STUDY ON FIRE HAZARD IN TEXTILE INDUSTRIES

In textile industry having lot of occupational and

ABSTRACT: health hazards in the cloth manufacturing process
Textile industry in India plays a very wide like 1.Preparition of Yarn 2.Spinning 3.Weaving
role in production and also employment of very 4.Knitting 5.Finishing 6.Storing 7.Handling
huge strength of peoples both educated and 8.Transport etc.
uneducated. From the origin of textile goods The common occupational health hazards are given
manufacturing lot of technology changes from below
manual making to fully automated machineries but Physical hazards:
still we can find the lot of hazards and health issues Heat, cold, lighting, noise, visible ultra violet
still continue from the origin. So technology radiation, temperature, humidity and ionizing.
development produces some more hazards related Chemical and mineral hazards:
to the process and the technology what used for Dust, vapors’, fumes, gases, solvent, metal and their
manufacturing. To creating awareness on hazards compounds.
and health issues in the work place is the important Biological hazards:
thing. Through this text creating a framework to the Various, blood borne disease, sharps/needle sticks,
industrial workers towards the fire related hazards bacteria, moulds in health care and other works.
and its preventive measures. This was to all the Mechanical hazards:
Tripping hazards, traumatic injuries, housekeeping
workers from the top management people to the
injuries, steps and fault of moving equipments.
civil labors about the study on fire hazards in textile
Ergonomic hazards:
industry. Posture force (pushing/pulling), repetitions,
1. INTRODUCTION vibration, pressure on the body, work organization
India was in second place of producing (poorly designed work procedure and tasks) are
work environment.
cotton and silk products. Textile and garments are
Psycho-social hazards:
producing big supports on Indian economy and Low/high work load demand, pace /work, little and
employment of skilled and unskilled labors. In no control over what work to do, no social support,
textile industry major hazard was fire related hazard relations harassment and discrimination or physical
it produces lot of fatal accident and property or mental treats of violence and no flexibility for
damage in wide range. According to NCRB time off.
(National Crime Records Bureau) report 18,450 fire 2. METHODOLOGY
accidents were reported in India in 2015, in this 2.1 WHAT IS FIRE?
1193 were injured and 17,700 was fatal accident Fire is the visible effect of the process of
due to fire among this report 57.9% was industrial combustion- a special type of chemical reaction. It
accidents. Fire accident produces wide range of occurs between oxygen in the air and some shot of
property damage to the management. So the study fuel. Fire will exist only when fuel, Oxygen and
on fire hazard and its preventive measures are
Heat are present in the correct ratio.
useful for the industrial workers and management to
understand the fire hazards and the importance of
giving awareness to the workers.
 Basic symbols used to make the Event Tree
Analysis were given in the figure 2.3. By using
basic logical symbols like AND, OR gates the event
tree was constructed. In this diagram containing all
possibility of event and its root causes. By using
detailed collection of data’s from previous records
or safety audit results we can create a high efficient
analysis about the fire accidents and its preventive
measures.
Figure 2.1 Fire triangle
Fig 2.1 shows the Universal Fire triangle.
By means of air fuel in concentration that make
combustion at a point of ignition. In the textile
industry almost all materials are flammable.
2.2 FIRE AND EXPLOSION ASSESSMENT
Fire and Explosion Analysis (FEA) is used
for the engineers to assessment of fire and
Explosion hazard due to release of flammable
material and other hazards outcome of the potential
for injury, fatality, property or equipment damage,
ultimately resulting in financial and reputational
loss for an organization.
The FEA for fire hazard in textile industry
was shown below figure 2.2. Using this diagram we
can analysis the fire hazard in detailed manor and Figure 2.3 symbols used in FEA
can produce the high efficient fire accident
preventive measures and policies.

Figure 2.2 FEA for fire hazard

3 ROOT CAUSES FOR FIRE ACCICDNT
Mainly fire hazard happened in the
following reasons
1.Electrical shot circuit
2.Welding operation
3.Smoking
The fire hazards mainly caused in thr
priority of electrical fires welding or hot work
carried out in the comcustable material storage and
smoking in the work place this are the main root
causes of fire accident
3.1 IMPROPER STORAGE
Storage of materials is most important in Figure 3.2
textile industry because lot of fire accident happen Storing the combustable matreials near to
in the storage area. So by keeping away the the rotating and moving object also should be
combustable materials like cotton and other avoided to minimize the fire due to friction and
flamable material from ignition sources like collision of material.
electrical panels, moving or rotating equipments,
3.2 FIRE ACCIDENT DUE TO ELECTRICITY
etc. Mishandling or improper hanling of
Figure 3.1, Figure 3.2 gives the some of the electricity is the main cause of electricity related
unsafe activities common in the textile industry. fires.
Some of the common electrical hazardous
are given below.
1.Loose connection, 2.Temporary
connection 3.overloading of electrical apparatus,
4.Shot circuit, 5.Lack of maintenance, this are the
major electrical risks which producing fire hazard in
the industries.

Figure 3.1
Storing the combustable material close with
the electrical panel it must be avoided to reduce
electrical fires. Because panels were produce spark
when the relays operates or any fault occure there is
a flash of spark come out from the electrical panel
motor and other electrical apparatus. So we have to
provide enough space between the electrical
apparatus and the combustable materials. Figure 3.3 Improper wiring
3.3 FIRE HAZARD DUE TO WELDING AND 3.4 LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON FIRE
OTHER HOT OPERATIONS FIGHTING EQUIPMENTS
Welding and other hot operations like All employees should know about the
grinding are producing sparks in the normal operation and operating procedure of fire fighting
operation so it will create fire hazard in the textile equipments like extingushers,fire fighting pump,
industy. To avoid this kind of fire accident we have fire hydrents etc.
to restrict the semi-skilled workers instead of silled All fire extingusher should be available at
worker and he should know the all hazards related easy accessable areas there is no upstructions
to the operation and preventive measures taken to around the estingusher.Some of the equipment was
avoid accident. placed in the unaccessable area was shown below.

