Fire Prevention & Control

Fire & Safety Dept-MR

CONTENTS
• Preamble
• Chemistry of Fire
• Classification of Fires
• Fire Extinguishing media
• Basic definitions
• Statutory Requirements
• Basic Causes of Fires
• Fire Prevention
 Preamble

The risk of fire can be greatly reduced or

eliminated by understanding the
chemistry of fire, principals of
extinguishment & proper training. This
Knowledge also helps in taking
appropriate preventative measures.
What is Fire?

 Fire is one of the earliest and most significant discoveries of

mankind

 From seeing bush fires by lightning to igniting fire

by sparking stones, cavemen went a long way

 Fire made the basis of life then – providing

 Light

 Heat / Warmth

 Cooking place etc …

What is Fire?
 Fire complemented the “elixir of life” … but

Too much of this good thing proved fatal !!!

 From the fortunate accidents leading to useful effects the

perception of fire changed…

 Fire has come to be defined as ‘an induced rapid chemical

reaction involving combustible matter evolving heat and light’
What is Fire?
Based on the type of chemical reaction, fire can be called

 Controlled burning

 Uncontrolled Burning
How Fire occurs ?
 Fire in general starts from
Sparks / Chemical Spills / Open flames
Electric leaks Hazardous materials
 Fire will start generally

• Flammable material or fuel is in vapors form or in finely

divided particles
• Oxygen either from air or oxidizer is supplied
• A portion of material must be heated to a temperature at
which the combustion is initiated Burning /Combustion/Fire
• It is a chemical reaction of a substances with oxygen. this
involves heat and usually accompanied by visual flame or
incandescence
 CHEMISTRY OF FIRE

Fuel
Heat
Oxygen
How Does a Fire Work?
THE FIRE TETRAHEDRON

FUEL

AIN N
OX CH CTIO
YG A
E N RE

TEMPERATURE
Chain Reaction-Halon
• Fire Chemical chain reaction
• Active free radicals (O*, H*, OH*)
• Free radical evolved by Halon 1301Br*
CBF3 = CF3 + Br*
• Reaction
RH + Br* = R* + HBr
OH* + Br* = H2O + Br*
 Definitions

Fire Load; Amount of combustible material in

a building per unit area of floor
space
Flammable Liquids liquid having a flashpoint
below 100o F (37.8o C) or
lower
Ignition Temp Self ignite temperatures
 Explosive Limits

Explosive limits involve the concentration level of

the given chemical in the air.

In popular jargon, a vapor/air mixture below the

flammable limit is too lean to burn or explode. A
mixture above the upper flammable limits is too
rich to burn.

Most flammable liquids are volatile, meaning they

evaporate quickly, and can reach a concentration
in air that could lead to an explosion.
Lower and Upper Explosive Levels
(LEL/UEL)
 Definations

Limits of Flammability

• The limits of flammability is the range that

a mixture of air and vapor is flammable.

• Mixtures can be too lean (not enough

vapor) or too rich (too much vapor) to ignite
and burn.

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 Definations

Lower Explosive Limit – LEL

In most work situations, the
“lower explosive limit” (LEL) is
the main concern.

Vapors from flammable liquids

can be found in the workplace,
but are often too diluted to
catch fire or explode.
However, these vapors can
quickly go above the LEL in small
room or confined space like a
tank.
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 Definitions
Vapor Pressure
• Vapor pressure is a measure of how
fast a liquid evaporates.

• The higher the vapor pressure the

more rapidly the liquid will evaporate.

• Vapor pressure goes up and down

with the temperature of the liquid.

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 Definitions
Flash Point

The flash point is the lowest temperature that

a flammable liquid can generate enough
vapor to form a mixture with air that will
ignite.

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 Vapor Density

• “Vapor density” is a measure of how

heavy a vapor is compared to air.

• Vapors with a density greater than

1.0 are heavier than air and can
collect near the floor, and “flow” like a
liquid.

