Fire hazards analysis

What is a Fire Hazard Analysis (FHA) and how are they used How do you determine the potenbal impact of fires tVhat are examples of some typical fire hazard problems and how do you solve them ... 

Calculations to determine loss, such as fire hazard analysis, consequence modeling, etc. 

Fire protection systems should be maintained until materials that pose a hazard are removed. A fire water system should be the last item removed or deactivated. When necessary, decommissioning plans must be reviewed with the AHJ. Fires have occurred during removal of equipment due to cutting operations, material still in the equipment, and other hazards. A separate fire hazard analysis should be conducted to determine fire hazards that may be present during a decommissioning of a unit or plant. 

Understanding fire hazards is essential to risk reduction and fire protection decision-making. A fire hazard analysis (FHA) is a tool used to understand fire hazards. The process of quantifying the fire hazard is typically motivated by the need to determine the overall hazard of a process or facility or to have a decision-making tool for fire protection systems (Chapter 6). An FHA is an important element of a risk assessment and can also be used as a stand-alone hazard evaluation tool. 

Fire hazard analysis (FHA) is the process to determine the size, severity, and duration of a scenario and its impact on personnel, equipment, operations, and the environment. Chapter 5 provided details of performing an FHA. The following paragraphs provide an overview of the FHA process. For example, one scenario could be a seal failure where the material being released is ignited and afire results. In assessing consequences, several questions must be considered ... 

In the fire risk assessment, it is important to reevaluate the risk once options for mitigation are determined. The amount of risk reduction should be calculated for each option or combination of options. Often, the results indicate that some options do not provide much, if any, risk reduction. The use of cost benefit analysis can help management in deciding which option to select. Facilities that depend exclusively on the local fire department for fire protection should complete a fire hazard analysis to determine the appropriate fire protection. 

The selection of appropriate fire protection for a specific type of facility or item of equipment should be based on the lifecycle stage of the facility and the results of a fire hazard analysis as described in Chapter 5. Typically, the protection features available will include one or more of the following ... 

Use of fire hazard analysis (FHA) approach will determine the size and expected duration of fires and allow selection of fire protection on a performance basis (see Chapter 5). 

The void created by raised panel floors should be provided with smoke detectors and considered as a separate detection zone. The actual design and detection method used depends on several variables including ventilation and routing of electrical/data cables. Passive or active protection may be considered based on the results of a fire hazard analysis. 

Waste handling facilities have become an essential function for operation of many process systems. Historically, waste handling facilities are often overlooked and should be included in a fire hazard analysis. If the waste han-dling/treatment system cannot operate, then a plant or unit shutdown may be required. 

Bryan, J.L. 1986. Defining Damageability - The Examination, Review, and Analysis of the Variables and Limits of Damageability for Buildings, Contents, and Personnel from Exposure in Eire Incidents. Symposium on Quantitative Fire Hazards Analysis. Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Boston, MA. 

Lattimer, B.Y., Wright, M., and Cutonilli, J. 2000. Composite Fire Hazard Analysis Tool for Topside Structures (CTHAT) - Version 3." NSWCCD-TR-65-2000/32. U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, Washington, DC. 

ASTM E 1678 Standard Test Method for Measuring Smoke Toxicity for Use in Fire Hazard Analysis. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA. 

Babrauskas, V., Levin, B., Gann, R., Paabo, M., Harris, R., Peacock, R., and Yusa, S., Toxic Potency Measurements for Fire Hazard Analysis, Special Publication 827, National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD, 1991. 

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