FIRE
HAZ AR DS
Fire hazard –are workplace hazards that involve the presence of flame or the risk of an
uncontrolled fire.
Fire hazards include:
Live flames
Sparks
Hot objects
Flammable chemicals
Chemicals that can aggravate a fire
Another category of fire hazards are situations and events that impede fire
protection and prevention methods. This can include impediments to firefighting,
compromised built-in fire safety systems, and situations that restrict the escape of
people from an affected building or area in the event of a fire.
Fire Triangle - The fire triangle’s three sides illustrate the three elements of fire: heat,
fuel and oxidization.
A simplified cousin to the fire tetrahedron, the fire triangle is a model for conveying the
components of a fire. The fire triangle’s three sides illustrate the three elements of fire,
which are heat, fuel and oxidization.
The three elements must be combined in the right proportions for a fire to occur. If any
of the three elements are removed, the fire is extinguished.
The first elements in the fire triangle is heat, which is perhaps the most essential of
fire elements. A fire cannot ignite unless it has a certain amount of heat, and it cannot
grow without heat either.
The second elements in the fire triangle is a fuel. A fire needs a fuel source
in order to burn. The fuel source can be anything that is flammable, such as
wood, paper, fabric, or chemicals. Once the fuel elements of the fire
triangle is removed the fire will go out.
The final elements of fire triangle is oxygen, which is also an essential
components of fire. A fire needs oxygen to start and continue. That is why
one recommendation for extinguishing a small fire is to smoother it with a
non- flammable blanket, sand or dirt.
CAUSES OF FIRE
Fire protection doesn’t have to be difficult. Even the simplest things can help save you
and your family from a home fire.
Accidents and Carelessness
Many people believe that if they are careful they are much less likely to have a fire. While it is true that
being careful will make you safer it will not stop fire from happening. Most fires are not caused from
carelessness. They are caused from every day living that is almost impossible for us to change.
Electrical Wiring, Electrical Outlets and Faulty Wiring
Whether it’s in an electrical outlet or a short in the wall, many fires are caused by electrical wiring.
Older homes are particularly susceptible, as they were not wired for the many, many appliances that
we have filled our homes with. Many homes that were built in the 50′s -70′s have aluminum wiring that
gets very hot and increases the chance of fire.
Appliances
Lamps, toasters and even baby monitors can short out. Be particularly careful with older appliances
and extension cords. Even new appliances can be the source of a home fire. To be safe, appliances
should be unplugged when not in use. Unfortunately, not all appliances can be unplugged, leaving
your home at risk 24 hours a day.
Heating
Heating is another major cause of residential fire deaths. This is especially true in southeastern
states and among wood stove users in the north.
Unattended Stoves
Another cause of residential fires is cooking, but not due to defective stoves or ovens. Often, it is
because of unattended pots or the burner being left on accidentally -and who hasn’t done that at least
once or twice?
Children Playing with Matches
Children and grandchildren playing with matches are a major source of home fires.
According to the Burn Awareness Coalition, burns are the number one cause of
accidental deaths in children under two, fire and burn injuries are the second leading
cause of accidental deaths in children ages 1-4, and the third leading cause of injury
and death for ages 1-18. Matches and lighters in the hands of young children are a
significant factor in fire fatalities. Educating parents and grandparents to the
seriousness of this issue is paramount.
The Four Phases of Emergency Management
It’s important to understand that there are distinct stages, or phases, to surviving through an emergency.
These are called The Four Phases of Emergency Management and they are:
Mitigation
Mitigation is preventing disasters or taking steps to lessen the impact of unavoidable disasters. Ideally,
mitigation should occur before an emergency happens. However, mitigation and preparedness sometimes do
not occur until after a disaster happens and repairs are being made; this is quite common in the corporate
world. This is also often seen in government agencies where there is a tendency not to notice a potential
disaster until it strikes. All too often, it is after the confusion dies down and things start to return to normal
when governments make plans for the next disaster.
Key points of Mitigation:
Takes place BEFORE the emergency occurs.
Prevents emergencies from happening or minimizes their effects.
Includes anything you can do to minimize the damaging effects
Strapping down water heaters, anchoring bookshelves to walls and buying insurance are examples of
mitigation.
Preparedness
Emergency Management is a cycle of action and learning.
Preparedness is making plans and having the needed equipment and supplies to save lives during and
after a disaster event. It’s also knowing what the warning signs are for a pending emergency or
disaster. Preparedness includes all actions that are taken before the crisis occurs. It includes making
plans, stocking supplies, conducting drills (fire and earthquake drills, for example), installing smoke
detectors, posting emergency numbers by the telephone and so on. Preparedness is the most time
consuming, as it is comprised of many tasks.
Key points of Preparedness:
Takes place BEFORE the emergency occurs.
Provides gear and supplies that will help you get through the event.
Includes planning what to do during an event so as to save lives or help
rescue operations.
Stocking up on food, water and other supplies, making fire escape and
evacuation plans are examples of preparations.
Ensuring that you have working smoke detectors or fire alarms is a
preparedness step.
Response
Response is taking immediate action upon the occurrence of a disaster or emergency. By taking this
action you are attempting to protect yourself and others from harm or further harm. How you respond
depends on the onset of the event. The onset of a disaster is the amount of warning time you have before it
strikes. A hurricane has a long onset because the National Weather Service can track these storms with
the use of satellites and post watches and warnings before they make landfall. An earthquake has
virtually no onset because it happens so quickly without any warning. The duration of a disaster is the
time from when it starts to when it ends. Blizzards, droughts, and hurricanes have durations that can last
days, weeks or longer. Conversely, earthquakes, tornadoes and avalanches last only minutes or even
seconds.
Key points of Response:
Takes place DURING of the emergency.
Immediate action steps to save lives and prevent further damage.
Puts your preparedness plan into action.
Seeking shelter from a tornado or turning off gas valves in an earthquake are examples of responses.
Recovery
Recovery includes all actions you take to keep yourself safe and return your life to normal. Some actions
will be immediate, like those taken to stop life-threatening bleeding, or to protect yourself from further
injury. Other actions will take longer. If your home has been damaged, it will need to be repaired or
replaced and you’ll need to start submitting claims on those items covered by insurance. How difficult
your recovery is depends on how much preparedness you have done. A person who has prepared well and
has enough food, water and other supplies, including things like having the proper amount of insurance,
will fare much better than someone who has prepared little or not at all.
Key points of Recovery:
Takes place AFTER the emergency is over.
Goal is to get life back to normal as possible.
After the event is over and it’s safe to do so.
Making repairs and filing insurance are examples of recovery.
Recovery also includes assessing your mitigation, preparedness and response actions and refining them
for next time.
You can use this when you’re creating your preparedness plan, as it allows you to identify the different
areas of your plan. In other words, you need to make sure that you have plans for what to do BEORE, DURING
and AFTER the emergency.
