Vol. 1 Issue 10 October 1997
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING PREVENTS FIRES
Fire needs both an ignition source and some sort of object or material to help it burn. A welding spark, oily rags, lint left on a machine and waste left in an open container all can fuel a fire. Good housekeeping is more than a push-broom operation. It is a way to prevent accidents and eliminate hazards, especially fires.
Fire Safe Housekeeping
Keep your work area clean, dry and unobstructed. Find a place for everything and keep it there. Keep your work areas free of equipment such as pallets, tools extension cords and hoses. Keep motors and machine tools free of dust and grease. And never block exits or aisles.......even for a few minutes!
Keep the following housekeeping tips in mind:
Make good housekeeping a part of your daily routine. It won’t just allow you to work more efficiently, it could save your life or the lives of your co-workers. PREVENTING WORKPLACE FIRES Electrical Fires The most common type of workplace fire is the electrical fire. Motors, wires, and circuits are primary targets. Practice the following: When extension cords must be used, be sure your using the right one and be sure it is in good condition. Make sure all electrical tools and equipment are clean. Dust and grease can lead to fires. Never use makeshift wiring. Make sure fuses, outlets and circuits are not overloaded. Never use wiring with worn or frayed insulation. Avoid keeping combustibles around machinery or lights. Report malfunctioning equipment. Chemical Fires Another major cause of workplace fires is the improper use or storage of certain flammable materials. Some important reminders include: Store flammables only in approved containers and in approved locations. Make sure ventilation is adequate. ALWAYS, always check the Material Safety Data Sheet for safe use and storage guidelines. Clean up all leaks and spills immediately!! Welding and Cutting Welding and cutting operations are special circumstances that require special caution. Make sure all combustibles are removed or adequately covered in these areas. Do a general fire safety survey before beginning any welding or cutting operations. Hot Equipment Special attention should also be paid to hot areas of the workplace. For example: Make sure there are no combustible materials around hot pipes or equipment. Certain tools, such as soldering irons, need to be clear of combustible surfaces. SMOKING Perhaps one of the simplest fire prevention steps is to follow the rules regarding smoking. Smoke only in designated areas; use approved ashtrays and be sure to put out cigarettes complexity. NEVER, ever, discard matches or cigarettes in a trash can.
If you are not sure of any of the above, check with your supervisor!
Everything you needed to know about fire extinguishers, but never asked!
Class B extinguishers are designed to handle flammable gases or liquids, like gasoline, grease or paint. They contain a dry chemical, foam or carbon dioxide and work by either cutting off the oxygen or reducing the flame.
Class C extinguishers are for electrical fires and, because of that, they contain no water. Instead they usually contain carbon dioxide or a dry chemical. Keep in mind that using the wrong extinguisher can make a bad situation even worse. Using a Class A extinguisher containing a water on a Class C fire, for example would put you at risk for electrocution.
Class D extinguishers are for fires in combustible metals, like sodium, zinc and titanium. They are a special kind of extinguisher and are required only in locations that generate combustible metal powders, shavings or flakes.
Finally, there are other special types of extinguishers. ABC or BC extinguishers can be used on fires that combine several different kinds of flammables. A word from the wise..... I recently received a fax from Rubbie Greenwald, Construction Manager and thought it was worth sharing with all of you.
Dear Debi, I understand you will be promoting fire prevention in October. Your will probably talk about home safety, extinguishers, smoke alarms, etc., however, don’t forget about keeping extinguishers in our vehicles. OSHA requires extinguishers in the cabs of our equipment and at other locations on our sites, bit I have carried a 10 lb. "ABC" extinguisher in my primary vehicles for years. I used to own a 356A Porsche Speedster , that was rebuilt and had some custom work on it. I had difficulty getting it insured, except for liability, because it was a "reconstructed" title. I was planning on selling it, and as I backed out of my garage one morning, I removed the extinguisher, which I had not yet mounted in the car, and set it on the garage floor. On my way home, the vehicle caught fire, and I lost about $17,000.00 I had invested. In less than 20 minutes it "went up in smoke" (and flames), as I stood by, helpless, remembering the extinguisher on the garage floor that could have easily saved the vehicle. Just several weeks ago, traveling home, I came upon a van pulled off the road, with the doors open and people scurrying out of it, as smoke and flames were coming from the front grille. I stopped about 100’ feet from the vehicle, opened my trunk, removed the extinguisher, and ran to the van. By aiming the extinguisher into the grille area at the base of the flames, the fire was quickly extinguished. In fact, except for the marred grille, and the charred wiring, etc. under the hood, the vehicle seemed to be in relatively good shape. The difference between that van and some of the burned out shells one sees along the road periodically was the fire extinguisher. This was the second time my extinguisher had helped out another motorist in distress. By the way, I had recently replaced the extinguisher, because the one I was carrying needed recharged. Not only should we carry them, we should check them periodically and make certain they will work when needed. I replaced the discharged extinguisher the next day, and have the old ones recharged for future use. These cost about $15-$20 (on sale) and are an inexpensive personal vehicle protection item. From my own experience, its much better to have one and never need it, than to need one and not have it available. Even if you never need it personally, you never know when you might be someone’s roadside angel.
