Fire_Safety

1. peoplefirst-us.com

3.  Photos shown in this presentation may depict situations that are not in compliance
with applicable OSHA/MSHA/FHWA requirements.
 It is not the intent of the content developers to provide compliance-based training in
this presentation, the intent is more to address hazard awareness in the construction
and mining industry, and to recognize the overlapping hazards present in many
workplaces.
 It should NOT be assumed that the suggestions, comments, or recommendations
contained herein constitute a thorough review of the applicable standards, nor
should discussion of “issues” or “concerns” be construed as a prioritization of
hazards or possible controls. Where opinions (“best practices”) have been expressed,
it is important to remember that safety issues in general and jobsites specifically will
require a great deal of site- or hazard-specificity – a “one size fits all” approach is not
recommended, nor will it likely be very effective.

4.  No representation is made as to the thoroughness of the presentation, nor to the
exact methods of remediation to be taken. It is understood that site conditions vary
constantly, and that the developers of this content cannot be held responsible for
safety problems they did not address or could not anticipate, nor those which have
been discussed herein or during physical presentation. It is the responsibility of the
employer, its subcontractors, and its employees to comply with all pertinent rules
and regulations in the jurisdiction in which they work.
 It is assumed that individuals using this presentation or content to augment their
training programs will be “qualified” to do so, and that said presenters will be
otherwise prepared to answer questions, solve problems, and discuss issues with their
audiences.
 Areas of particular concern (or especially suited to discussion) have additional
information provided in the “notes” section of slides throughout the program…as a
presenter, you should be prepared to discuss all of the potential issues/concerns, or
problems inherent in those photos particularly.

5.  Know and understand:
 Principles of combustible and flammable liquids,
including limits, and classification
 Basics of fire chemistry
 Fire classes
 How extinguishing agents work
 Be familiar with
 Types of fire extinguishers
 How to control flammable liquid hazards
 Basic fire prevention and protection

6.  Annual $2.2 billion loss
 Over 300 workplace deaths
 Over 3% of workplace fatalities
 Fire losses can be catastrophic
 Unlike other hazards, the event may not be self-
limiting
 Fire hazards MUST be controlled to a low level of
probability, as losses are so high

7.  Lower explosive limit, LEL (also LFL)
 The minimum concentration of vapor in air below
which a spread of flame does not occur when the
vapor is in contact with a source of ignition
 Acetone LEL = 2.5%
 Upper explosive limit, UEL (also UFL)
 The maximum concentration of vapor in air above
which a spread of flame does not occur when the
vapor is in contact with a source of ignition.
 Acetone UEL = 12.8%
 Explosive range (also flammable range)
 The spread between the LEL and UEL
 Acetone explosive range = 2.5 - 12.8%

8. Concentration
LEL UEL

9. Toluene Example:
TLV PEL IDLH LEL UEL
1 - 100 ppm 1000-5000 ppm 1-20 percent
•TLV=50 ppm,
•PEL = 200 ppm,
•IDLH = 500 ppm,
•LEL = 1.1%,
•UEL 7.1%
O2 deficient

10.  Ignition temperature
 The temperature at which ignition (production of
flame) and burning will be continued after the
source of ignition or the source of heat is removed
 Flash point
 The lowest temperature at which enough vapor is
given off near the surface of a liquid to produce a
flammable mixture with air.
 Flammable liquid
 Liquids with a flash point below 100 F
 Combustible liquid
 Liquids with a flash point 100 F or greater

11. NFPA OSHA Flashpoint Boiling point
Flammable
Liquids
4 IA <73F < 100F
3 IB <73F >100F
3 IC >73 - <100F
Combustible
liquids
2 II >100 - <140F
2 IIIA >140 - <200F
1 IIIB >200F
Non-
combustible
0

12.  Flame fire
 Gases or vapors
 High burning rate
 Surface fire
 Burning rate may be slow
 Explosion
 An event leading to a rapid increase of pressure

13.  Deflagration
 Combustion wave propagates at subsonic velocity
 Detonation
 Combustion wave propagates at supersonic velocity
 Gas or vapor explosion
 Combustion of pre-mixed gas or vapor
 Dust explosion
 Finely divided solids, suspended in air

14.  BLEVE
 Boiling Liquid Expanding
Vapor Explosion
 Flash evaporation after
vessel rupture
 May not involve
combustion

15.  Combustion
 Rapid oxidation
 Combustion components
 Oxygen
 Atmosphere (21%)
 Chemical oxidizers
 Fuel
 Solids
 Surface-to-mass ratio
 Gaseous
 Liquids (vapors)
 BGases

