FIRE HAZARDS

MODULE 9
What Does Fire Hazards Mean?

Fire hazards are workplace hazards that either involve the presence of a flame, increase
the probability that an uncontrolled fire will occur, or increase the severity of a fire
should one occur.

Fire hazards include:

 Flames
 Sparks
 Hot objects
 Flammable chemicals
 Chemicals accelerants, which can increase a fire’s rate of spread

Fire hazards are a broad category. It includes anything which impedes the function of
fire protection material or equipment, as well as anything that inhibits fire safe behavior.
For instance, an obstruction which impedes safe evacuation and a malfunctioning
sprinkler system would both be considered fire hazards. This is because a facility's level
of risk factors in both the probability that a fire will occur and the severity of the
potential harm that could be caused by a fire if it did occur.

Our understanding of what counts as a fire hazard has changed over time—in general,
societies around the world have become less tolerant of fire risks, and as such, far more
conditions are seen as being hazardous or unsafe. Taking this into account, a “fire
hazard” can thus be understood as anything which significantly increases the likelihood
of a fire occurring, intensifies a fire’s spread, or increases the potential harm a fire could
cause.

An item may also be considered a hazard in one context but be seen as non-hazardous
in another, lower-risk environment. For example, in occupational environments that
require the use of heat or flame, the use of non-fire resistant clothing would be
considered hazardous. Minor amounts of flammable materials that would be considered
acceptable in normal environments become unacceptable if placed in an environment
that has an ignition source.

Because the amount of hazard (risk) that is created by an individual item is dependent
on the environment which it exists within, fire hazards are typically analyzed from a
“whole-workplace” or “whole-building” perspective. These risk assessments, which are
often legally required, are referred to as Fire Hazard Analysis (FHA) or Fire Risk
Assessments (FRA).

Fire Hazard Analyses and Fire Risk Assessments

An FHA is a type of engineering analysis that is designed to describe the risk of fire
present in an environment in both qualitative (descriptive) and quantitative (numeric)
terms. The FHA considers the severity of hazards in the area by evaluating the total risk
of hazards in a given area. An FHA can be risk-based and hazard-based—the former
considers the likelihood of a given scenario occurring, while the hazard-based model is
solely concerned with what could happen, regardless of probability.

1
The complexity of a fire hazard assessment can vary significantly. In very low-risk
workplaces a fire hazard assessment may be conducted by non-experts as part of a
general hazard analysis. In contrast, at high risk workplaces—such as industrial
facilities—it may be necessary to conduct a formal FHA that makes use of sophisticated
calculations that require a great deal of computing power to execute.

The Fire Triangle

Hazardous substances that increase the risk of fire can be considered with respect to
the Fire Triangle—a model of the three conditions that are necessary to start a fire (fuel,
an ignition source, and oxygen). A fire hazard is typically something that will either act
as fuel or as an ignition source.

A simplified cousin to the fire tetrahedron, the fire triangle is a model for conveying the
components of a fire. The fire triangle’s three sides illustrate the three elements of fire: heat,
fuel and oxidization.

The three elements must be combined in the right proportions for a fire to occur. If any of the
three elements are removed, the fire is extinguished.

The first element in the fire triangle is heat, which is perhaps the most essential of fire
elements. A fire cannot ignite unless it has a certain amount of heat, and it cannot grow
without heat.

THE STAGES OF FIRE

There are four stages of fire, including:

 Ignition: At this stage, a fire extinguisher can control the fire.

 Growth: Additional fuel ignites, causing the size of the fire to increase.

 Fully developed: This is when temperatures reach their peak, causing damage.

 Burnout: The fire gets less intense.

And in order to select the right type of extinguisher to put out a fire, you must
understand the different classes of fires.

CLASSIFYING FIRE
Fires are classified into five groups, including:
2
  Class A fires: consist of ordinary combustibles, such as wood, paper, cloth, trash
and plastics.

 Class B fires: are fueled by flammable or combustible liquids, such as grease, oil
and gasoline.

 Class C fires: are also known as energized electrical fires. These fires involve
electrical equipment, such as motors, transformers and appliances.

 Class D fires: comprise of combustible metal fires, involving metals such as

potassium, sodium, aluminum and magnesium.

 Class K fires: involve cooking oils and greases, such as animal and vegetable fats.

Ultimately, having a basic understanding of what fire is and its types of classifications
will lessen the chances of on-duty firefighter injuries and fatalities.

The 4 most common types of fire

Kitchen, electrical, heater and smoking-related fires are particularly common

types of fires

While fires can start at any time and anywhere, below are descriptions of the four most
common types of fires. Acknowledging these types of fires may help you to reduce or
even eliminate the risk of starting a fire.

1. KITCHEN FIRES

 The most common type of fire in the U.S. is the kitchen fire. The reason that the
kitchen is the source of many fire hazards is because the kitchen is where heat,
electricity, water, and grease come together.
 
The most common type of kitchen fire is the grease fire. A grease fire is extremely
dangerous as it can get out of control quickly and spread from the stove
throughout the kitchen and into other rooms of the house.
 
Many grease fires occur because someone leaves a frying pan on the stove
unattended. They also occur when someone overheats a pan during attended
cooking if the grease catches fire. Grease fires can cause serious injury and
extensive property damage.
 
Other types of kitchen fires include oven fires and appliance fires. Fires can also
get started in the kitchen when electricity comes in contact with water.
2. ELECTRICAL FIRES 

 Electrical fires are caused by a number of different factors, including faulty

appliances, worn or faulty electrical wiring, improper use of electrical outlets and
worn out breaker boxes.
 