I understand you will be promoting fire prevention in October. Your will probably talk about home safety, extinguishers, smoke alarms, etc., however, don’t forget about keeping extinguishers in our vehicles. OSHA requires extinguishers in the cabs of our equipment and at other locations on our sites, bit I have carried a 10 lb. "ABC" extinguisher in my primary vehicles for years.
I used to own a 356A Porsche Speedster , that was rebuilt and had some custom work on it. I had difficulty getting it insured, except for liability, because it was a "reconstructed" title. I was planning on selling it, and as I backed out of my garage one morning, I removed the extinguisher, which I had not yet mounted in the car, and set it on the garage floor. On my way home, the vehicle caught fire, and I lost about $17,000.00 I had invested. In less than 20 minutes it "went up in smoke" (and flames), as I stood by, helpless, remembering the extinguisher on the garage floor that could have easily saved the vehicle.
Just several weeks ago, traveling home, I came upon a van pulled off the road, with the doors open and people scurrying out of it, as smoke and flames were coming from the front grille. I stopped about 100’ feet from the vehicle, opened my trunk, removed the extinguisher, and ran to the van. By aiming the extinguisher into the grille area at the base of the flames, the fire was quickly extinguished. In fact, except for the marred grille, and the charred wiring, etc. under the hood, the vehicle seemed to be in relatively good shape. The difference between that van and some of the burned out shells one sees along the road periodically was the fire extinguisher. This was the second time my extinguisher had helped out another motorist in distress.
By the way, I had recently replaced the extinguisher, because the one I was carrying needed recharged. Not only should we carry them, we should check them periodically and make certain they will work when needed. I replaced the discharged extinguisher the next day, and have the old ones recharged for future use.
These cost about $15-$20 (on sale) and are an inexpensive personal vehicle protection item. From my own experience, its much better to have one and never need it, than to need one and not have it available. Even if you never need it personally, you never know when you might be someone’s roadside angel.
- Debi
P.S. - Is your crane equipped with an extinguisher?
HOW TO USE
AN EXTINGUISHER
Basically, there are five steps to follow when using an extinguisher to put out a fire:
1. Pull out the pin.
2. Stand 7 to 10 feet from the fire.
3. Aim at the base of the fire.
4. Squeeze the trigger.
5. Spray with a back-and-forth motion across the fire’s base.
1910.25 (a) (2) (iii)
(A) Fire watchers shall be required whenever welding or cutting is performed in locations where other than a minor fire might develop, or any of the following conditions exist:
(1) A quantity of combustible material, in building construction or contents, closer than 35 feet (10.7m) to the point of operation.
(2) The quantity of combustibles are more than 35 feet (10.7m) away but are easily ignited by sparks.
(3) Wall or floor openings within a 35 foot (10.7) radius expose combustible material in adjacent areas including concealed spaces in walls or floors.
(4) Combustible materials are adjacent to the opposite side of metal partitions, walls, ceilings, or roofs and are likely to be ignited by conduction or radiation.
(B) Fire watchers shall have fire extinguishing equipment readily available and be trained in its use. They shall be familiar with facilities for sounding an alarm in the event of a fire. They shall watch for fires in all exposed areas, try to extinguish them only when obviously within the capacity of the equipment is available, or otherwise sound the alarm. A fire watch shall be maintained for at least a half hour (don’t leave for lunch) after completion of welding or cutting operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires.
A. Are required for all hot work practices which require a hot work permit.
B. Shall be trained in the use of fire extinguishing equipment.
C. Shall be familiar with facilities for sounding an alarm in the event of a fire or explosion.
D. Shall watch for fires or smoke in all exposed areas, attempt to extinguish them only when obviously within the capacity of the equipment available, or otherwise sound the alarm.
E. Fire watch must observe that sparks are being contained to the immediate work area and stop the work when this is not occurring.
F. The fire watch has the responsibility of obtaining suitable fire extinguishing equipment and maintaining it in a state of readiness for instant use.
G. If the fire watch has to leave the job site during the hot work operation, the job will stop and co-worker will assume fire watch duties until another fire watch person is assigned, or original fire watch person returns.
