat buildup, causing immediate combustion at room temperature with no apparent source of ignition.
• Pyrophor hypergolic fuels self-ignite in presence of oxygen found at normal atmospheric concentration.
• White phosphorus, is kept underwater, as if it starts to
  dry out, the phosphorus erupts in flames.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

• For identification, fires are classified according to their properties, related to the nature of the fuel.
• The properties of the fuel directly correspond to the
  best means of combating a fire.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

• Almost everything in our environment can be a fuel.
• Fuels occur as solids, liquids, vapors, and gases.
• Solid fuels include wood, building decorations and furnishings, Styrofoam® molds & panels, shredded or crumpled papers, bubble wrap, and shrink wrap.
• Few solid fuels are, or can be made, fireproof.
• Mishandling flammable liquids and flammable gases is a major cause of industrial fires.
• As the temperature of any flammable liquid increases, the amount of vapor generated on the surface also increases.
• Two often-confused terms applied to flammable liquids are flash point and fire point.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

• The explosive range, or flammable range, defines concentrations of a vapor/gas in air that can ignite.
• If the flammable liquid is lighter than water, water cannot be used to put out the fire.
• Applying water floats the fuel & spreads gasoline fires.
• Crude oil fires burn even while floating on fresh or sea water.
• Gases expand to fill the volume of the container in which they are enclosed & are often lighter than air.
• Gases may stratify in layers of differing concentrations
  but often collect near the top of the container.
• Concentrations safe at workbench level may be close to,
  or exceed, flammability limits just above head height.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

• The products of combustion are gases, flame (light), heat, and smoke.
• Smoke is a combination of gases, air, and suspended particles—the products of incomplete combustion.
• Released gases are capable of traveling across a room & randomly finding a spark, flame, or adequate heat source, flashing back to the source of the gas.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SOURCES OF FIRE HAZARDS

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE DANGERS TO HUMANS

• Direct contact with flame is very dangerous to humans —flesh, muscles & internal organs all burn.
• However, burns are not the major cause of death in a fire.
• Most fire fatalities are from breathing toxic gases & smoke, and suffocation due to oxygen deprivation.
• The #1 killer is carbon monoxide—other gases may be produced, and further react with other substances often present at a fire.
• Sulfur dioxide will combine with water to produce sulfuric acid.
• Nitrogen oxides may combine with water to produce nitric acid.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE DANGERS TO HUMANS

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

DETECTION OF FIRE HAZARDS

• OSHA has mandated monthly/annual inspection of fire extinguishers in industrial settings.
• Hydrostatic tests to measure the capability of a fire extinguisher shell to contain internal pressures, and
  the pressure shifts encountered during a fire.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Fire-Extinguishing Systems

• Standpipe and hose systems provide the hose and pressurized water for firefighting.
• Hoses for these systems vary from 1” to 2.5” diameter.
• Automatic sprinkler systems are an example of a fixed extinguishing system, because the sprinklers are fixed in position.
• Water is the most common fluid released from sprinklers.
• Blocking or shielding the spread of fire can be done with an inert foam, inert powder, nonflammable gas, or water with a thickening agent added.
• The fire may suffocate under such a covering.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Fire-Extinguishing Systems

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Fire-Extinguishing Systems

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

OSHA Regulations for Fire Brigades

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156 Fire Brigade Regulations:
• Scope – While not required, if an employer does organize a fire brigade, the requirements of this section apply.
• Prefire planning – Conducted by the local fire dept. or the workplace fire brigade to become familiar with hazards.
• Organizational statement – A description of the duties brigade members are expected to perform; line of authority and number of brigade officers & training instructors.
• Physical capability – A requirement applied to brigade members who perform interior structural firefighting.
• Employees who cannot meet the requirement may be members of the fire brigade, but not perform interior structural firefighting.
• “Physically capable” can be defined as being able to perform duties specified in training requirements of Section 1910.156(c).

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

OSHA Regulations for Fire Brigades

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156 Fire Brigade Regulations:

• Training and education – Commensurate with functions the brigade is expected to perform.
• At a minimum, hands-on training is required annually.

