Fire precautions

Occasionally a bomb shell misfires in the air and falls down to the ground vdiere it explodes and spreads a large amount of burning stars. 

When there are inflammable materials near-by, the place is instantaneously filled with fire and it makes fire fighting difficult. Even just after rainfall things on the ground are not always wet particularly in sheltered spots, and there is a danger that the stars might fly into well dried inflammable matter and causes a big fire. 

A parachute sometimes carries residual fire which cannot be seen, and as it is carried by the wind so far it can be more dangerous. Parachutes of course can be so constructed that they are fireproof and so after careful testing are useable. Commercial shells cannot be inspected by users, and so parachutes are unavoidably disliked. There is also the problem that in a daylight display there is the danger of children running after the parachute in a street of busy traffic. 

Experiments have taken place to see how far from the mortar black shells are likely to fall on the ground. Fig.145 shows four examples, (A) is an experiment by the Hosoya Firework Co. on January, 1955, (B) by 

Tokyo-to on February 29th and May lst,195o, (C) by the same on May 16th.  

Carbon dioxide is useful where the minimum damage should be caused to the materials at risk, on fires in liquid, solids or electrical fires but not where there is a high risk of reignifion. It is likely to be ineffective outdoors due to rapid dispersal. It is unsuitable for reactive metals, metal hydrides or materials with their own oxygen supply, e.g. cellulose nitrate. 

Dry powders are effective on flammable liquid or electrical fires. Special powders are available for use on metals. Dry powder extinguishers may be used on Class C fires, including gases and liquefied gases in the form of a liquid spillage or a liquid or gas leak. This must be accompanied by other actions, e.g. stopping the leak this is necessary to avoid accumulation of an unbumed flammable gas-air mixture which could subsequently result in an explosion. Activation may be automatic by a detection system, or manual. 

Vaporizing liquid halogen agents are electrically non-conductive and are effective on a wide range of combustibles, particularly flammable liquids and electrical fires. A lock-off system is required on fixed installations to protect personnel, the normal extinguishing concentration being 5% by volume. The use of such liquids is being phased out except for defined essential uses they will be banned from 31 December 2003. 

Portable extinguishers and fire blankets are normally provided at strategic points in the work area. The range of application of portable extinguishers is summarized in Table 6.12. British Standard EN3 Part 5 requires all new extinguisher bodies to be red. A zone of colour above, or within, the section used to provide operating instructions may be used to identify the type of extinguisher. The colours used are  

Standard dry powder or multi-purpose dry powder AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) 

Foam is a proportioned mixture of water and foam concentrate aspirated with air to cause expansion, e.g. from 6 to 10 times the volume (low expansion foam) up to 100 times (high expansion foam). It transports water to the surface of flammable liquids and enables it to float and extinguish the fire. An effective system depends upon  

Dry powders are effective on flammable liquid or electrical fires. Special powders are available for use on metals. 

Portable extinguishers and fire blankets are normally provided at strategic points in the work area. See Table 5.12. 

The Fire Precauhons Act 1971 has been repealed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which has removed from the fire authority much of their routine administrative work in respect of the issue of fire certificates. Flowever, the fire authority still have responsibilities for overseeing the adequacy and quality of fire precautions taken by employers. This Order is considered in more detail in Chapter 4.2. 

The main Acts laying down the general safety duties of mines and quarries personnel (i.e. owners, managers, undermanagers, surveyors and officials) were the Mines and Quarries Act 1954, the Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969 and the Mines Management Act 1971. The latter Act in particular and the mines sechons of the 1954 Act were revoked by the Management and Administration of Safety and Health in Mines Regulations 1993.  

Parts of the 1954 Act dealing with quarries have also been replaced by the Quarries Regulations 1999 . 

To prevent the pollution from emissions to air, land or water from scheduled processes the concept of Integrated Pollution Control has been introduced. Authorisation to operate the relevant processes must be obtained from the enforcing authority which, for the more heavily polluting industries, is tire Environment Agency. Control for pollution to air from the less heavily polluting processes is through the local authority. 

The Environment Agency was set up by the Environment Act 1995 which also makes provision for contaminated lands, abandoned mines, control of pollution and the conservation of natural resources and the environment. 

Regular inspection and maintenance by qualified electricians Prohibition of makeshift installations 

Prevention of combustible waste accumulation in corners, passageways or other convenient storage areas 

Uncongested storage of combustibles gangways/adequate breaks Material stacked in the open should be away from windows Flammable liquids in properly designed storerooms bulk quantities in fixed, bunded, adequately spaced tanks 

Clearance Certificate control of contraetors/temporary workers Close control of temporary heating, lighting, cooking etc. 

Escape doors and routes must be kept free of obstructions Access for emergency services must be maintained 

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General conditions of work, e.g. maintenance of adequate general ventilation, local exhaust ventilation, access, lighting, fire precautions, occupational health measures, housekeeping. 

Fire Protection Association (1977b) Guide to Fire Precautions with Outside Contractors, London. 

Gaseous fire extinguishing systems precautions for toxic and asphyxiating hazards (withdrawn) General fire precautions aboard ships being fitted out or under repair Eire precautions m pressurized workings Access to road tankers... 

Provides for the control of fire safety m all designated occupied premises, by ensuring that adequate general fire precautions are taken and appropriate means of escape and related precautions are present. Specifies the requirements for a fire certificate for various premises. 

A failure to safely dispose of hazardous materials and observe fire precautions could put plant at risk. 

A whole range of precautions may be based on the principles summarized earlier. However, general precautions, applicable to the majority of work situations, are listed in Table 5.13, many of which are included in legal requirements. For example, in the UK The Fire Precautions Act 1971 specifies requirements for fire resistance of surfaces and building structure, assessment of risk, means of escape, means for giving warning, firefighting equipment, and fire instruction and drills. 

BS5588 Fire precautions in the design and construction of buildings. 

Fire precautions including control of ignition sources, e.g. smoking, maintenance activities, vehicular access (see Chapter 6) and limitation of combustible materials, e.g. packaging. 

Withdrawn) 1983 AMD 3 Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Part 3 Code of practice for office buildings (AMD 6160) dated 31 October 1989. Withdrawn, superseded by BS 5588 Part 11 1997... 

Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Part 8 Code of practice for... 

Recommendations on the fire precautions to be taken in the design of chemical plant are given in the British Standard, BS 5908. 

Code of practice for fire precautions in the chemical and allied industries. 

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