Module 2

Fire Statics Of India

 2019 Delhi factory fire
• On 8 December 2019, a fire occurred at a factory
building in Anaj Mandi area of Delhi, India. At
least 43 people died and more than 56 were
injured.
Australia Bush Fire
 WHAT IS FIRE?
• Fire is a SPECTACULAR example of a FAST
chemical reaction between a combustible
substance and oxygen accompanied by the
evolution of heat.
 INTRODUCTION
• Industrial Fire Safety is the set of
practices intended to reduce the
destruction caused by fire.
• Industrial Fire Safety measures include
those that are intended to prevent ignition
of an uncontrolled fire, and those that are
used to limit the development and effects
of a fire after it starts.
 What is Industrial Fire Safety?
Industrial fire safety is primarily a management
activity which is concerned with
•Reducing
•Controlling &
•Eliminating fire accident from the industries
or industrial units.
 Causes of Industrial Fire Accidents

•Unsafe conditions
– The job itself
– Psychological conditions
– Machinery & Equipment

• Unsafe Acts

• Miscellaneous Causes
 Common Causes For Fire Hazards In
Industries
•Electrical systems that are overloaded, resulting in
hot wiring or connections, or failed components.
• Combustible storage areas with insufficient
protection.
 Cont…
• Combustibles near equipment that generates
heat, flame, or sparks.
• Candles and other open flames.
•Smoking (Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, lighters, etc.)
•Equipment that generates heat and utilizes
combustible materials.
 Cont…
• Flammable liquids and aerosols.
• Flammable solvents (and rags soaked with solvent)
placed in enclosed trash cans.
• Fireplace chimneys not properly or regularly
cleaned.
• Electrical wiring in poor condition.
• Leaking Batteries.
• Personal ignition sources - matches, lighters.
 Significance of Industrial Fire Safety
• Industrial fire hazards causes a great loss to both the
Employer & Employee, that’s it is having
importance.
 Cont..
• Cost of compensation
• Cost of medical-aid
• Cost of training a new worker
• Cost of the lost time
• Cost of investigation
• Cost of supervision & inspections
• Cost to the Govt. in terms of factory inspectors,
& public health services
 Cont…
• Cost of spoilage of materials
• Cost of the damage of machinery
• Cost of cost of wages payable during injury
• Cost of loss of confidence
• Cost of loss to the worker and his family
 Objectives of Industrial Fire Safety
• To prevent fire accidents in the plant by
reducing the fire hazard to minimum.
• To eliminate fire accident caused work
stoppage and lost production.
• To achieve lower workmen’s compensation,
insurance rates and reduce all other direct and
indirect costs of fire accidents.
• To prevent loss of life, permanent disability and
the loss of income of worker by eliminating
causes of fire accidents.
• To evaluate employee’s confidence by
promoting safe work place and good
working condition.
• To educate all members of the organization
in continuous state of safety mindless and
to make supervision competent and
intensely safety minded.
 Measures To Ensure Industrial Fire
Safety
• Fire Safety Policy
• Fire Safety Committee
• Fire Safety Engineering
• Fire Safety Education & Training
 Four E's of Fire Safety
• Engineering: i.e. safety at the design, equipment
installation stage.
• Education: i.e. education of employees in fire
safety practices.
• Enlistment: i.e. it concerns the attitude of the
employees and management towards the
programmed and its purpose. This necessary arose
the interest of employees in fire accident
prevention and safety consciousness.
• Encouragement: i.e. to enforce adherence to fire
safe rules and practices.
 Terms and Definitions
• Fire- Active rapid burning and oxidation process
accompanied by heat, light and poisonous
gases/smoke/ carbon dioxide gas due to combustion.
• Extinction of fire- Putting off of fire by removal of
(1) Combustible material (2) Air and (3) Heat (4)
Breaking chain Reaction.
• Firefighting-Action of putting off the fire.
Firefighting aims at rapid removal of (1) Air supply
(2) Heat (3) Combustible material from the vicinity,
to extinguish the fire/ spreading of fire and save life
and property from destruction.
• Ignite - To set fire/to begin fire/catching of
fire. Ignition Beginning of fire.
– Ignition temperature-Temperature at which the
combustible material ignites
– Flash point-The temperature at which the
combustible material gives off enough vapour in
the vicinity to initiate ignition on application if
external flame/igniter.
– Spontaneous Ignition Temperature-Temperature
at which combustible material will get ignited
without even application of external flame/igniter.
• Explosion- Bursting accompanied by loud
noise and destruction and release of
solid/liquid/gaseous products. Explosion is
caused by sudden release of energy and rise of
internal pressure in the equipment or at the
location .
• Fire Prevention- Prevent the occurrence of
fires by prior actions/precautions and
provisions.
 Fire Types
• Fires can be classified in five different ways
depending on the agent that fuels them.
• Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class
K.
• Each type of fire involves different flammable
materials and requires a special approach. In
fact, trying to fight a blaze with the wrong
method might make the situation worse.
 Class A fires
• Class A fires are the easiest to put out. They involve solid
materials like wood, paper, plastic, or clothing.
• Class A fires are the most common type of fire and the
kind that most of us are familiar with. They involve
 solid combustible materials such as wood, paper, cloth,
trash, or plastic.
• You might start Class A fires intentionally when lighting a
match or starting a bonfire. An unintentional Class A fire
could result from knocking over a candle, a stray spark
from a fireplace, or a lightning strike on a tree.
• The Fire Equipment Manufacturer's Association
recommended using a water or foam fire extinguisher on
Class A fires.
 Class B fires
• Class B fires involve ignitable liquids or gases
 like petroleum grease, alcohol, paint, propane,
or gasoline.
• It's very important not to use a water
extinguisher on a Class B fire — the stream of
water might spread the flaming material rather
than extinguish it.
• Class B fires should be extinguished using
 foam, powder, or carbon dioxide extinguisher
s
.
 Class C fires
• Involve electrical equipment. This type of fire
might be started by old wiring in walls, frayed
electrical cords, worn-out breaker boxes, or
faulty appliances.
• Electrical fires are very common in both
homes and industrial settings.
• Try to extinguish the flames using
 a carbon dioxide or dry powder fire
 extinguisher.
• Do not try to put out an electrical fire with a
water or foam extinguisher.
 Class D fires