• Firefighting equipment – Fire equipment, except portable fire extinguishers & respirators, must be inspected at least annually.
• Portable extinguishers & respirators to be inspected monthly.
• Remove & replace damaged/unserviceable equipment.
• Protective clothing – Adequate protection for brigade members who may be exposed to fires in an advanced stage, smoke, toxic gases, and high temperatures.
• Reflecting hazards that may be encountered by the fire brigade.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

OSHA Regulations for Fire Brigades

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156 Fire Brigade Regulations:

• Respiratory protective devices – Required by brigade members working in buildings or confined spaces where toxic products of combustion or an oxygen deficiency are likely—also in emergencies involving toxic substances.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Disaster Preparations

• Training employees may be the most successful lifesaving preparation for a fire disaster.
• Regular fire drills for all personnel are also necessary.
• Community disaster relief agencies such as the police, fire department, Red Cross, and hospitals should be consulted and informed of company disaster preparation plans.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Preventing Office Fires

• Since offices are also susceptible to fires, the following strategies are helpful:
• Confine smoking to designated areas equipped with
  non-tip ashtrays and fire-resistant furnishings.
• Periodically check electrical circuits and connections.
• Replace frayed or worn cords immediately.
• Make sure that extension cords and other accessories
  are Underwriters Laboratories (UL)-approved.
• And used only as recommended.
• Leave plenty of air space left around copy machines
  and other office equipment that can overheat.
• Locate heat-producing appliances away from the wall,
  or anything else that can ignite.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Preventing Office Fires

• Since offices are also susceptible to fires, the following strategies are helpful:

• Frequently inspect personal appliances such as
  hotplates, coffee pots, and cup warmers.

• Assign responsibility for turning off such appliances
  every day to a specific person.
• Keep aisles, stairwells, and exits clear of paper,
  boxes, and other combustible materials.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

DEVELOPMENT OF FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS

• Standards are often developed after a major tragedy in which property is damaged & lives lost.
• Public outcry for action, causes a flurry of political activity.

• Most codes and standards in the fire protection field are developed by three organizations:
• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
• The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM).
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
• Two groups develop building/fire prevention codes:
• The International Conference of Building Officials and Code Administration (BOCA).
• Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCC).

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

DEVELOPMENT OF FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS

• Fire safety standards are trending to performance-based standards—away from specification-based approaches.
• A specification-based standard may require concrete, brick, or steel material be used in a given type of building.
• A performance-based standard may specify that materials used have a one-, two-, or four-hour fire resistance rating.

• Codes & standards in the 21st century may be much different from those we now have.
• Based more on standardized fire tests, models, data,
  and related science & engineering, than on consensus judgment.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

OSHA FIRE STANDARDS

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

LIFE SAFETY

• Life safety involves protecting vehicles, vessels, and lives of people in buildings and structures from fire.
• The primary reference is NFPA Life Safety Code.
• Applied to new & existing buildings, it addresses construction, protection, and occupancy features to minimize hazards of fire, smoke, fumes, and panic.
• A major part is devoted to minimum requirements for design of egress, to ensure that occupants can quickly evacuate a building or structure.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Basic Requirements

• Every structure to be occupied by people must have a means of egress & fire protection safeguards that:
• Ensure that occupants can promptly evacuate or be adequately protected without evacuating.
• Provide sufficient backup safeguards to ensure that human life is not endangered if one system fails.
• Every structure must be constructed, renovated, maintained & operated in such a way that occupants are protected…
• From fire, smoke, or fumes, and from fire-related panic.
• Long enough to allow a reasonable amount of time for evacuation.
• Long enough to defend themselves without evacuating.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Basic Requirements

• Among factors considered in providing structures with means of egress & fire protection safeguards:
• Character of occupancy.
• Capabilities & number of occupants.
• Available fire protection.
• Height of the structure & type of construction.

• No lock or other device may obstruct egress in any part of a structure at any time that it is occupied.
• Exceptions to this requirement are mental health
  detention and correctional facilities.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Basic Requirements

• Other criteria:
• Responsible personnel must be available to act in the case of fire or a similar emergency.
• Procedures must be in place to ensure that occupants
  are evacuated in the event of an emergency.
• Some criteria for exits in structures:
• Clearly visible or marked in such a way that an unimpaired individual can readily discern the route of escape.
• All routes to a safety must be arranged or clearly marked.
• All appropriate steps must be taken to ensure occupants do not mistakenly enter a dead-end passageway.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Basic Requirements

• Egress routes & facilities must be included in lighting design wherever artificial illumination is required.
• Fire alarm systems must be provided in a facility large enough or so arranged that a fire itself may
  not adequately warn occupants of the danger.
• Alert occupants to initiate emergency procedures.
• If a single means of egress may be blocked or overcrowded in an emergency, at least two means of egress must be provided.
• Arranged to minimize possibility of both becoming impassable in the same emergency situation.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Basic Requirements

• Stairs, ramps, and other means of moving from floor to floor must be enclosed (or otherwise protected) to afford occupants protection when used as a means of egress in an emergency situation.
• Vertical movement should also serve to inhibit the
  spread of fire, fumes, and smoke from floor to floor.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Means of Egress

• Important issues relating to means of egress.
• Doors that serve as exits must be designed, constructed, and maintained in such a way that the means of egress is direct and obvious.
• Windows that could be mistaken for doors in an emergency situation must be made inaccessible to occupants.
• The means of egress must have a capacity sufficient to accommodate occupant load of the structure calculated in accordance with the requirements of the Life Safety Code.
• Any component of a structure must have a minimum of two means of egress (with exceptions as set in the code).
• The minimum number of means of egress from any story or any part of a story is three for occupancy loads of 500 to 1,000 and four for occupancy loads of more than 1,000.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Means of Egress

• Important issues relating to means of egress.

