This document provides an overview of fire safety in a business setting. It discusses the types of damage fires can cause businesses, including structural damage, loss of documents, injury or death, damage to customer and vendor relations, and reduced building security. It then covers the anatomy of a fire, explaining the three key ingredients of fuel, oxygen, and heat. Different classes of fire are defined. The document also discusses strategies for fire suppression, detection systems, sprinkler systems, and performing a risk assessment to improve a business's fire safety program.

1. Presentation
By
Muhammad Umer Aziz

2. Introduction
 A fire can severely damage a business, the amount of
damage is determined by,
I. Fire Location
II. Timing
III. Size
 A Fire damages a business’ property through,
I. Heat
II. Smoke
III. Damage caused by trying to put it out

3. Introduction
 Burnt objects and documents are destroyed forever.
Damage May Include
Structural damage:
A fire destroy or weaken walls, floors, ceiling/roof
assemblies, and structural support.

4. Introduction
Loss of Valuable Documents and Information:
Financial records, personnel files, and a wide range of
vital company records can disappear in a fire. Some of
these documents can be reconstructed from other
information sources; some of this knowledge can never be
recovered.

5. Introduction
Injury or Death:
It threatens the lives of your valuable employees. Some of
the physical injuries will take long time to heal and mental
injuries can take even longer.

6. Introduction
Customer Relations:
Confidence of costumers will lessen, due to delay in
deliveries because of fire.

7. Introduction
Vendor Relations:
Vendors deliver their goods on credit. A fire that
temporarily disables your business may delay your
payments to them.

8. Introduction
Building Security:
A fire is a major security threat to your business. This
makes an ideal opportunity for theft. Intentional fires are
also set to cover up crimes.

9. THE ANATOMY OF A FIRE
A fire is a chemical reaction in which a fuel mixes with
oxygen and is heated to a point where flammable vapors
are created.
Fuel for fire in the workplace
 Furnishings
 Business records
 Interior Finishes
 Display cabinets
 Office equipment
 Laboratory chemicals
 Machining lubricants

10. THE ANATOMY OF A FIRE
The Key Ingredients of Fire:
 Fuel: Any combustible material.
 Oxygen: The air we breath is about 20% oxygen, more
than enough to nurture a fire.
 Heat: Something to raise the fuel’s temperature until it
combusts.
Remove any of these elements and fire will cease to burn

11. THE ANATOMY OF A FIRE

12. Classification of fire
 Class A Fires:
Class A fires are fires that involve ordinary combustible
materials such as cloth, wood, paper, rubber, and many
plastics.
Prevention
Class A fires can be prevented through good housekeeping
practices.

13. Classification of fire
 Class B Fires:
Are fires in flammable liquids such as gasoline, petroleum
oil, and paint. Also included are flammable gases such as
propane and butane. Class B fires do not include fires
involving cooking oils and grease.
Prevention
 Never re-fueling a running or hot engine
 Storing flammables away from spark-producing sources
 handling flammable liquids in well ventilated areas

14. Classification of fire
 Class C Fires:
Are fires involving energized electrical equipment such as
motors, transformers, and appliances. Remove the
power and the Class C fire becomes one of the other
classes of fire.
Prevention
 Inspection for worn electrical wires and replacing them
 Never install a fuse with a higher rating
 Keep electric motors clean and monitor them for over-
heating.

15. Classification of fire
 Class D Fires:
Are fires in combustible metals such as potassium,
sodium, aluminum and magnesium. These fires a very
difficult to extinguish and must be suppressed by use of a
special fire fighting agent.
 Class K Fires:
Are fires in cooking oils and greases such as animal fats
and vegetable fats.

16. Building a Fire suppression strategy
 Always fight a fire with your back to your escape route.
 When It’s time to use a fire extinguisher just
remember PASS.
PULL
Pull the pin.
AIM
Aim the nozzle or hose at the base of the fire from the
recommended safe distance.

17. Building a Fire suppression strategy
SQUEEZ
Squeeze the operating lever to discharge the
fire extinguishing agent.
SWEEP
Starting at the recommended distance, Sweep the nozzle
or hose from side to side until the fire is out. Move
forward or around the fire area as the fire diminishes.
Watch the area in case of re-ignition.

18. Building a Fire suppression strategy
 Class A:
Water to cool material below its ignition temperature.
Never use on electrical fire!. These are generally chromed
colored.
 Class B:
Foam,CO2, or a dry chemical to smother grease or
flammable liquid fires. This deprive the fire of its oxygen.
They are generally red with large tapered nozzle and are
quite heavy.

