Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 14

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Cháy nơi làm việc và các vụ nổ giết chết 200 và làm bị thương hơn 5000 công nhân mỗi năm. Trong năm 1995, hơn 75.000 vụ cháy tại nơi làm việc chi phí các doanh nghiệp nhiều hơn $ 2,3 tỷ. Hỏa hoạn tàn phá trong công nhân và gia đình của họ và phá hủy hàng ngàn doanh nghiệp mỗi năm, đưa người dân ra khỏi công việc và nghiêm trọng ảnh hưởng đến sinh kế của họ. Các số điện thoại của con người và tài chính nhấn mạnh sự nghiêm trọng của vụ cháy tại nơi...

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Nội dung Text: Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 14

14 Fire Hazards Guidelines Cluttered work areas increase the potential for ﬁres. 14.1 FIRE HAZARDS Workplace ﬁres and explosions kill 200 and injure more than 5000 workers every year. In 1995, more than 75,000 workplace ﬁres cost businesses more than $2.3 billion. Fires wreak havoc among workers and their families and destroy thousands of businesses each year, putting people out of work and severely impacting their livelihoods. The human and ﬁnancial toll underscores the gravity of workplace ﬁres. 14.2 CAUSES OF FIRES The most common causes of workplace ﬁres are as follows: Electrical causes—lax maintenance in wiring, motors, switches, lamps, and . heating elements Smoking—near ﬂammable liquids, stored combustibles, etc. . Cutting and welding—highly dangerous in areas where sparks can ignite . combustibles Hot surfaces—exposure of combustibles to furnaces, hot ducts or ﬂues, . electric lamps or heating elements, and hot metal Overheated materials—abnormal process temperatures, materials in dryers, . overheating of ﬂammable liquids Open ﬂames—gasoline or other torches, gas or oil burners . ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Friction—hot bearings, misaligned or broken machine parts, choking or . jamming materials, poor adjustment of moving parts Unknown substances—unexpected materials . Spontaneous heating—deposits in ducts and ﬂues, low-grade storage, scrap . waste, oily waste, and rubbish Combustion sparks—burning rubbish, foundry cupolas, furnaces, and ﬁre- . boxes Miscellaneous—including incendiary cases, ﬁres spreading from adjoining . buildings, molten metal or glass, static electricity near ﬂammable liquids, chemical action, and lighting 14.3 OSHA STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require employers to provide proper exits, ﬁreﬁghting equipment, and employee training to prevent ﬁre deaths and injuries in the workplace. Each workplace building must have at least two exits far from each other to be used in a ﬁre emergency. Fire doors must not be blocked or locked to prevent emergency use when employees are in the buildings. Delayed opening of ﬁre doors is permitted when an approved alarm system is inte- grated into the ﬁre door design. Exit routes from buildings must be clear and free of obstructions and properly marked with signs designating exits from the building. Each workplace building must have a full complement of the proper type of ﬁre extinguisher for the ﬁre hazards present, excepting when employers wish to have employees evacuate instead of ﬁghting small ﬁres. Employees expected or anti- cipated to use ﬁre extinguishers must be instructed on the hazards of ﬁghting ﬁre, how to properly operate the ﬁre extinguishers available, and what procedures to follow in alerting others to the ﬁre emergency. Only approved ﬁre extinguishers are permitted to be used in workplaces, and they must be kept in good operating condition. Proper maintenance and inspection of this equipment is required of each employer. The applicable OSHA standard on ﬁre protection is 29 CFR 1910.157. Figure 14.1 shows a well maintained ﬁre extinguisher. Where the employer wishes to evacuate employees instead of having them ﬁght small ﬁres there must be written emergency plans and employee training for proper evacuation. Emergency action plans are required to describe the routes to use and procedures to be followed by employees. Also procedures for accounting for all evacuated employees must be part of the plan. The written plan must be available for employee review. Where needed, special procedures for helping physically impaired employees must be addressed in the plan; also, the plan must include procedures for those employees who must remain behind temporarily to shut down critical plant equipment before they evacuate. The preferred means of alerting employees to a ﬁre emergency must be part of the plan and an employee alarm system must be available throughout the workplace complex and must be used for emergency alerting for evacuation. The alarm system may be voice communication or sound signals such as bells, whistles, or horns. Employees must know the evacuation signal. Fire alarm boxes should be readily accessible as shown in Figure 14.2. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
