1. Fire Safety and Prevention

2. Topics Goals of a Fire Prevention Program Fire Prevention Strategy
Housekeeping Issues
Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Electrical Fire Hazards
Compartmentalization

3. Fire Prevention Goals Life Safety Property Protection
The primary goal of fire safety efforts is to protect building occupants from injury and to prevent loss of life.
Property Protection
The secondary goal of fire safety is to prevent property damage.
Protection of Operations
By preventing fires and limiting damage we can assure that work operations will continue.

4. The Strategy of Preventing a Fire
A fire must have three things to ignite and maintain combustion:
Fuel
Heat
Oxygen
The basic strategy of fire prevention is to control or isolate sources of fuel and heat in order to prevent combustion.
If all three are not present in sufficient quantities a fire will not ignite or a fire will not be able to sustain combustion

5. Housekeeping
Good housekeeping habits are an important part of a safe workplace.
Why is good housekeeping important?
To reduce amounts of flammable and combustible materials.
To reduce ignition hazards.
To ensure safe emergency evacuation of occupants.
To allow for quick emergency response.

6. General Housekeeping Guidelines
Work areas, aisles, walkways, stairways, and equipment should be kept clear of loose materials, trash, scraps, etc.
Never block aisles, fire exits, emergency equipment, or alarm pull stations with equipment or materials.
Avoid build up of combustible trash and waste such as paper, wood, cardboard, etc.
Keep use and storage of flammables and combustibles to a minimum.
Clean up all spills such as grease, oil, or water immediately. A delay could result in accidents.

7. Storage Guidelines
No storage is allowed in corridors and stairwells. A cluttered hallway could slow down emergency evacuation.
Storage must not exceed a plane of 18 inches below sprinkler heads or smoke detectors. Storage that breaks this plane may prevent sprinkler heads from fully covering room during a fire.
A simulated example of how storage can protrude into 18 inch plane below sprinkler heads.

8. Storage Guidelines
Maintain at least a 3ft clearance from heating surfaces, air ducts, heaters, and lighting fixtures.
Storage of combustible materials in mechanical rooms is prohibited.
All storage must be at least 3 ft from electrical panels. In some emergency situations it will be necessary to access these panels quickly.
Improper Mechanical Room Storage
Improper Storage in front of Electrical Panel

9. Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Flammable and combustible liquids are potential fuel sources for fires and are present in almost every workplace.
It is actually the vapor created by flammable and combustible liquids that ignites and burns.
It is important to understand what materials in your work area are flammable and combustible so that you may properly store and isolate them from ignition sources.

10. How do I tell what’s flammable?
NFPA classification system
The NFPA diamond is an easy way to determine the safety risks associated with hazardous materials. To determine a materials flammability refer to the red section of the diamond. A number in this section will indicate the flammability rating of the material.
The following numbering system is used to indicate flammability
0- will not burn
1- must be preheated to burn
2-ignites when moderately heated
3-ignites at normal temperature
4-extremely flammable
For example, An NFPA diamond on a can of gasoline would have a 3 in the red section indicating that gasoline could ignite at normal working temperatures.
NFPA Diamond

11. NFPA Classification System Continued...
Where can I find NFPA diamonds?
Product labels
Material Safety Data Sheets (ask your supervisor for them)
How do I determine the flammability of chemicals that don’t use the NFPA classification system?
The flashpoint of a chemical may be used to determine its flammability. Flashpoint information may be found on product labels or MSDS sheets.
The flashpoint of a liquid is the lowest temperature at which the liquid gives off enough vapor to be ignited. The lower the flashpoint, the greater the risk for ignition.
What’s a Flashpoint?

12. Flammable and Combustible Liquids Continued...
Flammable liquids are considered flammable because their flashpoints are < 100ºF. This means that flammable liquids burn easily at normal working temperatures.
Combustible liquids have a flashpoint at or above 100ºF. These liquids are less hazardous than flammable liquids but still pose a risk.
The volatility of flammable and combustible liquids requires special storage and handling requirements.