Figure 3.4 Hot operation

3.4 SMOKING IN THE WORK PLACE
To creating awareness on smoking in the
workplace by Educating the workers, Punishment, Figure 4.1 Extingusher in un accessable area
Restrict the smoking area, Smoke detection system
are the some ways to control the hazards due to
smoking.

Figure 3.5 Smoking

Figure 4.2 Extingusher in un accessable area
 Figure 4.1,Figure 4.2 shows the fire 8.Proper maintenance schedule for the
extingushers were not placed in accessable area. So electrical equipments
there is no use of this equipment and it was failed in 4.2 WELDING:
its purpose what it was kept there. When there is an 1.Avoiding welding, grinding operations
emergency we canot use the equipments. near combustable materials.
3.5 LACK OF MAINTENANCE 2.Restrict the unathorized persons to
Maintenance of all fire fighting equipments welding
are the most important factor. By making good 4.3 SMOKING:
maintenance schedule for the fire fighting 1.To creating awareness to workers not
equipment and following it periodical basis. using ignition sources
2. Install smoke detection system
3. Punishment or restrict the smoking zone
4.4 OTHER COMMON PREVENTIVE
MEASURES
1. Provide adequate space for escape root
2. Outline clear pathways to exit door
3. Conduct fire drills in periodically
4. Make your office accessible to fire
fighters
5. Drafting ONSITE, OFFSITE emergency
plan and make to reach to all employees
6. Make the building plan handy
7. Construction should be in national
building code standards
8. Promoting good safety practice among the
workers
Figure 4.5 Improper maintenance
9. Periodical safety audit and continuous
4 RESULTS AND DISCURSION
inspection on work place
4.1 ELECTRICAL FIRE
5 CONCLUSIONS
1.To keeping away the combustable
Self protection is the first and important
materials from the electrical panel
factor on safety. By creating awareness on fire
2.Providing flame retardant materials to
hazard and its preventive measures to the all
interiors
peoples who all are working in the industry from
3.Selection of proper electrical apparatus
top management people to the civil workers. It is
according to the workplace needs and hazards
the ultimate aim on protecting workers from fire
related to it.
hazard then only the onsite and offsite emergency
4.Follow the standard operating procedures
plan and fire rescue on emergency situation was
5.Temporery connections should be avoided
easy and effective. So the management should take
6.Allocating athorized persons for the
ultimate responsible for Plan, Do, Check, and Act
electrical works
on the fire accident awareness and prevention
7.Providing protective devices like ELCB,
techniques to be effective in action.
MCB, etc.
6 REFERENCES Environment, Science and Technology, Vol. 2, pp.
[1] Praveen Kumar, Mugundhan, Visagavel 30-38, 2016.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY IN
[11]Sudha Babel, Rupali Rajvanshi and
TEXTILE INDUSTRY “ International Journal of
Sangeeta Sharma, “Occupational hazards faced by
Research in Engineering and Technology (IJRET) spinning mill workers”, Asian journal of home
eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308 . science, Vol. 9, pp. 572-575, 2014.

[2] Neelam Singh Safety and health issues in [12]Jagatheesan P, Satheeshkumar P, Prabu
workers in clothing and textile industries R, Sirajudeen I and Anbalagan M, “Occupational
“International Journal of Home Science” health and safety in manmade spinning industry”,
International journal of innovation research in
[3] SUDHA BABEL science, engineering and technology, Vol. 6, pp.
ANDMEENAXITIWARI Occupational health 154-158 2014.
hazards in textiles industry “Asian journal of home
science” volume 9 June 2004 267-271 [13]Kane C D, “Environmental and health
hazards in spinning industry and their control”,
[4] K.P.Karupannan, M.Arularasu and S.R. Indian journal of fiber and textile research, Vol. 26,
Devadasan Study on Safety Training Programme pp. 39-43 2001.
in Textile Industries I J C T A, 10(20), 2017, pp.
221-230 ISSN: 0974-5572 [14]Golam Kibria M D, “Identifying and
eliminating industrial hazards in RMG industries”,
[5] Richard Campbell “ Fires in Industrial International journal of scientific research
and Manufacturing Properties” NFPA march 2018 engineering and technology, Vol. 3, pp. 159-166,
2014.
[6] NEBOSH International General
certificate “Fire hazard and controls” [15]Akarslan F and Demiralay H, “Effects
of textile materials harmful to human health”,
[7] Tatyana A. Davletshina Nicholas P. International journal of computational and
Cheremisinoff, Ph.D.“FIRE AND EXPLOSION experimental science and engineering, Vol. 128, pp.
HAZARDS HANDBOOK OF INDUSTRIAL 407-408, 2015.
CHEMICALS”.

[8]Sudha Babel and Meenaxi Tiwari,

“Occupational health hazards in textile industry”,
Asian journal of home science, Vol. 9, pp. 267-271,
2014.

[9]Neelam singh, “Safety and health issues

in workers in clothing and textile industries”,
International journal of home science, Vol. 3, pp.
38-40, 2016.

[10]Megha Bansal, Rajesh Kumar Yadhav,

“Occupational health hazards and awareness of
occupational safety among workers of textile dyeing
industries in Jaipur”, International journal of