16.  Combustion components (cont.)
 Heat
 Heat of combustion
 Other sources of heat: (ignition)
 Chemical reactions
 Decay
 Slow oxidation
 Electricity
 Arcing
 Resistance
 Mechanical friction
 Chemical Chain Reaction
 Propagated by free radicals

17.  Heat
 Soot, smoke
 Carbon dioxide
 Carbon monoxide
 Incomplete combustion
 Hydrogen cyanide
 Hydrogen sulfide
 Phosgene
 Acid Gases
 Hydrogen Chloride
 Sulfur dioxide
 Nitrogen oxides
 Ammonia
 Acrolein
 Metal Fumes

18.  Four components:
 Oxygen
 Heat
 Fuel
 Reaction
 Removing any
component stops
the fire

19.  Cooling
 Applying water
 Removing Fuel
 Shut off supply to gas or liquid fires
 Pump liquid from burning tanks
 Limiting oxygen
 Mechanical smothering
 Foam
 Displace oxygen with inert gas
 Interrupt chain reaction
 Capture free radicals using an extinguishing agent

20.  Class A
 Ordinary combustibles
 Wood, paper, rubbish
 Extinguish with water
 Class B
 Flammable liquids
 Water may aggravate a burning liquid fire
 Extinguish with foam, chemical agents

21.  Class C
 Fires in electrical equipment
 Use non-conductive extinguishing agent
 Class D
 Combustible metal fires
 Extinguish by smothering with dry powder
 Water will cause burning metals to explode
 Special categories

22.  Water
 Removes heat from a fire
 Streams, spray or fog
 Best for Class A fires
 Not for electrical or combustible metal fires
 Water mist may be used on electrical fires. These are special
fire extinguishers, filled with distilled water, that produce a fine
mist (no solid stream of water)
 Foam
 Excludes oxygen from burning liquid fires
 Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)
 Fire can re-ignite if foam breaks down

23.  Inert Gases
 Displaces oxygen
 Carbon dioxide, nitrogen
 Halogenated Hydrocarbons
 Inhibit chain reactions
 HALON (bromo-fluoro-chloro-hyrdrocarbons)
 Carbon tetrachloride (historically)
 Ozone depleting
 New, more ozone-friendly agents are available

24.  Dry Chemical
 Inhibit chain reactions
 Sodium or potassium bicarbonate
 For Class B or C fires
 Multipurpose Dry Chemical
 Monoammonium phosphate
 For Class A, B, or C fires
 Excludes oxygen by coating surfaces
 Dry Powder
 Excludes oxygen from burning metal
 Sodium chloride, graphite

25.  Water
 For Class A fires
 Minimum 2 1/2 gallons or 2A
 "A" unit rating = 5 quart water
or equivalent
 Usually stored pressure type
 Inverting soda-acid
extinguisher are obsolete and
dangerous
 Foam
 For Class A or B
 Stored pressure

26.  Dry Chemical
 Class ABC or BC
 "B" unit rating = 1
square foot flammable
liquid fire
 No rating for "C“
 Stored pressure or
cartridge- operated

27.  Liquified Gas
 CO2, Class BC
 HALON, Class
ABC
 Dry powder
 Class D (no
rating)
 Cartridge
operated

28.  Placement
 Maximum 75 foot travel distance for "A" or "D“
 Maximum 50 foot travel distance for "B“
 Inspection
 Monthly visual
 Annual maintenance
 5-year hydrotest
 12 yr. hydrotest for dry chemical or HALON (6 yr. recharge)
 Training and Education
 For all workplaces with fire extinguishers

29.  P.A.S.S.
 Pull Pin
 Aim at base of fire
 Squeeze handle
 Sweep back and forth

30.  Flammable liquid safety
 Limit quantities
 Store liquids in
flammable liquid
cabinets or rooms
 Use "Safety" cans
 Ventilation
 Pressure relief valves

31.  Flammable liquid safety
 Controlling ignition sources
 Grounding and bonding
 Non-sparking tools
 Approved dispensing hoses
 Classified "explosion proof"
wiring
 "Hot Work Permit“
 For welding, etc.
 Test for LEL
 Observer stands by with
extinguisher or fire hose

32.  Fire Suppression Systems
 Automatic sprinklers
 Wet pipe (buildings)
 Dry pipe (industrial)
 Deluge
 Dry chemical
 CO2, HALON