13. Storing Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Flammable liquids must be stored away from ignition sources in cool, well ventilated areas away from incompatible materials
Limit the amount of flammable and combustible liquids to the minimum amount necessary.
As a general rule, No more than 10 gallons of flammable materials should be outside of approved flammable liquid storage cabinets or approved storage rooms.
Room storage limits of flammable and combustible materials depend on various factors such as sprinklers, and storage cabinets. Refer to the table on the following slide for storage guidelines.

14. General Guidelines for Safe Storage
It may be possible to exceed these limits check with your local fire department for applicable local fire codes.

15. Fire Safety Electrical Issues
Electrical hazards are the cause of numerous workplace fires each year. Faulty electrical equipment or misuse of equipment produces heat and sparks that serve as ignition sources in the presence of flammable and combustible materials.
Examples of common ignition hazards:
overloading circuits
use of unapproved electrical devices
damaged or worn wiring

16. Electrical Fire Safety
Extension cords
Extension cords are only approved for temporary use. They may only be used for a period of three days or less. Instead of using extension cords install permanent wiring.
When using extension cords check for defaults such as frays, brittleness, or broken wires.
Never place extension cords in high traffic areas where they can be damaged by being stepped on or run over by equipment.

17. Electrical Fire Safety
Multi-plug strips
Should only be used for office equipment such as computers, printers, and fax machines.
Other common items such as microwaves, refrigerators, and copy machines must be plugged directly into wall outlets. This is a requirement of the State Fire Marshal.
Multi-plug strips should have a fuse or circuit breaker and be UL approved.

18. Electrical Fire Safety
Avoid the following improper and hazardous practices:
Never use three prong adapters that allow a three pronged plug to plug into a two prong outlet.
Never use any item with a damaged or frayed electrical cord.
Space Heaters are an area of concern and combustible materials should be cleared to a minimum of three feet.
Never daisy chain or piggy back multi-plug strips and electrical cords (plugging strips and cords into each other).
Piggy-backed multi-plug strips

19. Compartmentalization
Buildings are designed to prevent fire, heat, and smoke from spreading beyond locations of origination. Building elements such as fire walls, fire dampers, and fire doors, are designed to seal off one location from the next. This system is called compartmentalization.
Compartmentalization increases the safety of evacuating building occupants because smoke and fire are not able to escape into exit passageways.
Containment of fire and smoke reduces property damage and prevents small fires from growing into large fires.
In order for compartmentalization efforts to be effective fire barriers must be maintained.

20. What’s A Fire Door?
Fire doors are designed to withstand fire, heat and smoke for a period of 20-minutes to 3 hours.
Did you know that corridor office doors are fire doors and should have a 20 minute rating?
Corridor doors (doors leading to fire exits) should have a 60 minute rating.
Fire Doors are required to:
Be Self Closing: fire doors should have a door closure that pulls doors completely shut after the door has been opened
Have Positive latching: a positive latch locks a door in place so can open swing open freely.

21. 4 Reasons Not to Wedge Open Fire Doors
For the safety of your buildings occupants.
If a fire occurs in a location where the fire door has been wedged, smoke and heat will travel freely into exit corridors hindering or preventing occupant evacuation.
It’s the Law
Periodically State Fire Marshal’s inspect businesses and issue numerous citations for wedging or blocking open doors.
To reduce or prevent damage to property, research, personal belongings, etc.
Keeping your door shut will keep out smoke or fire originating in other locations.
To hold open your door you may have an electro-magnetic device installed.
This device releases a fire door upon activation of the fire alarm allowing it to close and latch.

22. Maintaining Fire Barriers
Fire doors need occasional maintenance and repairs to function properly and should be periodically checked. To test a fire door:
Open the door fully and allow it to swing shut.
The door should close and latch completely by itself. Give the door a push after it closes to ensure that the latch has engaged.
If the door is not operating properly contact supervisor immediately for repairs.
Ceiling, Floor, Wall Penetrations
All areas should be properly sealed to prevent the escape of fire, heat and smoke.
Common penetrations include holes in walls, around ducts, pipes, etc. These types of penetrations should be sealed with appropriate fire-stopping material.

