Fire Safety Overview

Fire Safety

• Causes of Fire: Natural (animal, self-ignition), technical (negligence, arson)
• Fire Classifications:
  • Class A: Paper, straw, textiles, rubber, plastics
  • Class B: Flammable liquids (petrol, diesel, paint), gases (methane, propane)
  • Class C: Electrically energized equipment (computers, radios, toasters)
  • Class D: Combustible metals (magnesium, aluminum, lithium, sodium, potassium)
  • Class K: Cooking appliances involving cooking oils, fats, greases
• Stages of Fire:
  • Ignition: All 3 fire components joined
  • Incipient: Fire can be extinguished with a fire blanket
  • Growth: Incipient fire becomes heat source, nearby fuel ignites
  • Fully Developed: Entire area is on fire, temperature reaches 1000°C
  • Full Fire: Objects around fire reach ignition temperature
  • Flashover: Objects ignite without direct flame contact
  • Decay/Burnout: Fuel runs out, oxygen is depleted, fire becomes less intense
  • Smoldering: Slow, flameless combustion; temperature can still increase
  • Backdraft: Oxygen re-introduced suddenly in enclosed space, may cause fire to re-ignite
• Putting out Fires:
  • Cooling: Decreasing burning material temperature
  • Smothering: Limiting oxygen supply
  • Starvation: Removing fuel source
  • Breaking combustion process: Interrupting the chemical reaction
• Fire Protection Equipment:
  • Fire detection, alarms, communication systems (for Philippines)
  • Sprinkler Systems: Pipes along ceiling with water under pressure
  • Standpipe Systems: Piping and hose connections

Earthquakes

• Earthquakes: Sudden ground shaking from seismic waves.
• Human Trafficking: Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of people through force, fraud, or deception to exploit them.

Emergency Planning

• Emergency : Any sudden set of circumstances demanding immediate action
• Emergency Response Plan: Integrated policies/procedures to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies
• Cornerstones of an Emergency Plan: Prevention, Preparedness, Response

Occupation Health and Safety

• Occupation Health and Safety: Recognition, assessment, and control of hazards in work environments

• Important OHS terms:

  • Health: Physical and mental well-being enabling normal job performance
  • Safety/Safe: Physical or environmental conditions preventing accidents.
  • Work Accident: Unplanned occurrence resulting in injury, property damage, or work interruption (including any combination of those)
  • Near miss accidents: Undesired incidents that, under slightly different circumstances, could have resulted in harm, damage, disruption, or their combinations
  • Occupational/work injury: Damage from a workplace incident causing cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation
  • Occupational illness: Abnormal conditions caused by environmental factors in the workplace
  • Loss: Preventable waste of resources from injury or damage.

• Workplace Hazards: Injuries and diseases from unsafe acts and conditions

• Unsafe Acts: Employees not adhering to standards or rules.

• Unsafe Conditions: Physical or chemical properties of materials, machines, or environments which can cause danger

• Types of Accidents:

  • Struck-Against: Worker hits something.
  • Struck-By: Worker is hit by something moving.
  • Contact-By: Object/agent moves toward worker.
  • Contact-With: Worker moves toward object/agent.
  • Caught-In: Body part trapped.
  • Caught-On: Body part caught by stationary object.
  • Caught-Between: Body between two moving/static objects.
  • Fall-same-level/Fall-to-Below: Worker slips, trips, or falls.
  • Overexertion/Repetitive Stress Injuries: Pushing, pulling, excessive use of muscles.
  • Exposure: Unhealthy environmental factors.

Risk Analysis

• Risk Analysis (steps):
  • Identify hazards
  • Assess probability (chance of event occurring) and consequences (severity of injury) of harm
  • Establish risk control measures (elimination, substitution, engineering controls)
• Costs of poor safety management: Fatalities, serious injuries, compensation claims, lost productivity, reduced staff morale.

This quiz covers essential aspects of fire safety, including the causes of fire, classifications, and stages of fire development. Understanding these principles is crucial for prevention and response to fire incidents. Test your knowledge on how to identify fire risks and the appropriate extinguishing methods.