19. Building a Fire suppression strategy
 Class C:
CO2, dry chemical, or Halon to smoother the fire.
 Class D:
Dry powder, specifically for the metal fire being extinguished.
It acts as a cooling agent.
 ABC rated Extinguisher:
Multi-purpose, dry-chemical, A,B and C. It is a dry-chemical
extinguisher that is good for flammable fluids and electrical
fires, not suited for Class A fires. Almost always red and have
either a nozzle or short hose. These units are light weighted.

20. Building a Fire suppression strategy
 Detection System:
Photoelectric Detectors:
Detect smoke from smoldering fires.

21. Building a Fire suppression strategy
Ionization Detector:
Detect fires that have more flame than smoke. Flash
fires can be ignited based on the fuel and heat source
combination, such as in some industrial applications.

22. Building a Fire suppression strategy
Temperature Detectors:
Detect excessive temperatures from fires or other
heat sources.

23. Building a Fire suppression strategy
 A fire alarm system must do more than just ringing a
bell, it should.
 Trigger the closing of fire doors.
Activate the early fire suppression system(usually CO2 or
Halon) if the fire is in that room.
Release electronic locks so that people can get out and
rescue crews can get it.
Notify the people within the facility to evacuate. Audible
and visible alarms.
Notify the fire department of the emergency.
In some cases, shut down automatic factory equipment.

24. Sprinkler system
 Automatic sprinklers are the most important feature of a
fire management program.
 Fire sprinklers are the cheapest method of containing a
fire while people evacuate a facility.
 They are most effective during fire’s initial flame growth
stage.
 A typical sprinkler system will deliver 25 gallons of water
per minute.

25. Sprinkler system

26. Sprinkler system
 Benefits:
 Sounding the alarm.
 Sprinkler will activate even if no one is present.
 Early detection reduces the amount of heat and smoke
damage and allows more orderly evacuation of facility.
 Minimizes intrusion opportunities because the fire is
contained and detected early.
 Insurance companies normally offer reduced premiums
(An amount paid or required, often as an installment payme
nt, for an insurance policy.) for buildings with sprinkler
systems.

27. Sprinkler system
 Considerations while selecting a Sprinkler:
 Desired response time.
 Criticality of what you are protecting.
 The volatility of what you are protecting.
 Aesthetics (responsive).
 Normal room temperature.
 Elements of Sprinkler System:
 Dependable water supply, water must be available even if electric
service is lost.
 Connect the sprinkler heads to the water supply through a
network of water pipes. Rusted, weak, clogged, or too narrow
pipes will reduce efficiency of sprinkler system.
 Sprinkler head is activated by heat, it distributes water onto the
fire and at intervals along the pipes is independent.

28. Sprinkler system
 Components of Sprinkler Head:
i. Frame: Provide structure that holds the sprinkler system.
ii. Thermal linkage: Controls the water release.
iii. Cap: It provides a water tight seal over the sprinkler orifice,
held in place by the thermal link.
iv. Orifice: The opening in the water pipe at the base of the
sprinkler valve is called the orifice. Water comes from this
opening.
v. Deflector: splatters the water stream shooting out of orifice
into a pattern that is more efficient for fire suppression.
vi. Water Source: A key element in your sprinkler system is
reliable water source. This can be from public water system,
rural lakes or water cisterns.

29. Sprinkler system

30. Sprinkler system
 Water Supply Evaluation:
Resistant to drought.
Pipes must support water flow.
It must maintain a steady water pressure.
Features of Sprinkler System:
 Alarms.
 Control Valves.( allows to shut off the flow of water to
sprinkler heads, if fire is out.)

31. Sprinkler system
 Types of Sprinkler Systems:
1. Wet Pipe: Most common, water pressure is constantly
maintained in the sprinkler pipe. Quick in action. Used
in areas which are not exposed to frost-bite.
2. Dry Pipe: uses a valve that holds the water out of the
pipe. Instead of water, the pipes holds pressurized gas or
air. When the thermal link is melted by the fire, the cap
is released and the air in the pipes is released. Useful in
unheated areas in cold climates. This prevents freezing
of pipes.

32. Sprinkler system

33. Sprinkler system

34. Sprinkler system
 Pre- Action Configuration:
 Uses a dry-pipe approach, but the valve controlling the water is
activated by fire alarm detection system.
 This system uses two step process to fire suppression.
1. When a fire detection system detects a fire, this releases the
valve and allow the water to enter the pipes
2. The sprinkler head’s thermal link fatigues and allows water to
flow onto the fire.
 Higher initial costs, short delay when air in the pipes is
displaced by water.