FIGURE 14.1 Adequate ﬁre extinguisher. Employees must be trained to face emergency situations. Employers must review the plan with newly assigned employees so that they know correct actions in an emergency and with all employees when the plan is changed. FIGURE 14.2 Example of ﬁre alarm box. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Employers need to implement a written ﬁre prevention plan (FPP) to complement the ﬁre evacuation plan to minimize the frequency of evacuation. Stopping unwanted ﬁres from occurring is the most efﬁcient way to handle them. The written plan shall be available for employee review. Housekeeping procedures for storage and cleanup of ﬂammable materials and ﬂammable waste must be included in the plan. Recycling of ﬂammable waste such as paper is encouraged; however, handling and packaging procedures must be included in the plan. Procedures for controlling workplace ignition sources such as smoking, welding, and burning must be addressed in the plan. Heat- producing equipment such as burners, heat exchangers, boilers, ovens, stoves, fryers, etc., must be properly maintained and kept clean of accumulations of ﬂammable residues; ﬂammables are not to be stored close to these pieces of equipment. All employees are to be apprised of the potential ﬁre hazards of their job and the procedures called for in the employer’s ﬁre prevention plan. The plan shall be reviewed with all new employees when they begin their job and with all employees when the plan is changed. The minimum provisions that make up an FPP are as follows: List of all major ﬁre hazards, proper handling and storage procedures for . hazardous materials, potential ignition sources and their control, and type of ﬁre protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard Procedures to control accumulation of ﬂammable and combustible materials . . Procedure for regular maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment to prevent the accidental ignition of combustible materials . Name or job title of employees responsible for maintaining equipment or control sources of ignition or ﬁres . Name or job title of employees responsible for the control of fuel source hazards Any employee assigned to a job must be informed of the ﬁre hazards to which they could be exposed. The employee must have received an explanation of ﬁre prevention plan and how it was designed to protect them. 14.4 AVOIDING FIRES General safety precautions for avoiding ﬁres caused by smoking are by obeying ‘‘No Smoking’’ signs. By watching for danger spots even if no warning is posted (e.g., temporary storage area that contains combustibles), do not place lighted cigarettes on wooden tables or workbenches, even if smoking is permitted, and do no put ashes in a wastebasket or trash can. Flammable and combustible liquids can cause ﬁres if they are near open ﬂames and motors that might spark. When you transfer them, bond the containers to each other and ground the one being dispensed from, to prevent sparks from static electricity (Figure 14.3). Clean up spills right away, and put oily rags in a tightly covered metal container. Change clothes immediately if you get oil or solvents on them. Watch out for empty containers that held ﬂammable or combustible liquids; vapors might still be present. Store these liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated areas away ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Hand pump Transfer hose Flammable liquids Transfer container Ground Fuel drum Safe transfer procedures for ﬂammable liquids. (Courtesy of the Department FIGURE 14.3 of Energy.) from heat and sparks. Be sure all containers for ﬂammable and combustible liquids are clearly and correctly labeled. Electricity can cause ﬁres if frayed insulation and damaged plugs on power cords or extension cords are not ﬁxed or discarded. Also, electrical conductors should not be damp or wet and there should be no oil and grease on any wires. A cord that is warm to the touch when current is passing through should warn you of a possible overload or hidden damage. Do not overload motors; watch for broken or oil-soaked insulation, excessive vibration, or sparks; keep motors