Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Introduction to Fire Safety Management
Figure 8.4 Van fi re involving cylinders
8.1.6 Smokers and smokers’ materials
The majority of current workplaces are non-smoking and
with the advent of legislation that bans smoking in public
the number of fi res in workplaces caused by smokers
and their discarded smoking materials is set to be
reduced still further if not eradicated.
As is very often the case where prohibition
of practices such as smoking is established the
consequences are to drive the prohibited practice
‘underground’. Boiler rooms, stores and other out of the
way places are then utilised for the prohibited practice,
which if not checked can lead to increased risks, particularly
as there are no formal arrangements for disposal
of smoking materials.
8.1.7 Waste and waste management systems
Waste materials and a lack of formalised waste management
systems are very often a major cause of fi res within
the workplace. Arson is a very real threat in today’s society
and the issues associated with it will be discussed
later in this book. Accidental fi res are also started from
poor management of waste, including the lack of a formalised
policy in removal from a building and onward
transportation from the site. A lack of staff awareness
as to the priority of combustible and fl ammable material
waste management is also responsible for poor management
of waste, for example the poor disposal of rags
contaminated with linseed oil by persons working within
the furniture industry or solvent contaminated materials
in the printing industry being discarded inappropriately.
As previously discussed within the section on
chemicals and LPG poor disposal arrangements can
contribute signifi cantly to the fi re risks within a building.
Storing waste containers and skips in close proximity
to buildings can allow any resultant fi re to develop
and penetrate buildings though windows, eaves and
lightweight wall claddings.
140
Figure 8.5 Poor storage arrangements for fl ammable
materials
8.1.8 Other signifi cant hazards
Electrostatic discharges from machinery, the decanting of
solvents and other processes which are poorly managed
due to a lack of procedures, training and use of inappropriate
materials can also cause fi res.
The heating and magnetic forces produced by the
high currents of a lightning strike can cause structural
damage to buildings (direct effects), and the associated
electric and magnetic fi elds can induce transients which
may damage or disrupt electrical equipment (indirect
effects). Either the direct or indirect effects of a lightning
strike can cause fi res and possibly explosions.
Poorly maintained mechanical equipment can run
the risk of causing a fi re when a lack of grease allows the
bearings to run dry causing friction which turns into heat
that may be suffi cient to cause a fi re. Equally, excessive
levels of contaminated grease on machinery are also
known to have been responsible for causing a fi re.