Extinguish Fire - Fire Safety

How do you extinguish fires?

This involves the elimination of one side of the fire triangle.
Starvation - remove the fuel, e.g. turn off the gas supply, drag burning pallets away from the fire.

Smothering - remove the oxygen supply or adding inert gas (without oxygen) to the burning mixture, e.g. fire blanket onto a pan, or using a foam extinguisher. Main risk is that the fire may reignite when foam (wet chemical used for fat fryers) or blanket is removed as heat will still be present.

Carbon dioxide is commonly used in extinguishers and nitrogen is used in the petrochemical industry. Smothering is only effective when the source of oxygen is air. It is ineffective when the substance that is burning contains oxygen.

Cooling - commonest, cheapest and most effective method. For example,water sprayed onto a fire, will cause the temperature to be lowered. The steam produced acts as a blanket to smother reducing the potential for further ignition. Dry powder extinguishers rapidly absorb the heat and also smother.

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Causes of Fire

Electrical equipment - arcing, sparks, hot surfaces created by defective electrical equipment.

Spontaneous ignition - when some liquids are heated or sprayed onto a hot surface, they may ignite without an ignition source being present

Spontaneous combustion - when materials react with oxygen an exothermic reaction takes place, i.e. heat is emitted. May cause the material to ignite or burst into flames

Smoking - discarded smoking materials. Smoking in dangerous areas, e.g. flammable vapours present

Sparks - act as a source of ignition. Friction between surfaces where a machine contact a fixed part or two surfaces rubbing or sliding together during machine operation, e.g. grinders

Hot work - welding, soldering, hot cutting, brazing. Source of ignition, be careful where flammable vapours are present. Permit to work system is necessary when not in a workshop

Static electricity - electrostatic charging is produced by induction or friction, the charge can be carried away from the source, accumulated charge can be a source of ignition

Vehicles - maintenance and parking areas. Diesel and petrol engines, emissions, and hot surfaces, e.g. exhaust system can be a source of ignition

Open flames - many sources, e.g. boilers, furnaces, portable heating appliances, pilot lights. Poorly maintained or incorrectly used equipment can be a source of ignition

Lightning - source of ignition, protection by direct earthing

Arson - high-risk, e.g. 75% of school fires are caused by arson

Lack of management systems - no appropriate detection systems, means of raising the alarm. Poor housekeeping, no training etc.

Chemical reactions

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