lubri- cated to prevent overheating. Defective wiring, switches, and batteries on vehicles should be replaced immediately. Electric lamps need bulb guards to prevent contact with combustibles and to help protect the bulbs from breakage. Do not try to ﬁx electrical equipment yourself if you are not a qualiﬁed electrician. Housekeeping is often a factor in ﬁres in the workplace. Keep your work areas clean. Passageways and ﬁre doors should be kept clear and unobstructed. Material must not obstruct sprinkler heads or be piled around ﬁre extinguisher locations or sprinkler controls. Combustible materials should be present in work areas only in quantities required for the job, and should be removed to a designated storage area at the end of each workday. Hot work such as welding and cutting should never be permitted without supervision or a hot work permit. Watch out for molten metal; it can ignite combustibles or fall into cracks and start a ﬁre that might not erupt until hours after the work is done. Portable cutting and welding equipment is often used where it is unsafe; keep combustibles at safe distance from a hot work area. Be sure tanks and other containers that have held ﬂammable or combustible liquids are completely neutralized and purged before you do any hot work on them. Have a ﬁre watch (another employee) on hand to put out a ﬁre before it can get out of control. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
14.5 FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION 14.5.1 FIRE PROTECTION To protect workplace from ﬁre the following items should be adhered to: Access to all available ﬁreﬁghting equipment will be maintained at all times. . Fireﬁghting equipment will be inspected periodically and maintained in . operating condition. Defective or exhausted equipment must be replaced immediately. All ﬁreﬁghting equipment will be conspicuously located at each jobsite. . . Fire extinguishers, rated not less than 2A, will be provided for each 3000 sq ft of the protected work area. Travel distance from any point of the protected area to the nearest ﬁre extinguisher must not exceed 100 ft. One 55 gal open drum of water, with two ﬁre pails, may be substituted for a ﬁre extinguisher having a 2A rating. . Extinguishers and water drums exposed to freezing conditions must be protected from freezing. Do not remove or tamper with ﬁre extinguishers installed on equipment or . vehicles, or in other locations, unless authorized to do so or in case of ﬁre. If you use a ﬁre extinguisher, be sure it is recharged or replaced with another fully charged extinguisher. Table 14.1 depicts the types of ﬁre and the classes of ﬁre extinguishers used to extinguish these ﬁres. 14.5.2 FIRE PREVENTION To prevent ﬁre the following principles should be followed: . Internal combustion engine powered equipment must be located so that exhausts are away from combustible materials. . Smoking is prohibited at, or in the vicinity of operations which constitute a ﬁre hazard. Such operations must be conspicuously posted: ‘‘No Smoking or Open Flame.’’ . Portable battery powered lighting equipment must be approved for the type of hazardous locations encountered. . Combustible materials must be piled no higher than 20 ft. Depending on the stability of the material being piled, this height may be reduced. TABLE 14.1 Types of Fires and Classes of Extinguishers Class A (wood, paper, trash)—use water or foam extinguisher Class B (ﬂammable liquids, gas, oil, paints, grease)—use foam, CO2, or dry chemical extinguisher Class C (electrical)—use CO2 or dry chemical extinguisher Class D (combustible metals)—use dry powder extinguisher only ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
. Keep driveways between and around combustible storage piles at least 15 ft wide and free from accumulation of rubbish, equipment, or other materials. Portable ﬁre extinguishing equipment, suitable for anticipated ﬁre hazards . on the jobsite, must be provided at convenient, conspicuously accessible locations. Fireﬁghting equipment must be kept free from obstacles, equipment, mater- . ials, and debris that could delay emergency use of such equipment. Famil- iarize yourself with the location and use of the project’s ﬁreﬁghting equipment. Discard and=or store all oily rags, waste, and similar combustible materials . in metal containers on a daily basis. Storage of ﬂammable substances on equipment or vehicles is prohibited . unless such a unit has adequate storage area designed for such use. 14.6 FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS (29 CFR 1910.106) Flammable liquids are to be kept in covered containers or tanks when not actually in use. The quantity of ﬂammable or combustible liquid that may be located outside of an inside storage room or storage cabinet in any one ﬁre area of a building cannot exceed the following: . 