H. The fire watch must not be assigned any other duties that will interfere with the fire watch duties.
I. A fire watch is required for 1/2 hour after the job is completed. The watch need not be continuos but must be at least every 15 minutes. When burning in coal handling areas, USS procedure must be followed: GEN-21, Burning and Welding in Coal Handling Areas.
J. Following the job completion, all fire protection equipment must be restored to its proper condition and storage area. Personnel Involved in Hot Work Operations:
A. Shall handle equipment safely and use it so as not to endanger lives, equipment and property.
B. Shall review the job and hot work permit requirements.
C. Shall obtain approval form the Leadman prior to starting hot work operations.
D. Shall continue hotwork operations only so long as permit conditions remain unchanged. Operations:
A. The operations supervisor or designee shall assure the equipment and area where hot work is performed is prepared for hot work and shall notify Gas Services prior to any hot work where the issuance of a hot work permit is required.
B. Shall review the hot work permit for its completeness and sign the permit in the appropriate section. The Operations signature shall be the last validation for hot work to begin.
C. Shall immediately notify the personnel involved in hot work operations if any operating upset occurs. Gas Services:
A. Shall conduct appropriate atmospheric testing and/or make visual observations of the job.
B. Shall issue a hot work permit with designated hot work requirements to be followed if atmospheric testing and visual observations meet acceptable criteria.
THE "ASSURED EQUIPMENT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR PROGRAM" COLOR CODE FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, AND DECEMBER IS ORANGE. IF YOU USE THIS PROGRAM, TEST AND COLOR CODE ALL ELECTRICAL CORDS AND POWER TOOLS.
IF YOU USE THIS PROGRAM, TEST AND COLOR CODE ALL ELECTRICAL CORDS AND POWER TOOLS.
Very few injuries are more painful than a burn. Burns are classified as First, Second, and Third Degree, based on the amount of damage to the body.
First Degree Burns (minor) affect only the outer layer of the skin. Treatment includes applying cool, wet, compresses, or immersing the area in cool, clean water. Contrary to popular belief you should never use any creams, ointments, etc. on a burn. They can cause an infection. Continue until the pain subsides and then apply a sterile dressing.
Second Degree Burns (serious) will show signs of deep reddening of the skin with pain, blisters and possible loss of skin. Immerse in cool. clean water or apply cool compresses. (Exposing the burn to extreme temperatures can cause more damage. Don’t use ice unless directed to do so by a medical professional.) Gently dry the affected area and apply a nonadhesive dressing before seeking medical attention.
Third Degree Burns (severe) include damage to all layers if the skin. Call for immediate medical help! First Aid treatment requires you open the victims airway, check for breathing and check for circulation. You may want to cover the burned area with a sterile dressing while waiting for help; never use water, ointments, antiseptics, etc.
When attempting to aid a burn victim, an untrained person may do more harm than good. Following the basic first-aid advice given above can reduce the severity of injures. Check your Basement and Garage for Fire Safety
HAVE A HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLAN
Home fires kill more than 6,000 people each year with many victims dying from smoke and gases before the fire reaches them. All families need to know what to do if confronted by a fire in the home.
If a house is on fire, individuals may respond in various ways. Some may try to leave immediately, but small children may become extremely frightened and try to hide in closets or under beds. Families need to have a family fire escape plan, and the 10 steps listed below could help you save lives should a fire strike your home.
1. Sleep with your bedroom door closed! Fire, gases and smoke are delayed for a few minutes with closed doors.
2. Make a floor plan of your home and mark escape routes from each room. Discuss how to leave through windows and how to break glass with a heavy object if necessary.
3. Escape routes should be as simple as possible, especially for younger and elderly individuals; make sure to have an alternate plan.
4. Discuss agreed upon methods that will wake up family members and act as an alarm; i.e. yelling, and pounding on walls.
5. Tell family members to leave immediately when there is a fire or if the alarm is sounded.
6. Always check doors for heat at the panels and knob. If they are quite warm, leave by an alternate room.
7. If you can’t leave your room, place clothes or towels in the door cracks. If possible, stay near a slightly opened window. When moving to the other side of the room, crawl with your head less than 18 inches above the floor.
8. Meet outside the house at a designated tree, mailbox, etc. and account for all family members. Once out STAY OUT!!
9. Call the fire department and clearly give your full name and address.
10. Practice these drills at least twice a year!
INSTALL AND MAINTAIN SMOKE DETECTORS
Darlaine L. Taylor Corporate Safety Director Jennifer A. Weber Corporate Safety Coordinator Debi L. Taylor-Buckley Assistant Safety Coordinator E-mail contact: safety@centurysteel.com