• This may create a fire/explosion

hazard if the vapor flows to an
ignition source.
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 CLASSIFICATIONS OF FIRES

“A” Ordinary combustibles - wood, paper

• Extinguish using: water

“B” Flammable liquids oil, grease

• Extinguish using: Foam, DCP

“C” Flammable gases

• Extinguish by: Isolate, DCP, Cool

“D” Metal Fires – Al, Mg

• Extinguish by: Special powders TEC
 Types of Fires
Basis for classification
Solid >liquid > Vapor + Oxygen .> FIRE
Liquid> Vapor + Oxygen > FIRE
GAS Vapor + Oxygen > FIRE
Rate of chemical reaction differs, hence being
exothermic reaction methods fire fighting differs
Types of Fires
• Class A –fires of combustible
materials of organic nature such
as Wood, paper,cloth, trash
• Solid initial heat used for phase
conversion liquid then vapor
• Heat emitted is less. Rate of
reaction is slow
• Simple method of cooling with
water, application of sand can
extinguishes the fires
Types of Fires
• Class B - Flammable
liquids, oil, gas,
grease
• Liquids initial heat used for
phase conversion to vapor
• Heat emitted is moderate
Rate of reaction is moderate
• Blanketing effect ,covering
liquid surface is needed
 Types of Fires

• Class B – Fires
– Foam, DCP
– Contain
– Cool the Equipment
 Types of Fires
• Class C –Gaseous fires
– Cool the equipment (BLEVE )
– Isolate/inhibit leaking gas (UCVCE)
– Use CO2 extinguisher
 Types of Fires

• Class D - Combustible metals

• E.g. magnesium aluminum sodium ,molten
metals
• Heat is used directly for oxidation
• Heat is emitted very very high
• Special powders techniques are used
 Fire Classes C GAS FIRES
A Trash Wood Paper

• wood
• cloth
• paper
• rubber
• many plastics

• gasoline COMBUSTIBLE • magnesium

B Liquids Grease
• oil • sodium
• grease • potassium
• tar • titanium
•

•
oil-based
paint
lacquer
D •
•
zirconium
other
flammable
• flammable METALS metals
gases
 Spread of fire

• Conduction
• Convection
• Radiation
• Direct Burning
 Conduction
• Metallic elements of the building structures, steam
pipes etc. may conduct heat from one part of the
building to another and cause fires at remote places
by being in constant contact with some combustible.
Fires may spread by conduction of heat from one
room to another by steel girders passing through an
otherwise fire resisting wall. Conduction of heat by
this manner should be guarded against.
 Convection
• In case of a fire inside a building, the hot gases and
smoke rise towards the ceiling and if there are no
proper outlets for them to escape to the outer
atmosphere. They may spread laterally at the ceiling
level, heating all the combustible materials on their
way and thus cause fire to spread. Therefore it is
necessary to provide adequate smoke vents or
ventilators communicating directly to the outside
atmosphere.
 Radiation

• When any material burns, heat is radiated in straight

lines just like the light rays. This radiated heat may
raise the temperature of the combustible materials in
the neighborhood and thus cause the fire to spread.
 Direct Burning

• The spread of fire by direct burning depends on

distribution of combustible materials in the premises
and also to the combustibility of the surrounds.
 Extinguishing fire
AVOID
1. Presence of fuel
2. Presence of Oxygen
3. The attainment and maintenance of certain
minimum temperature.
4. Propagation of chain reaction.
 EXTINGUISHING METHODS

• Starvation
• Smothering
• Cooling

• Break -Chain reaction

 Starvation

• It may be achieved in three ways. Viz. by

removing combustible material from
neighborhood of fire e.g. drainage of burning oil
tank or by removing fire from neighborhood of
combustible material like pulling apart a burning
hay stack or by subdividing the burning material
e.g. emulsification of surface of the burning oil.
 Smothering

• IT may be achieved by reducing the oxygen content

of the atmosphere in the immediate neighborhood of
burning material. The general procedure in method of
this type is to prevent or impede, the access of fresh
air to the seat of fire and allow the combustion to
reduce the oxygen in the confined atmosphere until it
extinguishes itself. The important example of this
type is blanketing by foam which limits the supply of
air and also tends to prevent the formation of
flammable vapors.
 Cooling
• If the rate at which heat is generated by combustion is
less than the rate at which it is dissipated through
various agencies the fire can not persist. In applying
this principle to fire extinction, the first step is to
accelerate the speed with which heat is removed from
fire, thus reducing the temperature of burning mass, as
a consequence the rate at which heat is produced. In
due course the rate at which heat is lost from the fire
exceeds the rate of heat production and the fire dies
e.g. application of water on fire.
 Break -Chain reaction

