Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 14

Cháy nơi làm việc và các vụ nổ giết chết 200 và làm bị thương hơn 5000 công nhân mỗi năm. Trong năm 1995, hơn 75.000 vụ cháy tại nơi làm việc chi phí các doanh nghiệp nhiều hơn $ 2,3 tỷ. Hỏa hoạn tàn phá trong công nhân và gia đình của họ và phá hủy hàng ngàn doanh nghiệp mỗi năm, đưa người dân ra khỏi công việc và nghiêm trọng ảnh hưởng đến sinh kế của họ. Các số điện thoại của con người và tài chính nhấn mạnh sự nghiêm trọng của vụ cháy tại nơi...
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Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 1414 Fire Hazards GuidelinesCluttered work areas increase the potential for fires.14.1 FIRE HAZARDSWorkplace fires and explosions kill 200 and injure more than 5000 workers everyyear. In 1995, more than 75,000 workplace fires cost businesses more than $2.3billion. Fires wreak havoc among workers and their families and destroy thousandsof businesses each year, putting people out of work and severely impacting theirlivelihoods. The human and financial toll underscores the gravity of workplace fires.14.2 CAUSES OF FIRESThe most common causes of workplace fires are as follows: Electrical causes—lax maintenance in wiring, motors, switches, lamps, and . heating elements Smoking—near flammable liquids, stored combustibles, etc. . Cutting and welding—highly dangerous in areas where sparks can ignite . combustibles Hot surfaces—exposure of combustibles to furnaces, hot ducts or flues, . electric lamps or heating elements, and hot metal Overheated materials—abnormal process temperatures, materials in dryers, . overheating of flammable liquids Open flames—gasoline or other torches, gas or oil burners .ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Friction—hot bearings, misaligned or broken machine parts, choking or . jamming materials, poor adjustment of moving parts Unknown substances—unexpected materials . Spontaneous heating—deposits in ducts and flues, low-grade storage, scrap . waste, oily waste, and rubbish Combustion sparks—burning rubbish, foundry cupolas, furnaces, and fire- . boxes Miscellaneous—including incendiary cases, fires spreading from adjoining . buildings, molten metal or glass, static electricity near flammable liquids, chemical action, and lighting14.3 OSHA STANDARDS REQUIREMENTSOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require employersto provide proper exits, firefighting equipment, and employee training to prevent firedeaths and injuries in the workplace. Each workplace building must have at leasttwo exits far from each other to be used in a fire emergency. Fire doors must not beblocked or locked to prevent emergency use when employees are in the buildings.Delayed opening of fire doors is permitted when an approved alarm system is inte-grated into the fire door design. Exit routes from buildings must be clear and free ofobstructions and properly marked with signs designating exits from the building. Each workplace building must have a full complement of the proper type of fireextinguisher for the fire hazards present, excepting when employers wish to haveemployees evacuate instead of fighting small fires. Employees expected or anti-cipated to use fire extinguishers must be instructed on the hazards of fighting fire,how to properly operate the fire extinguishers available, and what procedures tofollow in alerting others to the fire emergency. Only approved fire extinguishers arepermitted to be used in workplaces, and they must be kept in good operatingcondition. Proper maintenance and inspection of this equipment is required of eachemployer. The applicable OSHA standard on fire protection is 29 CFR 1910.157.Figure 14.1 shows a well maintained fire extinguisher. Where the employer wishes to evacuate employees instead of having them fightsmall fires there must be written emergency plans and employee training for properevacuation. Emergency action plans are required to describe the routes to use andprocedures to be followed by employees. Also procedures for accounting for allevacuated employees must be part of the plan. The written plan must be available foremployee review. Where needed, special procedures for helping physically impairedemployees must be addressed in the plan; also, the plan must include procedures forthose employees who must remain behind temporarily to shut down critical plantequipment before they evacuate. The preferred means of alerting employees to a fire emergency must be part ofthe plan and an employee alarm system must be available throughout the workplacecomplex and must be used for emergency alerting for evacuation. The alarm systemmay be voice communication or sound signals such as bells, whistles, or horns.Employees must know the evacuation signal. Fire alarm boxes should be readilyaccessible as shown in Figure 14.2.ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.FIGURE 14.1 Adequate fire extinguisher. Employees must be trained to face emergency situations. Employers must reviewthe plan with newly assigned employees so that they know correct actions in anemergency and with all employees when the plan is changed.FIGURE 14.2 Example of fire alarm box.ß 2008 by Taylo ...