25 gal of Class IA liquids in containers . 120 gal of Class IB, IC, II, or III liquids in containers . 660 gal of Class IB, IC, II, or III liquids in a single portable tank Flammable and combustible liquids are to be drawn from or transferred into con- tainers within buildings only through a closed piping system, from safety cans, by means of a device drawing through the top, or by gravity through an approved self-closing valve. Transfer by means of air pressure is prohibited. Not more than 60 gal of Class I or Class II liquids, nor more than 120 gal of Class III liquids may be stored in a storage cabinet. Inside storage rooms for ﬂammable and combust- ible liquids are to be constructed to meet required ﬁre-resistive rating or wiring for their uses. Outside storage areas must be grated so as to divert spills away from buildings or other exposures, or be surrounded with curbs at least 6 in. high with appropriate drainage to a safe location for accumulated liquids. The areas shall be protected against tampering or trespassing, where necessary, and shall be kept free of weeds, debris, and other combustible material not necessary to the storage. Adequate precautions are to be taken to prevent the ignition of ﬂammable vapors. Sources of ignition include, but are not limited to, open ﬂames; lightning; smoking; cutting and welding; hot surfaces; frictional heat; static, electrical, and mechanical sparks; spontaneous ignition, including heat-producing chemical reac- tions; and radiant heat. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Class I liquids are not to be dispensed into containers unless the nozzle and container are electrically interconnected. All bulk drums of ﬂammable liquids are to be grounded and bonded to containers during dispensing. 14.6.1 FLAMMABLE COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS AND Some of the more speciﬁc rules for ﬂammable and combustible liquids are as follows: . Explosive liquids, such as gasoline, shall not be used as cleaning agents. Use only approved cleaning agents. . Store gasoline and similar combustible liquids in approved and labeled containers in well-ventilated areas free from heat sources. Handling of all ﬂammable liquids by hand containers must be in approved . type safety containers with spring closing covers and ﬂame arrestors (Figure 14.4). . Approved wooden or metal storage cabinets must be labeled in conspicuous lettering: ‘‘Flammable—Keep Fire Away.’’ Never store more than 60 gal of ﬂammable, or 120 gal of combustible . liquids in any one approved storage cabinet. . Storage of containers shall not exceed 1100 gal in any one pile or area. Separate piles or groups of containers by a 5 ft clearance. Never place a pile or group within 20 ft of a building. A 12 ft wide access way must be provided within 200 ft of each container pile to permit approach of ﬁre control apparatus. Pressure relief valve Flame arrestor Approved safety can FIGURE 14.4 Example of an approved safety container. (Courtesy of the Department of Energy.) ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
14.7 FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS Combustible scrap, debris, and waste materials (oily rags, etc.) stored in covered metal receptacles are to be removed from the worksite promptly. Proper storage must be practiced to minimize the risk of ﬁre including spontaneous combustion. Fire extinguishers are to be selected and provided for the types of materials in areas where they are to be used. ‘‘No Smoking’’ rules should be enforced in areas involving storage and use of hazardous materials. 14.8 FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS Properly designed and installed ﬁxed ﬁre suppression systems enhance ﬁre safety in the workplace. Automatic sprinkler systems throughout the workplace are among the most reliable ﬁreﬁghting means. The ﬁre sprinkler system detects the ﬁre, sounds an alarm, and sprays water at the source of the ﬁre and heat. Automatic ﬁre suppression systems require proper maintenance to keep them in serviceable con- dition. When it is necessary to take a ﬁre suppression system out of service while business continues, the employer must temporarily substitute a ﬁre watch of trained employees standing by to respond quickly to any ﬁre emergency in