Older homes often do not have the proper wiring to handle the amount of electrical
appliances in use today. Often old wiring inside walls becomes frayed or worn,
causing shorts and sparks that can ignite.
3
  
Old breaker boxes are made to shut off electrical current when the circuit becomes
overloaded as a fire prevention measure, but often the connections are worn or
broken and do not activate the breaker switch.
 
Lighting is another cause of electrical fires, which can be triggered by improper
wiring or the use of bulbs that are higher in wattage than the amount
recommended for the lighting appliance.
3. HEATER FIRES 

 This type of fire is particularly common in the winter months. Portable heaters
should always have automatic shutoffs that activate when they overheat as a fire
precaution.

 Coil space heaters are especially hazardous because the coils will ignite anything
combustible nearby. Always keep any type of space heater a minimum of three feet
from anything combustible. That includes curtains, bedding, clothing and
furniture. Always shut space heaters off when you’re not in the room.
 
Extension cords should not be used with space heaters as they generate too much
electricity and can start a fire.
4. SMOKING-RELATED FIRES 

 Fires caused by cigarettes account for 1,000 deaths in the U.S. every year. Many
times the smoker is not the person who dies.
 
Most smoking fires are started by embers igniting on furniture, bedding and trash
cans. Smokers should always be sure cigarettes are completely extinguished
before emptying ashtrays into the trash.
 
Never smoke in bed and never smoke when you are tired, inebriated, or drowsy
from medication. Do not place ashtrays on flammable surfaces like couches,
chairs, or beds where they can tip over and start a fire.
 
The best way to prevent smoking-related fires is to smoke outside the house and
have a can filled with sand to extinguish cigarette butts.
How to choose the best type of fire extinguisher?
Here's a breakdown of the most common types of fire extinguishers and category
classifications

The first fire extinguisher was patented by chemist Ambrose Godfrey in 1723. Since

then, many types of extinguishers have been invented, altered and developed.

But one thing remains the same no matter the era — four elements must be present for
a fire to exist. These elements include oxygen, heat, fuel and a chemical reaction. When
you remove one of the four elements in the "fire triangle," the fire can then be
extinguished.

However, in order to successfully extinguish a fire, you must use the correct

extinguisher.

The most common types of fire extinguishers used on different types of fire fuels are:
4
 1. Water fire extinguisher: Water fire extinguishers douse fires by taking away the
heat element of the fire triangle. They're used for Class A fires only.
2. Dry chemical fire extinguisher: Dry chemical extinguishers extinguish the fire
by interrupting the chemical reaction of the fire triangle. They're most effective on
Class A, B and C fires.
3. CO2 fire extinguisher: Carbon dioxide extinguishers take away the oxygen
element of the fire triangle. They also remove the heat with a cold discharge. They
can be used on Class B and C fires.

And because all fires are fueled differently, there's a variety of extinguishers based on
the fire type. Some extinguishers can be used on more than one class of fire, while
others warn against the use of specific class extinguishers.

Fire Hazard Standards

Numerous OSHA standards are in place to address fire hazards. They include standards
for hazard communication, safe storage, fire suppression systems, personal protective
equipment, planning, training, and more. There are also specific hazard standards for
industries such as construction, shipyard work, and mining. Beyond these standards,
OHS authorities also rely heavily on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
when determining whether an employer’s fire safety efforts are adequate.
Some aspects of fire safety have been standardized internationally. For example, OSHA’s
hazard communication standards draw upon the United Nations Globally Harmonized
System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The GHS system which
ensures that workers only ever have to be able to recognize one symbol to understand
whether or not a chemical is a fire hazard, regardless of the country that chemical is
sourced from.

Fire Safety Myths

Myth #1: When there’s a fire, the flames cause the most casualties.
5
  Fact #1: The majority of fire related deaths are actually due to the smoke. Smoke
from a fire can be toxic because of the carbon monoxide, which can spread
throughout the entire building within minutes. The smoke from the fire can cause
people to choke or become disoriented after they breathe it in.
Myth #2: Non-residential fires lead to more casualties than residential fires.
 Fact #2: According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
residential fires result in the most fire related damages, injuries, and deaths.
That’s why fire protection is an important part of both your home and business,
especially in the kitchen. This is also why fire drills and education is such an
important part of any household or company.
Myth #3: Fire doesn’t spread very quickly, so there’s no need to escape right away when
the fire alarms go off.
 Fact #3: Even a small flame can spread quickly and turn into a massive fire in
under minutes, especially if there are flammable materials around. Once a fire
begins to spread, there’s no slowing it down until it’s completely distinguished.
Myth #4: If the smoke alarm goes off then there’s no fire yet, just smoke.
 Fact #4: When you hear the smoke alarm, the fire has generally already started as
well. Some smoke detectors are able to detect a fire early on, but don’t take the
risk of thinking the fire isn’t big yet or hasn’t begun to spread. Always take a
smoke alarm as a sign to get out or grab the fire extinguisher.
Myth #5: If one fire sprinkler goes off then all of them will activate shorty after.
 Fact #5: A lot of movies and television shows portray this as the case, however it
isn’t true. Fire sprinklers will only activate in the room that detects a fire. The first
sprinkler to react is the one that’s closest to the fire and in most cases the fire can
be extinguished by just one sprinkler.