• Inhibition of Chain Reaction is achieved by trapping

the free radicals and preventing them from continuing
the chain reaction e.g. Halon or DCP application.
 Extinguishing media

• Water
• Carbon Di-oxide
• DCP powder
• Foam
• Halon 1211, 1301
• FM-200
• Inergen gases
• Steam
 Extinguishing action of Water
• Cooling ; it absorbs 540 cal/gm of heat as ‘Latent
Heat’ of vaporization from fire, thus cooling is
effected
• Smothering Water on fire vaporizes into steam., it
expands 1600 times and the steam thus formed in
large volume displaces the oxygen in the vicinity of
fire. Hence helps in smothering of the fire.
 Extinguishing action of Water
• Emulsification ; emulsify with various fuels like
alcohol render it non combustible
• Dilution : may be used on water soluble flues
• Fire Protection systems are also based on water as
extinguishing media, some of such examples are
Water Sprinkler Systems, Fire Water Hydrant
Systems etc.
 Extinguishing action of CO2

• Smothering; replaces air in the vicinity of fire and

forms inert atmosphere.
• Cooling; is affected due to sudden expansion of CO2,
but this cooling effect is negligible
• The protection systems based on CO2 are mainly
used in the electrical hazards such as Generating &
distributing plants, High energy switch gears etc.
Extinguishing action of DCP (Dry chemical powder)

• Inhibition of chain reaction Fine particles of DCP trap

the free radicals, inhibiting the chain reaction.
• Smothering fine particles of powder form cloud over
fire and thus displace the oxygen present in the
vicinity of fire to effect smothering
• Cooling This powder also absorbs heat while
changing its state and some cooling takes place.
 Extinguishing action of Foam

• Blanketing Foam spreads over the burning liquid

surface forming a blanket. prevents the access of air
to the seat of fire. This gives the smothering action
• Cooling,: the water drained from the foam causes
cooling,
• Fixed Foam Protection systems;foam
pourer/chambers/extinguishers are normally
employed in the storage and handling of Flammable
Liquids.
 Extinguishing action of Halons
(Halogenated hydrocarbon)

• Interferes the chain reaction Due to high

temperatures of fire, Halons dissociate and ‘ions’ thus
formed, combines with active free radicals (chain
carriers) of chain reaction to form complexes. This.
This is the fastest and cleanest of the all
extinguishing agents, but this being CFC is now being
phased out of the conventional usage. The use of
Halon is still paramount in the Military & Space
installations mainly for the explosion suppression
systems.
 Getting Information
What is a material safety data sheet?
Material safety data sheets or
“MSDSs” are information sheets
on products that:

• tells what chemicals are in the

product,

• what the hazards of the

chemicals are,

• how to protect yourself from the

hazards.
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 Flammability Values

Chemical Flash Point AIT LEL UFL Hazchem NFPA No

LPG   405 2 10 2WE 2

MS -38 456 1.4 7.6 3YE 3

Kerosene 43 210 0.7 5 3YE 2

Diesel 12 225 0.6 6 3YE 3

Hydrogen   400 4 74 2S*E 2

Benzene 11.1 562 1.4 8 3WE 3

Acetylene   305 2.5 82 2S*E 2

Sulphur   230     2Z* 4

Statutory requirements regarding Fire
safety.
• Section 38 of Factories Act requires to provide &
maintain
• (1) Safe means of escape for all persons in the event
of fire and,
• (2) the necessary equipments and facilities to
extinguish fires, worker’s training is also required.
Statutory requirements regarding Fire
safety.