• Class D fires are rare, but can happen when a

metal ignites
•  
Class D fires are oftentimes caused by alkali m
etals
 such as: potassium, magnesium, aluminum,
and sodium, as these can ignite when exposed
to air or water.
• Extinguish these types of fires with a 
dry powder extinguisher only.
 Class K fires
• Although they are sometimes lumped in with
Class B fires, considers 
blazes involving cooking oils as class K fires.
• Because of the high flash point of cooking oils
and fats, Class K fires often start when a pan is
left unattended for too long on a stove.
• Extinguish a Class K fire with
 a wet chemical extinguisher.
 Fire Triangle
• The Fire Triangle or Combustion Triangle is
a simple model for understanding the
necessary ingredients for most fires.
 Fire Extinguishers
• A fire extinguisher is an active fire protection
 device used to extinguish or control small fires,
often in emergency situations.
• It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire.
• Typically, a fire extinguisher consists of a hand-
held cylindrical pressure vessel containing an agent
 that can be discharged to extinguish a fire.
• Fire extinguishers manufactured with non-
cylindrical pressure vessels also exist but are less
common.
• There are two main types of fire extinguishers:
stored-pressure and cartridge-operated.
 Water Fire Extinguishers
• Water extinguishers are the most common fire extinguisher
type for class A fire risk. Most premises will require either
water or foam extinguishers.
• Use for:
- Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard
o Fabrics and textiles
o Wood and coal
• Do not use for:
- Fires involving electrical equipment
- Kitchen fires
- Flammable gas and liquids
• Water spray extinguishers are equipped with a spray nozzle,
rather than a jet nozzle.
Water Extinguishers
 Foam Fire Extinguishers
• Foam extinguishers are most common type of fire
extinguisher for Class B fires, but also work on Class A fires
as they are water-based.
• Use for:
- Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard
o Fabrics and textiles
o Wood and coal
Plus:
- Flammable liquids, like paint and petrol
• Do not use for:
- Kitchen fires
- Fires involving electrical equipment
- Flammable metals
Foam Fire Extinguishers
 Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers
• Standard dry powder extinguishers are also called
'ABC' extinguishers.
• They are not recommended for use in enclosed spaces.
• Specialist dry powder extinguishers
are used for flammable metals.
• Use for:
- Flammable liquids, like paint and petrol
Plus:
- Flammable gases, like liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
and acetylene
- Fires involving electrical equipment up to 1000v
Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers
 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguishers

• CO2 extinguishers are predominantly used for

electrical fire risks and are usually the main fire
extinguisher type provided in computer server
rooms. They also put out Class B fires.
• Use for:
- Flammable liquids, like paint
and petrol
- Electrical fires
• Do not use for:
- Kitchen fires – especially chip-pan fires
- Combustible materials like paper, wood or textiles
- Flammable metals
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguishers
 Halon Fire Extinguishers

• Halon is a liquefied, compressed gas that stops the

spread of fire by chemically disrupting combustion.
•  This type of fire extinguisher is often used to
protect valuable electrical equipment since they
leave no residue.
• Extremely popular in the aircraft
industry, as well as in certain
technology marketplaces because
Halons are electrically
non-conducting.
 Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher
• Wet Chemical Extinguishers are suitable for use
on Class A & F Fires. These ranges of
extinguishers are specialists in regards to cooking
fires caused by fat and oils.
• The 'chemical' element of wet chemical fire
extinguishers is potassium.
 Maintenance Of Fire Extinguishers
• The extinguisher is not blocked by equipment,
coats or other objects that could interfere with
access in an emergency.
• The pressure is at the recommended level.
• The nozzle or other parts are not hindered in any
way.
• The pin and tamper seal (if it has one) are intact.
• There are no dents, leaks, rust, chemical deposits
and/or other signs of abuse/wear.
• Fire extinguishers should be pressure tested.
Steps After Occurrence Of Fire
How to use a fire extinguisher
 Initiation of Fire
• Initiation of fire requires (1) Heat and hot spot
(2) Air and (3) Flammable material. All the
three must be present for fire to be initiated.
• The root cause behind occurrence of an
accidents is:
– Lapse in Safety Management
– Human Error/ Negligence. Lack of awareness,
Lack of Training
– Accident beyond human control
 Fire Hazard Analysis
• A Fire Hazard Analysis (FHA) is a method of
evaluating the fire hazards and hence
consequences which could potentially occur in a
facility.
• A detailed fire hazard analysis should be carried
out during initial plant design.
• The fire hazard analysis should be a systematic
study of
– all elements of the fire protection programme
– the effect of postulated fires
– suggest remedial measures
• The fire risk can be quantified based on the indices like
Dow index (Fire and Explosion Index) and Mond
index.
• Computer models are available to simulate the fire
conditions and estimate the potential consequences.
• The fire hazard analysis should separately identify
hazards and provide appropriate protection in locations
where safety related losses could occur as a result of:
– Concentration of combustible materials
– Exposure to fire, heat, smoke, steam
– Fire in control rooms
– Lack of adequate access or of smoke removal facilities
– Lack of explosion prevention measures
– Loss of electric power
– Inadvertent operation of fire suppression systems
 Prevention Of Fire
• Fire should be prevented from occurring.
• This needs several preventive actions during
design, installation, testing, commissioning
and operation maintenance of plants and
equipment.
• Fire prevention is better than fire fighting .
 For prevention of fire
• Inflammable explosive materials should be stored
separately.
• Insulating materials in the plant and equipment must
not be exposed.
• Special precautions should be taken while welding.
• Smoking, open flames and matchboxes…etc should
not be allowed inside protected area.
• Special precautions are necessary while handling,
storing, filling, drying oil, gases…etc.
• LPG cylinder, Acetylene cylinder valves/pipes/tanks
should be leak free.
• Inflammable material should not be used in
electrical equipment as far as possible.
• Electrical equipment should not be
overloaded.
• Good housekeeping goes a long way to
prevent fires.
• Precautions that fires are not initiated due to
carelessness.
• Good preventive maintenance.
• Precautions are necessary while welding,
heating, flame cutting…etc.
 Fire Protection And Loss Prevention
• Fire protection aspects cover Civil Works, Plant and
Equipment Design, Storage, Installation, Testing,
Commissioning, Operation Maintenance Activities,
Documentation and Human Resource development.
• Civil Works
– Inflammable material should not be used in civil
construction
– Adjacent rooms should be air tight from each other
– Fire and smoke from one room should not spread to
other room.
– Ventilating ducts, air conditioning ducts etc. should have
barriers.
– Space and approach path should be available for fire
fighting personnel.
– Wiring and switchboards should not initiate fires .
– Provision of Fire Fighting System and Fire Detection
System must be made.
– Barrier Fire-Walls must be built between Inflammable
Equipment and other Civil Works.
– Special provision must be made for drainage of Oil away
from the plant into the oil sump during outbursts .
– Passage, staircase and ladders should be provided for
emergency.
– Approach road and space must be provided for Fire
Engines and Ladders
 Electrical Plant And Equipment
• Temperatures of current carrying paths and
insulating paths are not allowed to exceed above
specified limits.
• Temperature Monitoring, Gas Leak Monitoring,
Automatic Start of Cooling Fans, Automatic
disconnection on temperature rise beyond specified
limits.
• Fire Protection Systems
– Fire protection system can be classified into three categories
—water system, gaseous system and portable fire
extinguishers
 Water System
• Fire suppression system that uses water as the
extinguishing medium are of three types—water
sprinkler system, water mist system and fire hydrant
system.
• Water sprinkler system
Water Mist System
Fire Hydrant System
 Fixed Foam System
• Fixed foam systems are automatic, totally self-
contained and require no manual intervention
for operation.
• These systems are installed to protect areas
where large quantity of flammable liquid is
stored.
• Fixed foam systems are classified into three
categories namely:
– low expansion,
– medium expansion and
– high expansion
 Gaseous System
• Fire suppression system that uses gas as the
extinguishing medium is of two types—
Carbon dioxide and halon.
Portable Fire Extinguisher
 Fire Detection, Fire Alarm And Fire
Fighting Systems
• A large power plant/substations has several
zones of fire risk .
• Automatic type Fire Fighting Systems of
appropriate types are provided in high risk
zones.
• Fire detection systems, fire alarm system and
fire fighting system together provide Fire
Protection.
• Depending upon the risk involved, cost of
protected installation and allocated budget for
installing fire protection system, the fire
protection system can be:
– Simple system which detects smoke/fire and
sounds alarm only.
– Complex System
• which detects smoke/fire and sounds alarm,
• indicates location of affected zone,
• sends message to fire brigade station,
• initiates appropriate firefighting system
• Advanced Monitoring System and Protection
System:
– which detects smoke/fire and sounds alarm
– indicates location of affected zone
– sends message to fire brigade station
– initiates appropriate fire fighting system
– additional On-line Monitoring
– warns about temperature rise and suggests advance
corrective action
 Application and Types of Fire Fighting
Systems
1.Water Hose-reels for use in Offices, Stores, Workshop,
Corridors.
2. Hydrant System for general use throughout the plant.
3. Sprinkler Systems for Office, Stores, Turbine-Generator,
Transformer and Boiler-from areas.
4. CO2 Installations used in enclosed areas, Switchgear Room,
Cable Tunnels, Gas Turbine/Engine Cells.
5. Halon Systems for Computer Room, cable tunnels,
Control-Relay Room, and other light current auxiliary
systems rooms.
6. Mechanical Foam installations for Fuel-oil storage tank
protections.
Fire Detection And Alarm System
• Smoke indicates presence of fire.
• Flame, light and heat confirm the presence of fire.
• The fire detectors connected to the fire alarm and fire
control.
• Depending upon the design features and specifications,
the functions of fire detection and alarm system include
one or more of the following:
– To detect smoke, fire and sound alarm, siren, warning
– To initiate operation of automatic fire fighting system
– To initiate operation of Deluge Valves and to admit water
through projectors
– To initiate tripping of circuit breakers
 Fire Detectors
• Fusible Glass Bulb Detectors
 Fusible Link Sprinklers

A fusible link fire sprinkler head has a two-part metal

element that is fused by a heat-sensitive alloy. The link
holds the pip cap, or plug, in place.
Rate of Rise Temperature Detectors
Ionization Smoke Detector
Photoelectric Smoke Detector
Optical Smoke Detectors
 Flame Detectors
• Ultraviolet (UV) detectors: They have the ability
to detect fires and explosions in about 3-4 ms.
• Infrared flame detectors: These sensors operate
by using an infrared band. A small thermal
imaging camera in these detectors can instantly
detect the presence of hot gasses released
anywhere near the infrared detector.
• UV/IR detectors
• Closed circuit video cameras
Temperature Sensitive Cabling Detector
High Pressure Water Spray And Sprinkler System
Compressed Air and High Pressure Water Spray
System
Compressed Air Detection System In Con-junction
With Water Spray System