Magma 1 manual Fire, Fuel, Oxygen, Identifying sources of ignition, Naked flame, Hot Surfaces

1.FIRE

For a fire to start, three things are needed -

•A source of ignition

•Fuel, and

•Oxygen

If any one of these is missing, a fire cannot start. Taking steps to avoid the three coming together will therefore reduce the chance of a fire occurring.

FUEL

Flammable gases

Flammable liquids

Flammable solids

OXYGEN

Always present in the air Additional source from Oxidizing substances

IGNITION SOURCE Hot surfaces Electrical Equipment Static electricity

Smoking / naked flames Sparks created by loose connections

Once a fire starts it can grow very quickly and spread from one source of fuel to another. As it grows, the amount of heat it gives off will increase and this can cause other fuels to self-ignite.

The following paragraphs advise on how to identify potential ignition sources, the materials that might fuel a fire and the oxygen supplies, which will help it to burn.

1.1. Identifying sources of ignition

You can identify the potential ignition sources in your office by looking for possible sources of heat which could get hot enough to ignite the material in the office. These sources of heat include -

Naked flame	: smoker’s material, e.g. Cigarettes and matches.
Hot Surfaces	: Hot surfaces and obstruction of equipment ventilation, e.g. office equipment.
Mechanically Generated Sparks		: Hot processes such as welding or grinding work.
Electrically Generated Sparks		: Faulty or misused electrical equipment;

Lighting equipment, e.g. halogen lamps & loose electrical connections.

1.2. Identifying sources of fuel

Anything that burns is fuel for a fire. So you need to look for the things that will burn reasonably easily and are in sufficient quantity to provide fuel for a fire or cause it to spread to another fuel source. Some of the most common ‘fuels’ found in workplace are –

ƒFlammable liquid based products such as paints, varnish, thinners and adhesives.

ƒFlammable liquids and solvents such as petrol, white spirit, methylated spirit and paraffin.

ƒFlammable chemicals.

ƒWood.

ƒPaper and Card Board

ƒPlastics, rubber and foam such as polystyrene and polyurethane, e.g. the foam used in upholstered furniture.

ƒFlammable gasses such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and acetylene.

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