FIRE SAFETY
FOR EVERYONE
Every year millions of
dollars of damage occur from fires. But more importantly people
are hurt and LIVES ARE LOST.
Fire prevention should be part of an active Health and Safety
plan is critical. Everyone needs to know what to do in case of a
fire and what he or she can do to make sure that the conditions
that can cause a fire don’t exist.
FIRES ARE CAUSED BY….
There are three elements that when they come together cause a
fire – oxygen, fuel, and heat. Oxygen is in the air we can’t do
anything about. However we can see that fuels and heat don’t
join oxygen. Fuels can be anything from paper and wood, to
gasoline and other combustible materials. Heat is caused by
everything from open flames, and sparks to friction and
electricity.
IF A FIRE OCCURS
Check with your management on established procedures for
reporting fires. Ideally, it would be part of the Health and
Safety Plan for your company. If they have a plan, there should
be regular reviews of procedures, because they are very easy to
forget in an emergency situation.
In the unfortunate situation that a fire does occur, what do
you do?
¨ Report: No matter how small you think a fire is – report it.
It only takes seconds for a small fire to get out of control.
Also, what you can see may not be the whole fire. Only trained
professionals can tell for certain.
¨ Evacuation may be necessary – you won’t know till you report
the fire to someone.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
There are several different types of fire extinguishers – each
has their specific use. It is important to know that you have
the right fire extinguishers to do the job. These are the types
of fire extinguishers needed:
¨ Ordinary materials like paper, cloth, trash and wood need a
CLASS A
¨ Gases, flammable materials like grease, oil, paint or solvents
require a CLASS B
¨ Electrical Equipment requires CLASS C – never use water on an
electrical fire
¨ Combustible metals like magnesium, sodium, potassium and
sodium-potassium alloys, as well as lithium and lithium alloy -
CLASS D
¨ Combination fires need CLASSES ABD and BC
With posted signs, in an emergency – no one needs to try to
remember what they’re used for. It would also be good to have a
drawing on the wall next to the extinguisher or as part of the
sign (large enough that one doesn’t need glasses) that shows how
to use the fire extinguisher. These should be reviewed in
regular health and safety classes. In an emergency, we may not
remember what to do.
Fire extinguishers must be checked yearly to keep them
current and legal.
Understanding the basic principals of using a fire
extinguisher:
¨ Stand about 8 feet away from the fire and pull the pin.
¨ Aim at the base of the fire
¨ Try not to blow sparks away, causing the fire to get even
larger than it is.
¨ For larger fires, get out and leave it to the professionals.
Material possessions can be replaced, people cannot!
HOW CAN WE PREVENT FIRES
There are a number of things we can do to avoid the potential of
a fire occurring. It would be wise to take an inventory of your
area. It is also wise to be alert as you go through any building
or your home to material that is sitting or stacked together.
Let’s look at specific measures you can take:
Personally
¨ Smoking in designated areas only.
¨ Don’t leave cigarette butts lying around – dispose of them
properly. You may think it’s out, but it might get blown into an
area that’s potentially dangerous and if not completely out
spark a fire.
¨ Make sure that smoking materials and matches are put out and
put in the proper receptacles.
¨ Space heaters should be authorized for use first, even in
approved areas. Extra care should be used to make sure they
don’t touch anything while one and are turned off after use.
Equipment
¨ Lubricate bearings, gears and moving joints so they don’t get
hot.
¨ Make sure that moving parts don’t rub against each other
¨ Debris and grease should be kept clear
Electrical Equipment
The number one cause of industrial fires is the misuse or
failure of electrical equipment
¨ Check equipment regularly, at the start of each shift would
not be too excessive
¨ Replace frayed or worn cords and wires
¨ Don ‘t overload outlets, circuits, motors or fuses
¨ Have a good ground connection
Flammable Substances
¨ Store them in approved containers
¨ Clean up spills immediately
¨ Dispose of both flammables and clean up materials quickly and
properly
¨ Know what is flammable – check labels
¨ Never store flammable materials around oxidizers
¨ When working with flammable material always use the proper
tools and equipment
¨ ALWAYS USE FLAMMABLES IN WELL VENTILATED AREAS
¨ Before cutting or heating a container – make sure it’s safe –
make sure you know what WAS in it
¨ To avoid creating static electricity ground a container before
you transfer flammable materials
General Safety Tips
¨ Keep all work areas as free of dust, lint, wood, grease, oil,
trash, etc.
¨ Dispose of materials properly – whether it’s a flammable
material or trash
¨ Keep flammable material away from heat sources like machinery,
electricity and lights
Safety comes first.
Alertness to our environment is the greatest protection we have.
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an Orlando, Florida based Safety Professional with over 20 years
of broad-based safety experience including: safety speaker,
safety consultant, expert witness, and former safety executive
at a Fortune 50 company. Her clients include many multinational
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