• All exits must be easily accessible at all times in terms
  of both location and arrangement.

• Travel distance to at least one exit must be measured along a natural path of travel beginning at the most remote occupied space, ending at the center of the exit.
• All exits must terminate at a public way or at yards, courts, or open spaces that lead to the exterior of the structure.
• All means of egress shall be illuminated continuously during times when the structure is occupied.
• Emergency lighting for all means of egress must be provided in accordance with the code.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Means of Egress

• Important issues relating to means of egress.

• Exits must be marked by readily visible, approved signs
  in all cases where the means of egress is not obvious.

• If an area contains contents that are classified as highly hazardous, occupants must be able to exit by traveling
  no more than 75 feet.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING

• OSHA’s standards relating to flame-resistant clothing are found in CFR 1910.269, paragraph 1.
• Employers shall train employees exposed to the hazards or flames or electric arcs in the hazards involved.
• The employer shall ensure employees do not wear clothing that could increase extent of injury that would
  be sustained by the employee.
• Acetate, nylon, polyester, rayon, is prohibited, unless treated to withstand conditions that may be encountered or worn in such
  a manner as to eliminate the hazard involved.
• When installing/removing fuses with one or both terminals energized at more than 300 volts, or with exposed parts energized at more than 50 volts, employers shall ensure tools or gloves rated for the voltage are used.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Assessment

• Assessment of the workplace for fire hazards should be continuous and ongoing.
• The safety committee should be trained in fire hazard assessment, and pass on this knowledge to employees in their departments, units, and teams.
• All employees are involved in continually looking for
  fire hazards & communicating concerns to the safety committee.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Planning

• OSHA requires an emergency fire safety plan to have at least the following components:
• Emergency escape procedures and routes.
• Critical “shutdown” procedures.
• Employee headcount procedures.
• Rescue and medical procedures.
• Procedures for reporting fires and emergencies.
• Important contact personnel for additional information.
• Once the plan is in place, it should be reviewed at least annually, and updated as necessary.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Awareness and Prevention

• All employees should receive awareness training so they understand their role in the emergency plan.
• Do all employees know the role they play in implementing the emergency plan?
• How are employees with disabilities provided for?
• Do all employees understand the escape plans & evacuation procedures?
• Do all new/temporary employees receive training, and are all employees informed when the plan is revised?
• Is a comprehensive drill undertaken yearly, and are all employees familiar with the sound of the alarm?
• Is the alarm system checked periodically, and are sufficient fire-detection devices in place?

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Response

• It is very important that employees understand the emergency plan & periodically practice responding.
• People do not always think clearly in an emergency, but will do what they have learned to do through practice.
• Periodic drills help employees automatically respond properly.

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

EXPLOSIVE HAZARDS

• Under certain conditions, many chemical & toxic substances are flammable or combustible, and
  can explode.
• These hazards require special precautions for handling, storing, transporting, and use.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

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Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

FIRE SAFETY PROGRAMS

• A comprehensive fire safety program should have
  at least the following components:
• Assessment; Planning; Awareness/prevention; Response.
• An effective way to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive fire safety program is to establish a cross-functional fire safety committee.
• Staffed & chaired by the organization’s highest ranking safety & health professional.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Explosives-Related Concepts

• A flammable substance is any substance with
  a flash point below 100.04 deg F, and a vapor pressure of less than 40 psi at that temperature.
• These Class I liquids tend to be composed of hydrogen and carbon, such as crude oil and its by-products.
• A combustible substance has a flash point of 100.04 deg F, or higher—called Class II liquids.
• The oxygen limit is the amount of oxygen required in a vapor-air mixture for an explosion to occur.
• Volatility is evaporation (vaporization) capability of a given substance.
• The greater the tendency to vaporize, the more volatile.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Other Health Hazards of Explosive Materials

• Potential for serious injury or death from the force
  of a blast or from burns is very high.
• Other hazards associated include skin irritation, intoxication, and suffocation.
• Skin irritation can range from minor to severe, depending on substance, concentration, and the duration of contact.
• Intoxication can—occurring when an employee breathes the vapors—can cause impaired judgment, performance, and reaction time, and, result in an accident.
• Vapors can accumulate in confined spaces making air both toxic and explosive, adding hazards of suffocation
  to those associated with explosives.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

