Common fire hazards are found in most occupancies and are not associated with any special occupancy. Smoking, trash, electrical appliances, storage, and heating are common to most occupancy types. However, smoke-free workplaces are making smoking a less common problem. Special fire hazards are linked to some specific process or activity in particular occupancies. Chemicals, spray painting, welding, combustible dusts, and flammable liquids are examples of special fire hazards.
Full Answer
What are the common fire hazards in the workplace?
Jun 13, 2020 · Working with Hot Processes or Implements However, good working practices can minimise the risk of fire. Examples include: All appliances and processes which produce heat or fire should be located or carried out a safe distance away from paper, wood and other combustible materials.
How to maintain fire safety in the workplace?
Following this chapter, there is a list of fire safety work practices addressing many fire hazards found in the roofing workplace, including field operations and shop activities. Contractors should review the elements of the list most applicable to their companies’ operations and consider including them in their companies’ health and safety program. Fire Protection
What are the common causes of fire hazards?
golf course a lake can be a hazard. A wet floor can be a slipping hazard. This module covers three other types of hazards: common fire hazards, special fire hazards, and hazardous materials. Part of this module covers fire hazards and part hazardous materials. The term fire hazard is used by both fire professionals and the lay public.
What are the most important safety issues in the workplace?
Jul 23, 2019 · An employee falling ill because they were forced to work in uncomfortable conditions can lead to days off work, and even a workers’ compensation claim. 7. An employer’s lack of commitment to safety. When staff are not educated about potential workplace hazards, risks and good safety practices, injuries and illnesses are more likely to occur.
How to maintain fire safety in the workplace?
1. Take out the trash. A clean and tidy workplace helps combat a range of different threats, and if your workplace handles a lot of flammable material this could be ...
What is fire safety training?
One of the most important parts of fire safety training concerns exit procedures in the event of fire. Make fire drills a regular part of your workplace schedule, and ensure that your employees treat each one with the respect it deserves. You may also wish to appoint a dedicated fire marshal to oversee the correct observance of every fire drill, ...
Why is it important to clean and tidy your workplace?
A clean and tidy workplace helps combat a range of different threats, and if your workplace handles a lot of flammable material this could be the difference between a minor threat and a catastrophic blaze.
How often should smoke alarms be replaced?
Fit relevant equipment. Smoke alarms should be fitted throughout your building and tested at regular intervals, with their batteries replaced annually. You should also make sure that you have the right fire-fighting equipment relevant to the threats present in every room.
Can electrical fires be traced back to wiring?
A huge number of fires in workplace premises can be traced back to faulty wiring and electrical equipment. If your team contains someone qualified to repair electrical equipment, ensure they keep on top of any known issues. If not, book in regular inspections and PAT testing to avoid the risk of electrical fire.
Is flammable liquid a high risk for ignition?
Workplace environments containing high levels of flammable liquid vapour or fine particles are highly susceptible to ignition, and should be treated as such even when the flammable material is bottled, as with oxygen in nursing homes of hospitals.
What is workplace safety?
Workplace safety refers to the limitation of elements that can cause harm, accidents, and other negative outcomes in the workplace. It represents a culmination of policies, behaviors, and precautions that work to limit hazards, accidents, and other kinds of harm in a work environment.
Why do employers need to create a safe environment?
Also, employees must be quick to identify situations and conditions in the workplace that can jeopardize their safety or expose them to unacceptable risk levels.
What is an electrical burn?
Many times, electrical burns are aftermaths of electrical shocks and they can be internal or external. Electrical fires occur when un-insulated wiring or broken circuits come in contact with flammable material in the workplace such as cotton and wood shavings.
What are some examples of workplace accidents?
Common examples of workplace machinery and tools accidents are: A burn caused by a faulty heater in the factory.
What to do when electrical accidents happen?
Here are a few things to do when electrical accidents; especially shocks and burns, happen in the workplace. Avoid touching the victim with your hands. Do not remove any blisters or burnt flesh from the victim’s body.
What are the three types of electrical accidents?
Electrical burns, electrical fires, and electrical shocks are 3 major types of electrical accidents. Electrical shocks occur when bodily contact with electricity causes the current to run through your body and in severe cases, it can lead to heart or respiratory failures.
What are the effects of toxic chemicals on the workplace?
Chemical exposure can result in a number of effects ranging from cancer and organ failures to death.
What are the requirements for fire safety?
One of the most universal requirements is that the operation be protected by a sprinkler system. In all cases, filter banks should be required with the proper flow of air being designed for safe use. Along with the draw of air, makeup air must be provided. As you inspect spray operations be sure that proper cleaning is being carried out, with the filters being replaced as necessary. Another thing often overlooked is where the discharged air goes. You must be certain that the discharge does not create a problem.
Why do fires happen?
By observing a common toaster, you can see easily that there is plenty of energy available to cause a fire. However, if properly designed, installed, and maintained, electrical systems are both convenient and safe; otherwise they may be responsible for both fire and injury. When an electric circuit carrying current is interrupted intentionally or unintentionally, arcing or heating is produced. Fire protection standards attempt to prevent arcing and heating, and accidental contact which may cause electric shock.
Why are chemicals considered hazardous?