the normally protected area. The ﬁre watch must interface with the employers’ ﬁre prevention plan and emergency action plan. Signs must be posted about areas protected by total ﬂooding ﬁre suppression systems which use agents that are a serious health hazard such as carbon dioxide, Halon 1211, etc. Such automatic systems must be equipped with area predischarge alarm systems to warn employees of the impending dis- charge of the system and thereby provide time to evacuate the area. There must be an emergency action plan to provide for the safe evacuation of employees from within the protected area. Such plans are to be part of the overall evacuation plan for the workplace facility. The local ﬁre department needs to be well acquainted with your facilities, its location, and speciﬁc hazards. The ﬁre alarm system must be certiﬁed as required and tested at least once a year. Interior standpipes must be inspected regularly. Outside private ﬁre hydrants must be ﬂushed at least once a year and on a routine preventive maintenance schedule. All ﬁre doors and shutters must be in good operating condi- tion and unobstructed and protected against obstructions, including their counter- weights. 14.9 FIREFIGHTING If an employer expects workers to assist in ﬁghting ﬁres, then he must have them trained to do so. If they are not trained to use ﬁre extinguishing equipment then they should report the ﬁre and sound the alarm followed by evacuation of the premises. 14.10 FIRE HAZARD CHECKLIST To reduce the chances of ﬁre, all the checklist questions should have an afﬁrmative answer. Figure 14.5 is an example of a ﬁre prevention checklist. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Fire checklist Yes & No & Are fire extinguisherslocations unobstructed? Yes & No & Are operatinginstructions on the front of each extinguisher? Yes & No & Is fire extinguisher locationsvisibly identified? Yes & No & Are there fire extinguisher types sufficient to respond to the localarea hazards? Yes & No & Do the fire extinguishersmeet thehydrostatic test requirements (every12 years)? Yes & No & Are monthly fire extinguisher checks being conducted? Yes & No & Are fire hose cabinets accessible and unobstructed? Yes & No & Are fire hose cabinetsin good physical condition? Yes & No & Is flammable liquid storedin approved cabinet? Yes & No & Are flammable liquid storage cabinets used foronly flammable liquids? Yes & No & Isthe volume of flammable liquids stored in cabinetsless than the limits stated on the cabinet door? Yes & No & Are the flammable liquid storage cabinet vent bungsin place and cabinet doors kept closed? Yes & No & Are the flammable liquids storage cabinets structurally undamaged? Yes & No & Are caution labels affixed to flammable liquids cabinets, such as ‘‘KEEP FIRE AWAY’’? Yes & No & Are electrical panels free and clear foraccess with a minimum of 3 ft open space in front of the cabinet? Yes & No & Are electrical disconnects labeled with a description of the equipment they control? Yes & No & Isthe area free of visible exposed wiring? Yes & No & Are equipment power cordsin good condition? Yes & No & Hasyourarea refrained fromusing extension cords aslong-termpower sources? Yes & No & Are all employees wearing ANSI approved safety glasses with side shields? Yes & No & Are work areas kept clean and orderly? Yes & No & Are passageways clearly marked and exit routesvisible? Yes & No & Are exitsmarked with signs andilluminated? Yes & No & Are exits easilyaccessible and unobstructed? Yes & No & Do self-closing doors operate properly? Yes & No & Are allwork areas properly lighted? FIGURE 14.5 Fire prevention checklist. 14.11 SUMMARY Spotting ﬁre hazards in the workplace is the ﬁrst step in prevention. Become familiar with the most common causes of ﬁres. Inspect on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. (Review brieﬂy the employee’s responsibility for ﬁre inspection and prevention.) When a ﬁre hazard is spotted, eliminate it immediately if you have the ability and the authority to do so. File a ﬁre hazard report form or bring it to your supervisor’s attention. If a ﬁre has started notify the appropriate personnel (company ﬁre brigade, your supervisor, safety director, etc.) or turn in a general alarm following company policies. If the ﬁre is not out of control, attempt to extinguish it with the appropriate ﬁre extinguishing equipment if you have been trained in the use of ﬁre extinguisher. If the ﬁre is out of control or is not in your area, follow evacuation procedures. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.