Control fire hazards

For supervisors. Controlling fire hazards, employee education, fire prevention, and emergency measures. Part of 15-volume series, Supervisors Development Program. ... 

Thiophene and 3-methylthiophene are Hsted on the TSCA chemical substances inventory. Thiophene is regulated as a hazardous material under OSHA and also regulated under the Clean Air Act, Section 110, 40 CFR 60.489, but there are no exposure limits or controls set for 3-methylthiophene. Both materials are regulated under sections 311/312 of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, 1986 (SARA), as materials with an acute health and fire hazard, and under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as ignitable hazardous wastes (DOOl). 

Vapor Pressure The pressure exerted by a vapor above its own liquid. The higher the vapor pressure, the easier it is for a liquid to evaporate and fill the work area with vapors which can cause health or fire hazards. Venting Emergency flow of vessel contents out of a vessel. The pressure is controlled or reduced by venting, thus avoiding a failure of the vessel by overpressurization. The emergency flow can be one-phase or multi-phase, each of which results in different flow characteristics. 

This is a location which is not permanently contaminated but is likely to be prone to fire hazards during processing, storage or handling of explosive gases, chemical vapour or volatile liquids, although under careful and controlled conditions. Eor such locations in addition to a flame- or explosion-proof enclosure, type Ex. d, an increased... 

These couplings are totally enclosed and are suitable for any environment prone to fire hazard, corrosion, dust or any other pollutants. The controls can be provided remotely in a safer room and the pushbutton stations, which can be easily made suitable for such environments, located with the drive. 

Any of the above reasons tnay result in noise and an increase in temperature and must be corrected. Critical installations such as a refinery, a petrochemical plant, a chemical plant or a petroleum pipeline may require special precautions and control to avert any excessive heating of the bearings, which may become fire hazards. For these installations, bearing temperature detectors with a relay and alarm facility may also be installed in the control circuit of the switching device to give warning or trip the motor if the temperature of the bearing exceeds the preset safe value. 

The storage and processing of powder paints must be carried out under well-controlled conditions, and preferably away from fire hazardous areas. The powder on mixing with air becomes inflammable and can cause an explosion. Powder paints should be stored at about 2.6 C. 

They may be rated as more fire hazardous than a BOCB or MOCB in view of arc formation taking place ill the open, although under controlled conditions. They are not suitable for installations prone to fire hazards, unless the sub-station or the control room where they are installed is isolated from the area of hazards (Section 7.1 I). They are generally suitable for all other areas... 

Flammability. The fire hazard associated with plastics has always been difficult to assess and numerous tests have been devised which attempt to grade materials as regards flammability by standard small scale methods under controlled but necessarily artificial conditions. Descriptions of plastics as selfextinguishing, slow burning, fire retardant etc. have been employed to describe their behaviour under such standard test conditions, but could never be regarded as predictions of the performance of the material in real fire situations, the nature and scale of which can vary so much. 

Fire hazards are minimized by minimum inventories of chemicals. Control or miniini/e ignition sources, provide a confining area, reduce the temperature of the material as much iis possible, blanket the material to eliminate air contact. Have available fire protection equipment breathing apparatus, and protective clothing for the fire fighters. Use several hour fire walls to prevent the spread of fire to other process areas. 

The zirconium sponge thus obtained is highly pyrophoric. The industrial practice is to condition this sponge by the controlled admittance of air-argon mixtures at around 50 °C. Such a treatment results in the formation of a thin, protective oxide film on the sponge this eliminates any major fire hazard in subsequent handling and crushing operations. 

These processes cause considerable wear on the machines. Heat generation, particularly when grinding vulcanisate, can be a fire hazard unless grinding and storage is controlled adequately. 

Low concentrations of VOCs in ambient ah of 1 to 1,000 ppmv (parts per million based on volume) are often harmful to human health. VOCs also promote the photochemical formation of ozone and other contaminants, and in high concentrations are a fire hazard. These severe environmental implications have resulted in increasingly stringent legislation in the U.S.A. and elsewhere to limit release of VOCs into the atmosphere. Control technologies for VOCs release include combustion and vapor recovery. Vapor recovery is preferred as combustion may result in the production of other air pollutants, and destroy valuable VOCs. 

ESD system components that are located in areas that would be considered direct fire exposures, i.e. within or above fire hazardous risk areas should be provided fire protection measures to ensure integrity during ESD operation and the duration of the major efforts to control the emergency. 

All fixed fire suppression system control valves should be located out of the fire hazard area but still within reach of manual activation. For high hazard areas (such as offshore facilities), dual feeds to fire suppression systems should be considered from opposite areas. For onshore facilities, firewater isolation valve handles should not be contained within a valve pit or a below grade enclosure within the vicinity of hydrocarbon process facilities, since heavy process vapors travel from the process and may settle inside. 

High- and low-temperature WGS catalysts based on Fe and Cu respectively, require slow and carefully controlled activation procedures. After reduction they are highly reactive toward air and can be a fire hazard to the consumer. 

In the past (prior to 1974), exposure of humans to heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide was directly related to the application of heptachlor as an insecticide. However, because of the persistence and bioaccumulation of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide, exposure of the general population can occur through ingestion of contaminated food (especially cow s or maternal human milk), inhalation of vapors from contaminated soil and water, or direct contact with residual heptachlor from pesticide application. People whose homes have been treated may continue to be exposed to these chemicals in the air over long periods. Occupational exposure can occur in the manufacture of the chemical or from use of heptachlor to control fire ants. The most likely routes of exposure at hazardous waste sites are unknown. Heptachlor has been found infrequently in soil and groundwater at hazardous waste sites. Children who eat contaminated soil or people who obtain tap water from wells located near hazardous waste sites might be exposed to heptachlor. Also, since both compounds can volatilize from soil, people living near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to the compounds in the air. 

Understanding the fire hazards and determining how they should be controlled. 

A fire risk assessment should be documented to provide a clear overall picture of the possible fire hazards and the role safety systems play in hazard control and mitigation. Also, a fire risk assessment should be maintained evergreen during the lifecycle of the facility to ensure ongoing management of fire hazards. 

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