Chemicals are hazardous because of properties other than combustibility. Although many chemicals possess more than one hazardous property, it is customary to classify each by its predominant hazard. The danger of such a procedure, of course, is that an unmentioned hazardous property may be overlooked.
What are some examples of fires in trash?
One of the more common types of fires occurs in trash containers. A good example occurred in the small city of Grantsville, Utah, a few years ago. One evening an individual set fire to two dumpsters, one at a middle school and the other at a large high school. The dumpster at the middle school was positioned about 60 feet away from the building and burned itself out. The high school was a different story. The dumpster was located right next to the building. The flames reached the eaves of the building, found a good fuel source, and were off and running. The entire building was lost. This was a case of the dumpster causing a major disaster. Note also that plastic lids on dumpsters can double the temperature of any fire in them.
Why vent for fire?
Normal and emergency relief venting for fire exposure requirements are noted to prevent the development of a vacuum or overpressurization during the filling or unloading of tanks . Venting also is required for tanks to prevent the excessive internal pressure caused by exposure fires.
What are the three categories of electrical fires?
Electrical fires can be divided into three categories. The first category consists of fires started by worn-out or "tired" electrical equipment. These cause the largest percentage of electrical fires. Examples include worn-out or dirty electric motors and deteriorated insulation.
Is woodworking dangerous?
Wood shops generally are classified as hazardous operations due to the dust produced. All dust-producing equipment must be connected to a sawdust collection system. Even though a collection system is used, it does not completely eliminate the dust problem, and shops would have a rigorous cleanup program to minimize the potentially serious problem. A dirty, dusty wood shop is an accident waiting to happen.
What temperature should an interior workplace be?
Ideally, interior workplaces should be a comfortable even temperature of 22 degrees in summer and 24 degrees in winter. Heat and cold stress can impact our health. An employee falling ill because they were forced to work in uncomfortable conditions can lead to days off work, and even a workers’ compensation claim. 7.
What are the symptoms of a work related injury?
Work-related stress is the second most common compensated illness or injury in Australia, and can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, psychological symptoms such as anxiety, sleep loss and depression, or behavioural symptoms such as mood swings.
Does the Australian Institute of Health and Safety reflect the views of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety?
Its content does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Institute of Health & Safety. There are a number of commonly overlooked workplace practices which are putting the health and safety of employees at risk, according to SAI Global.
What should a fire risk assessment include?
A fire prevention strategy and a fire risk assessment should include detail and a full consideration of all of the issues - including issues arising from heat, oxygen and fuel. Advice on these three elements follows.
How to prevent sparks and fires?
Have electrical equipment serviced regularly by a competent person to prevent sparks and fires . Properly clean and maintain heat producing equipment such as burners, heat exchangers, boilers (inspected and tested yearly), ovens, stoves, and fryers. Require storage of flammables away from this equipment.
What are the elements that prevent fires?
Fire Prevention. A fire needs three elements - heat, oxygen and fuel . Without heat, oxygen and fuel a fire will not start or spread. A key strategy to prevent fire is to remove one or more of heat, oxygen or fuel . The risk assessment should include detail on all three elements to minimise the risk of a fire starting/ spreading.
What is electrical safety?
Electrical safety. All electrical equipment and installations designed, constructed, installed, maintained, protected, and used to prevent danger. Get a qualified electrical contractor to carry out installation and repairs to electrical equipment and fittings.
Can flammable liquids cause fire?
Flammable liquids can present a significant risk of fire. Vapours evolved are usually heavier than air and can travel long distances, so are more likely to reach a source of ignition. Liquid leaks and dangerous vapours can arise from faulty storage (bulk and containers), plant and process - design, installation, maintenance or use. Ignition of the vapours from flammable liquids remains a possibility until the concentration of the vapour in the air has reduced to a level which will not support combustion.
What are the physical hazards in an office?
The most common physical hazards in the office are temperature; air quality; ventilation; noise; and slips, trips, and falls.
How to identify hazards in the workplace?
To identify hazards, workers can employ several methods, such as comprehensive safety walkarounds, inspection of historical data, and job safety analysis, but in order to identify them properly, it’s important to know the types of hazards that can be found in the workplace. In this test, try to examine the office setting and spot ...
Why are some hazards overlooked?
The problem is these types of hazards are likely the most dangerous ones (e.g., collisions and obstacles, poor lighting, and environmental toxins). Organize a team that will conduct regular office walkthroughs and observe safety protocols. Pay close attention to various environments in the workspace and observe employees’ working circumstances to identify possible risks or hazards.
What is Safe Work Australia?
Compared to the US and UK, however, the enforcement of policies is not the responsibility of Safe Work Australia but is administered by the Commonwealth, states, and territories. The specific workplace health and safety (WHS) acts, regulations, and codes of practice per Australian state and territory can be found here.
What is the role of the Health and Safety Executive?
They enforce local health and safety legislations, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974 and The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.
What equipment can cause a burn?
Equipment, such as photocopiers, laptops, kettle leads, and power switches, can get wet or become faulty, which can cause burns and electric shocks. Office workers who are not adequately trained on electrical safety are exposed to higher risk of such injuries, or worse, death.
Why is housekeeping important?
An effective office housekeeping program is an important element in office safety and health management as it fosters a cleaner and organized workplace, which in turn helps the company gain the following benefits.
