Fire Prevention and Emergency Management Quiz

Emergency Types

• Emergencies happen suddenly, disrupt routine, and require immediate action
• Disasters are emergencies with multiple injuries/deaths, major property damage, or both

Types of Emergencies

• Forces of nature, fire, explosions, systems failures, traffic problems

Priorities for Emergencies

• Preserving life and protecting property
• Clean up, restore operations, and return to normal.

SARA

• Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 requires facilities to create emergency response plans
• Companies must report on the storage, use, and release of hazardous substances to federal, state, and local governments

EPCRA-SARA III

• Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 Title III
• Communities plan for chemical emergencies
• Industries report on hazardous substances storage, use, and releases to federal and local governments

Radiological Accidents

• Emergencies involving ionizing radiation
• Include incidents involving radioactive materials

Chemical Transportation Emergencies

• Accidents during chemical transport
• Includes the transportation of hazardous chemicals

Emergency Centers

• Technology is helpful, but can create new emergencies

Disaster Dilemma

• Technology solves problems, but sometimes creates new ones
• Monthly visual, hydrostatic, and annual internal examinations of a building's systems
• Plans required include fire and emergency reporting, evacuation procedures, and procedures for employees remaining to operate critical functions.

Maintaining Fire Extinguishers

• Companies are obligated to test and maintain fire extinguishers regularly

Emergency Plans

• Written plans must cover procedures for evacuation, emergency personnel, and accounting for employees, and be communicated to employees.

Elevator Safety

• Elevators have a primary recall floor, closest to an exit, indicated with a star
• In case of fire, elevator stops on or near the recall floor.

Emergency Response Team Training

• First aid, including CPR and SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) is a critical skill
• OSHA standard for blood-borne pathogens, chemical spill control, and emergency rescue

OSHA Respirators in Emergency

• Employers must choose and provide appropriate respirators for employees
• Respiratory protection programs are required for emergency situations.
• Respirators must be properly cleaned and disinfected.

Process Safety Management

• Develop a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) for covered processes.
• A PHA should be reevaluated every 5 years
• Include operating procedures and emergency protocols
• Mechanical integrity of emergency systems and alarms is required
• Proper response plans and personal protection for responders are essential.
• Various PHA methods are suggested, including 'What-if Study,' Checklist, HAZOP study, FMEA and Fault Tree Analysis.

Employer Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain fire brigade documentation of training
• Inspect and maintain fire-fighting equipment
• Provide protective gear
• Ensure compliance with respirator standards

Spill Procedures

• Establish a command post away from the spill area
• Use appropriate equipment to clean up (at the spill site)
• Safety equipment must be present in order for trained personnel to handle the spill
• Safety personnel must be aware of the 'hot zone' or exclusion area.

Fire Classes

• Class A: ordinary combustibles (wood, paper, cloth, etc.)
• Class B (flammable liquids, gases, or greases)
• Class C (electrical equipment)
• Class D (combustible metals)
• Class K (cooking media or vegetable/animal oils)

Interior Finishes

• Classifies the amount of flame spread and smoke produced in a fire

Underground Construction

• Develop and maintain safety checks during construction
• Conduct procedures for dealing with an incident, and for dealing with potential safety hazards

Bloodborne Pathogens

• Provide initial and annual training on bloodborne pathogens to all employees who have occupational exposure
• Hepatitis B vaccination is mandatory for some staff
• Training on proper sanitation and handling of body fluids to manage the risks.

Heat Transfer

• Combustion as the rapid exothermic/heat producing reaction of oxygen with a fuel
• Heat of combustion, the energy released from complete combustion
• Transfer through radiation, convection, and conduction
• Rate of convective heat transfer is proportional to temperature difference

Elements of Combustion

• Components (oxygen, fuel, source of ignition, chemical chain reaction) must be present for combustion
• Preventing a fire requires removing at least one key component of the fire tetrahedron

Flammable Limits

• Lower Flammability Limit (LFL): minimum gas concentration to ignite
• Upper Flammability Limit (UFL): maximum gas concentration to ignite

Explosions

• Deflagration: a very fast burning rate; less explosive
• Detonation: a very rapid, high-pressure, supersonic combustion reaction; very explosive

Flammable Gases

• Lighter than air; properties determine the appropriate ventilation design
• Properties and hazards of gases
• Lower explosive limit, Upper explosive limit (LFL, UFL)

Vapor Pressure

• The pressure exerted by a vapor at equilibrium with a liquid
• A liquid's vapor pressure increases with temperature

Fire Gases

• CO (carbon monoxide)
• CO2 (carbon dioxide)
• Hydrogen Cyanide
• Other harmful products of combustion

NFPA 704 System

• Standardized system to indicate the hazards of materials
• Includes classifications for health, flammability, reactivity, and special hazards

Fire Safety Strategies:

• Preventing fires, stopping the spread, and extinguishing fires
• Design for safer buildings, ventilation, and appropriate spacing between combustibles

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code

• Criteria for building design, construction, and fire suppression systems
• Safety distances, exit routes, and fire prevention measures

Fire Detection

• Various types of detectors (fixed temperature, rate of rise, smoke, flame)
• Detection of different hazards (fire, smoke, temperature, etc.)

Sprinkler Systems

• Dry pipe, wet pipe, pre-action, deluge, and residential designs

Fire Hydrants

• Spacing, water flow, and required pressure levels of water

Fire Extinguishers

• Types and location requirements (Class A, B, C, D, K)

Media Communication and Risk Communication Principles

• Principles to communicate information effectively and professionally during a crisis

Work Place Violence

• Act or threat of physical violence, harassment
• Employers are required to implement a zero-tolerance policy towards workplace violence.

Security, Detection, Deny, Delay, Defend

• Strategies to prevent, deter, and respond to workplace violence
• Physical prevention, monitoring, and response procedures to workplace safety and security.

Fire Prevention Plans

• Identify fire hazards and potential sources of ignition
• Staff training, and appropriate fire prevention strategies

Hazards of Carbon Dioxide and Halon Systems

• Hazards of these gases (asphyxiation, cold temperature)
• Safe handling and storage of these compressed gases is critical.