• Section 37 regulates provisions regarding Explosive

& flammable dust, gases etc.
• The Maharastra Factories Rules gives the elaborate
provisions for the fire safety under Rule 70 : Fire
Protection and Rule 71-B detailing about the Fire
Fighting Apparatus & water supply.
 Fire Prevention

• “Prevention is better than cure “ is an adage that is

more valuable than anything else, because the
reasons are obvious – hence prevent fires. Fire
prevention is an exhaustive subject needing great
care in all safety aspects of plant operation. But here
we will review in brief some of the common causes of
fires and explosions.
 The Basic causes of Industrial Fires

• Electrical equipments- Area classification

• Hot surfaces/hot work- Work Permit
• Containment Loss - Instrumentation
• Start up /shut Down
• Static sparks
• Smoking
• Auto ignition
 SOURCE OF IGNITION (OXYGEN)

• Oxygen makes up 1/5 of the

atmosphere around us
Oxygen can be available from
man made supplies, i.e.
pressurized liquids in
bottles, high pressure
tanks/spheres
 Electricity :

• Electrical installations should be made in accordance

with relevant codes/standards. Standards such as
ISI, National Electric Code of NFPA, USA etc. have
to be followed carefully in provision of electrical
equipments in hazardous areas. All electrical
equipments should be regularly inspected and
maintained
 Hot Works :
• Mechanical work particularly Hot work has been a
source of Fire / explosions in process industries.
• Institute hot work permit system. the authorization be
secure before equipment capable of igniting
combustible material is handled out side areas
normally specified for its use.
 Leaks & Spillage :
• They may give rise to a local fire or explosion, a
wider flash fire or a large unconfined vapor cloud
explosion.
• leaks occur in pump glands or seals , gasket failures
of joints of flanges, valves or fittings, draining of
pipelines, equipment or tanks, spillage from tank
trucks or tank cars.
• management must give top priority for preventive
maintenance in plant operation for control of leaks
 Light hydrocarbons:
• Light gases are volatile. if the pressure is released
from liquids light ends, they vaporize rapidly. Prevent
leaks. A small liquid leak can become a large
dangerous vapor cloud.
• Use proper equipments and procedures for sampling
of liquid.
• During shut downs remove residual hydrocarbons
before admitting any air. During startups remove
residual air before admitting hydrocarbons. Keep air
out on stream.
 Light hydrocarbons:
• Exercise care when drawing water.
• Make sure, work permit system is rigidly followed for
cold / hot work in areas where light ends are there.
• Keep bull plugs fixed on drains and bleeders.
• Never over fill containers. No air should be used to
pressurize containers – use nitrogen if necessary.
Ensure that storage/transport containers are
designed properly.
 Run-Away Reactions:
• Those type of chemical processes where runway
reactions are likely, the design of the process and
equipment should be provided with adequate built in
safety factors such as explosion vents, and discharge
arrangements, to take away discharge to a safe
place. In addition to these , where critical temperature
and pressure beyond which the equipment should not
be subjected, the following preventive measures
should be incorporated.
 Run-Away Reactions:
Preventive measures
• Automatic Hooter/Alarm systems.
• Automatic Shut-off systems.
• Flooding / dumping systems
• Flow meter arrangements or controlled feeding
• Quenching media
 Startup & Shutdown :
• Normal startup and operating procedures and
emergency shut down should be periodically updated
and personnel trained
• Extra care should be taken during start-up and shut-
down of process units, some of the principle hazards
are..
• Mixing of air and hydrocarbons.
• Contacting of hot oil and water.
• Water shots and water freezing.
• Over and under pressurization of equipment.
• Thermal and mechanical shock.
• Corrosive and poisonous fluids.
• Pyrophoric iron sulphide.
 Static Electricity :
• The generation of static electricity can not be
prevented absolutely. Because its intrinsic origins are
present at every surface. Static becomes a source of
ignition, under the following conditions and hence
these should not be allowed to occur;
• An effective means of static generation.
• A means of accumulating of charge
• The spark discharge of adequate energy.
• The spark must occur in an ignitable mixture.
 Static Electricity :
Some of the safe measures adopted to prevent ignition
from static electricity are
• Grounding,
• Bonding,
• Avoidance of splash filling, agitation
• High liquid flow velocities
• Water contamination,
• Provision of 30 sec relaxation time down stream of
filters before the liquids enter tanks.
Best way to fight a fire is not let one start in first
place-by-good plant design layout, safe operation and
maintenance practices. “Prevention is better than
cure “is an adage that is more valuable than anything
else for FIRE, because the reasons are obvious –
hence prevent fires”
 WE SERVE TO SAVE

Fire Safety is more than a matter of code.

It’s a matter of conscience.