OSHA FIREFIGHTING OPTIONS

• While some companies prefer to have employees evacuate in the event of a fire, for some the potential for fire is so much a part of daily operations that they prefer to equip their employees to fight fires.
• Follow manual firefighting guidelines set forth by OSHA.
• There are three options available, each with its own set of requirements.
• All employees are involved.
• Only designated employees are involved.
• Only employees who are part of an established fire brigade are involved.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Option 1: All Employees Fight Fires

• All employees are allowed to fight fires, and are required to:
• Have & understand an emergency action plan provided
  by the company.
• Have & understand a fire prevention plan provided by
  the company.
• Complete annual training & refresher training concerning their duties in fighting fires, and in the proper use of fire
  extinguishers.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Option 2: Designated Employees Fight Fires

• Only selected employees are allowed to fight fires, and are required to:
• Have & understand an emergency action plan provided
  by the company.
• Have & understand a fire prevention plan provided by
  the company.
• Complete annual training & refresher training concerning their duties in fighting fires, and in the proper use of fire
  extinguishers.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Option 3: Fire Brigades Fight Fires

• Only those employees who are part of an established fire brigade are allowed to fight fires.
• Two types of brigades are incipient & interior structural.
• An incipient fire brigade—to control small fires—requires no special protective clothing or equipment.
• An interior structural fire brigade may fight any type of fire, provided it has been issued appropriate protective clothing and equipment.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Option 3: Fire Brigades Fight Fires

• Employees who are part of an incipient fire brigade are required to:
• Have & understand an emergency action plan provided
  by the company.
• Have & understand a fire prevention plan provided by
  the company.
• Have and understand an organizational statement that establishes the scope, organizational structure, training, equipment, and functions of the fire brigade.
• Have and understand standard operating procedures for the fire brigade to follow during emergencies.
• Complete annual training and refresher training that is hands-on in nature.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

Option 3: Fire Brigades Fight Fires

• Requirements of an interior structural fire brigade are the same as for an incipient fire brigade, with
  additional requirements:
• Satisfactory completion of medical examinations that
  verify their fitness to participate.
• Special protective clothing and equipment of the type
  used by local fire departments, including self-contained breathing equipment.
• Quarterly, as opposed to annual, training and retraining that is hands-on in nature

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SELF-ASSESSMENT IN FIRE PROTECTION

• Elements to include a supervisors & employees fire protection self-assessment checklist:
• Are employees trained concerning under what conditions they should help fight fires, and under what conditions
  they should evacuate?
• Are portable fire extinguishers properly mounted, readily accessible, and available in adequate number and type?
• Inspected monthly for both operability & general condition, recharged regularly with dates noted on their tags.
• Is the fire alarm system tested regularly?
• Are the nearest fire hydrants maintained regularly and flushed annually
• Interior standpipes and valves inspected regularly.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

SELF-ASSESSMENT IN FIRE PROTECTION

• Elements to include a supervisors & employees fire protection self-assessment checklist:

• Are avenues and ingress/egress clearly marked, and kept
  free of clutter and other types of obstructions?

• Are fire doors and shutters in good working condition?
• Are fusible links in place and readily accessible.
• Is the local fire department familiar with the facility,
  and any specific hazards?
• Is the automatic sprinkler system in good working order, maintained on a regular basis, given proper overhead clearance & protected from inadvertent contact damage?

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

HOT WORK PROGRAM

• OSHA defines hot work as involving welding, cutting, chipping & use of tools that cause sparks.
• Brazing, cutting, soldering & thawing pipes; using heat guns; torch applied roofing; chipping operations.
• A foundational precautionary measure:
• “Flammable, combustible, or ignitable materials should
  be kept a minimum of 20 to 35 feet away from the hot work, or those materials should be covered with a
  flame-retardant covering for protection.”

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

HOT WORK PROGRAM – Components

• Components include safety equipment, fire watch work practices, contractor requirements & permits.
• Fire safety equipment in place, operable, properly maintained, fire retardant tarps or thin sheets of metal for covering combustible/ignitable materials in the work area.
• An individual should be posted to watch for and respond immediately to fires.
• Some precautionary work practices:
• 35 ft separation between work & combustibles/ignitables.
• Flammable gas meter to detect gas vapors in the area.
• Prohibiting hot work when the sprinkler system is inoperable.
• Floors kept cleanly swept, and combustible floors dampened
  or covered with an appropriate protective material,
• Metal sheeting or damp cloths for work within 3 ft of a sprinkler.

Occupational Safety & Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers By David L. Goetsch

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall – Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 19 – Fire Hazards and Life Safety

HOT WORK PROGRAM – Components

• Components include safety equipment, fire watch work practices, contractor requirements & permits.

• Contractors in your facility should have their own hot work program that your organization approves or they should
  be required to follow yours.

• An in-house permit should be developed so safety personnel & other stakeholders can assure themselves that all proper steps in the plan have been taken and signed off on before hot work begins.