23. 1910.157 Portable Fire Extinguishers
Requirements
Placement
Use
Maintenance
Testing

24. Portable Fire Extinguishers
If portable fire extinguishers are provided for employee use, the employer must mount, locate and identify them so workers can access them without subjecting themselves to possible injury.
(c)(1)
Employers can choose whether to train their workers to fight fires or to rely on outside services.
Blocked extinguisher

25. Extinguisher Classification
Letter classification given 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
The class of extinguisher should be on the extinguisher shell. The picture-symbol labeling system now in use is designed to make the operation of fire extinguishers more effective and safe to use through the use of less confusing pictorial labels. The system also emphasizes when not to use an extinguisher on certain types of fires.
Because of recent information outlining the difficulties inherent in the extinguishment of fires in cooking appliances that involve combustible cooking media (vegetable or animal oils and fats), a new classification (Class K) has been established. This classification is not listed in OSHA standards. NFPA 10 specifies that listed and labeled Class K fire extinguishers are to be provided in these cases.
Class A Class B Class C Class K
Combustible
Ordinary
Flammable
Electrical B C A D
Combustibles
Liquids
Equipment
Metals

26. Extinguisher Rating
Numerical rating given to Class A and B extinguishers which indicate how large a fire an experienced person can put out with the extinguisher
Ratings are based on tests conducted at Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc.
Class A: 1-A, 2-A, A
Class B: 1-B, 2-B, B
A 4-A extinguisher, for example, should extinguish about twice as much fire as a 2-A extinguisher
Class C extinguishers have only a letter rating because there is no readily measurable quantity for Class C fires which are essentially Class A or B fires involving energized electrical equipment. Class D extinguishers likewise do not have a numerical rating. Their effectiveness is described on the faceplate.

27. Maintaining Portable Fire Extinguishers
Must maintain in a fully charged and operable condition
Must keep in their designated places at all times except during use
Must conduct an annual maintenance check
Must record the annual maintenance date and retain this record for one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less
(c)(4)
(e)(3)

28. Portable Fire Extinguisher Training and Education
Where portable fire extinguishers have been provided for employee use in the workplace, employees must be provided with an educational program on the:
General principles of fire extinguisher use
Hazards of incipient (beginning) stage fire fighting
Employees designated to use extinguishers must receive instruction and hands-on practice in the operation of equipment
(g)
Training and education required upon initial employment/assignment and at least annually thereafter.
“Incipient Stage Fire” means a fire which is in the initial or beginning stage and which can be controlled or extinguished by portable fire extinguishers, Class II standpipe or small hose systems without the need for protective clothing or breathing apparatus. [ (c)(26)]

29. 1910.157 Portable Fire Extinguishers
Training and Education
Employees shall be educated in
Use of extinguishers
Associated Hazards
Initially and Annually
Employees designated to use fire fighting equipment shall be trained

30. P.A.S.S.

31. 1910.157 Portable Fire Extinguishers
Selection and Distribution
Based on Classes of anticipated workplace fires
On size and degree of hazard

32. 1910.157 Portable Fire Extinguishers
Extinguishers shall be distributed so that maximum travel distances apply:
Class A 75 feet
Class B 50 feet
Class C Based on appropriate pattern
Class D 75 feet

33. 1910.157 Portable Fire Extinguishers
Inspection, Maintenance and Testing
Extinguishers shall be:
Visually inspected monthly
Maintained annually
Hydrostatically tested periodically IAW Table L-1

34. Points To Remember Housekeeping Issues
Keep your worksite clean and free of trash and debris.
Follow proper storage guidelines.
Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Use and store the minimum amounts necessary.
Follow correct storage guidelines.
Electrical Fire Hazards
Don’t use unapproved electrical devices.
Avoid improper uses of multi-plugs.
Compartmentalization
Maintain compartmentalization systems.
Don’t wedge or block open doors.

35. Any Questions?
Summit’s Loss Control department thanks you for your participation. For additional safety information, forms, checklists, resources, safety talks, and posters please visit: