Tag: fire

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Posted on by Jim Wood

A fire on a construction site can result in serious injuries and loss of materials, equipment and even lives. All employees need to be familiar with the jobsite’s fire protection program – who to contact, what to do, the various types of fire extinguishers and their locations throughout the jobsite. Employees should be trained in the use and limitations of fire extinguishers to ensure they are used effectively when needed.

Fire extinguishers are meant to handle only small fires. If a fire becomes too large or the environment becomes too dangerous, employees should evacuate the area.

  • The fire is too large.
  • The air is unsafe to breathe.
  • The environment is too hot or the smoke limits visibility.
  • Evacuation paths are impaired.

Keep the fire in front of you. Never place yourself where the fire obstructs your escape.

Classes of Fires and Fire Extinguishers

  • A Wood, paper, ordinary trash.
  • B Flammable liquids (gasoline, oil, grease, solvents, paints, etc.).
  • C Energized electrical equipment.
  • D Combustible metals.
  • K Kitchen fires.

Use the P.A.S.S. Method for correctly using a fire extinguisher.

  • Pull the Pin – Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and release the locking mechanism.
  • Aim low – Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
  • Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly to operate and discharge.
  • Sweep the nozzle from side to side.

Fire Extinguisher Inspection

  • Visually inspect portable extinguishers or hoses monthly.
  • Verify the fire extinguisher is properly charge. Indicator must always be in the green zone.
  • Perform an annual maintenance check on portable fire extinguishers and document.
  • Fire extinguisher must be easily accessible.

Download the printable PDF and Recording Form here.

Members can download the audio version of this toolbox talk here.

Fire Protection on Construction Sites

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 01/24/2018

A fire on a construction site can result in serious injuries and loss of supplies, equipment and even lives. All employees need to be familiar with the jobsite’s fire protection program – who to contact, what to do, the various types of fire extinguishers and their locations throughout the jobsite. Employees should be trained in the use and limitations of fire extinguishers to ensure they are used effectively when needed. The information provided below covers some basic fire protection requirements.

General Fire Protection Guidelines

  • Develop a “fire protection program” to be followed throughout all phases of the construction project.
  • Train all employees on the jobsite on the jobsite’s fire protection program.

Fire Extinguishers

  • Train all employees in how to use a portable fire extinguisher.
  • Fire extinguishers are classified by the type of material that is in flames and the media necessary to extinguish the flames.
  • Fire Extinguisher Class                 Type of Fire

                        A                      Wood, paper, ordinary trash

                        B                      Flammable liquids (gasoline, oil, grease, solvents, paints, etc.)

                        C                      Energized electrical equipment

                        D                     Combustible metals

  • Fire extinguishers must be kept in good working condition. Inspect, test and provide preventive maintenance to ensure that fire extinguishers function properly when needed.

Preparedness

  • Maintain access to all fire-fighting equipment at all times.
  • Conspicuously locate all fire-fighting equipment.
  • Periodically inspect fire-fighting equipment, with supporting documentation; defective equipment shall be immediately replaced.
  • Perform and document an annual maintenance check on all portable fire extinguishers.

Flammables and Combustible Liquids

  • A fire extinguisher is required on all service/fueling trucks.
  • Workers should be trained on handling flammables and combustible liquids.

Housekeeping

  • Locate all waste piles or dumpsters in an area clear of any type of ignition source.
  • Do not expose waste piles or dumpsters to elevated welding or cutting.

Download the recording form here.

Line-of-Fire Injuries

Posted on by admin_ici

An analysis of the most recent five-year history of accidents and injuries reported by the IDOL/ICA Safety Partnership members shows workers caused 20 percent of reported injuries by putting themselves (or some part of their body) in the direct pathway of oncoming harm, or the line of fire. While most of these accidents result in crushed fingers and hands or broken toes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 17 percent of U.S. workplace fatalities are the result of line-of-fire accidents.

When we hear about accidents – such as the one where a worker crushed his hand in a tri-axle truck tailgate that was swinging shut – we might be tempted to ask, “What were they thinking?” Nobody wants to get hurt, and we design most jobs to eliminate the risk of injury. So, how do workers get into these line-of-fire situations?

They don’t believe they are placing themselves in real danger. Sometimes workers who place themselves in the line of fire are making a decision based on imperfect information. They either assume that something is true when it is not, or they assume something is not true when it is.

They believe the time of exposure is short enough that nothing can happen to them. How many line-of-fire injuries are the result of thinking, “I’m only going to be in there for a second?” It’s a big temptation to take a risk when you believe that your probability of injury is directly proportional to the length of time you will be exposed to the hazard. Too few workers truly comprehend the dangers that some line-of-fire hazards pose irrespective of the length of exposure. If a worker contacts a sufficiently energized piece of equipment, he will be electrocuted, even if he touches the equipment for one second.

Familiarity causes people to be too comfortable. For most of us, the longer we work around a hazard or place ourselves in the line of fire without negative consequences, the less we respect the hazard’s ability to harm us. We convince ourselves that an activity is safer than it is. We think we won’t get hurt as long as we’re careful. But, placing ourselves in the line of fire is anything but being careful.

It is important to think through a task and find ways to prevent putting yourself in the line of fire.

Fire Protection Program

Posted on by admin_ici

The primary objectives of a construction site Fire Protection Program are to:

  • prevent fires from starting
  • detect, rapidly control and promptly extinguish fires that do occur
  • ensure that fires will not prevent personnel evacuation or hinder emergency personnel access

A good Fire Protection Program will:

  • Be Jobsite Specific
    • While many parts of the plan may be used over and over again, the plan should be tailored for the specific hazards associated with each jobsite.
  • Identify possible fire ignition sources and establish guidelines to minimize the danger. Some typical construction site ignition sources include:
    • welding operations
    • cutting operations
    • hot mix asphalt equipment
    • smoking
    • electrical sources

Guidelines should include requiring appropriate fire-extinguishing equipment to be immediately available and not allowing cutting or welding operations to be located in close proximity to fuel sources.

  • Identify fuel sources and establish guidelines to minimize the danger. Typical fuel sources include:
    • trash piles
    • pallets
    • fuel supplies
    • gas cylinders
    • chemicals and solvents
    • combustible metals

Guidelines should include locating and marking storage areas, frequent inspections, establishing trash disposal schedules or guidelines, limiting “smoking-allowed” areas and clearly posting “No Smoking” signs.

  • Conspicuously identify and locate all fire-fighting equipment.
    • Fire-fighting equipment should be accessible at all times.
    • Fire-fighting equipment should be conspicuously identified.
    • All jobsite personnel, including vendors, should know where the fire-fighting equipment is located.
  • Develop and promote good housekeeping guidelines.
    • Locate all fuel-source storage areas away from ignition sources, taking into account wind direction, water availability, etc.
    • Schedule regular pickup of waste/trash.
    • Dispose of oily/greasy rags properly.
    • Clean up fuel spills quickly and properly.
    • Maintain accessibility to fire-fighting equipment.
  • Provide for regular, documented inspection and maintenance of fire-fighting equipment.
    • Schedule and document regular inspections of all fire-fighting equipment.
    • Schedule and document regular inspections of housekeeping efforts, storage areas, trash collection areas, fire-fighting equipment accessibility, evacuation and access routes, etc.
  • Provide for the training of all jobsite personnel.
    • Make sure that all jobsite personnel are trained and familiar with the jobsite’s “Fire Protection Program.”

Download the recording form here.