35. Sprinkler system
 Water Mist Systems:
Uses water mist to suppress fire.
Micro mists discharge fine water droplets at a very high
pressure.
Minimizes damage to property.

36. Risk Assessment
 What can we do?
 Identify potential fire hazards and eliminate them.
 Employee awareness program
 Update fire protection program according to the changes made
within facility.
 Identify critical areas.
 Follow building codes and fire safety regulations.
 Invite fire inspector.
 Evaluate your facility’s fire program, it is useless if it is not
available to employees.
 Fire safety plan should incorporate with other emergency plans.

37. Risk Assessment
 Things to look for:
 Automatic fire suppression system to contain fire, e.g. sprinkler
system.
 Internal barriers to a fire in the form of fire doors and firewalls
to hinder the spread of a fire.
 Well-marked emergency exits that are kept free from clutter
(mess, disorder).
 Automatic fire detection to alert occupants.
 Manual fire alarms as a means to quickly alert all occupants to
evacuate.
 A system of fire extinguishers and fire hoses that can be used to
contain small fires.

38. Risk Assessment
 Consider these issues, while making company’s safety
policies.
Personal space heater:
It Can start fire, because it provides elevated temperature
to start a fire and fuel is all around it.
Heaters should be banned, if possible. If that is not
practical, then an acceptably safe heater must be identified
by the company.

39. Risk Assessment
Coffee Pots:
May be low quality and left on with no one to attend them.
Select high quality coffee maker that is safe as you need it
to be in your environment (office, factory, warehouse
etc.). Require that someone occasionally checks to ensure
that the appliance is turned of when not in use.

40. Risk Assessment
Overloaded Outlets:
Addition of more and more extension cords and surge
protectors to a single outlet to feed growing flood of office
electronic should not be allowed.

41. Risk Assessment
General Housekeeping:
keep offices simple and uncluttered.
Excess papers and other materials are potential fuels to a
fire.
Utility closets and rarely used facility areas must be
inspected.

42. Action Steps for your Plan
 Fire- Resistant Storage:

43. Action Steps for your Plan
 What does a typical business need to store in a fire proof container?
 Cash, checks and securities.
 Software license
 Magnetic media backup (use a container specifically rated for this).
 Engineering documents, including work in progress.
 Any legal papers difficult or impossible to replace, such as tax documents.
 Works of art.
 Precious materials.
Other steps to take include these:
 Make copies of critical documents and magnetic media and store them in a
different building.
 Place fire-proof storage containers in your facility where they don’t fall
through a floor weakened by a fire.( basement or ground floor) and where
there is minimal material overhead to fall on it and crush the container.

44. Evacuation Planning
 An essential part of any emergency plan.
 Ensure that everyone has left the building.
 Helps the fire and rescue squads to focus their efforts on
locating people known to still be in the building.
Evacuation plan come in forms:
 Evacuate the building ( fire, earthquake)
Evacuate the area ( natural disaster e.g. hurricane)
Evacuate into a shelter ( tornado)

45. Evacuation Planning

46. Evacuation Planning
 11-step process:
1. Determine the conditions that would trigger an evacuation.
2. Establish “evacuation supervisors” to ensure areas are clear, to
assist others, and to account for everyone at the rendezvous
(meeting) site.
3. Pull together a system for accounting that everyone is out of the
building or in the storm shelter.
4. Assign someone to assist, anyone with disabilities and those
who may not speak English.
5. Post evacuation procedures around the facility. Maps showing
the nearest exits.

47. Evacuation Planning
6. Designate key people to shut down critical or dangerous operations
during the evacuation. Transferring toxic chemicals, halted
automatic pain spraying operations etc.
7. Designate someone to quickly secure the petty cash box, close the
safe and lock all cash registers before evacuating the area.
8. Ensure evacuation routes are kept clear and unobstructed.
9. Install emergency lighting in case electricity fails.
10. Designate outside assembly areas for each section of building.
11. Actions in the assembly areas should be clearly understood by the
evacuation supervisors. To facilitate the headcount, department
roster should be kept adjacent to the evacuation exist so they can
be picked up on the way out.

48. Evacuation Planning
 These rosters list the name of every employee and long-
term contract worker by department.
Use the roster to see if the normal staff is accounted for. Ask if the
missing are out sick that day or known to be working elsewhere
in the facility.
Ask if any other contract employees were working in the area that
day.
Forward the completed roll call results to the Evacuation
Command Center (ECC) as soon as possible. Note the names and
last known locations of any missing people. DO NOT reenter the
building as these people may be at the different rendezvous
(meeting point, assignation point) point.

49. Evacuation Planning

50. Evacuation Planning