FIRE-SAFETY

 

SOME FACTS:

• Estimated 180 000 deaths occur every year caused by burns worldwide (WHO) the vast majority occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Non-fatal burn injuries are the leading cause of morbidity.
• Burns occur mainly at home and in the workplace. 
• Burns are preventable.

A burn is an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals.

Thermal (heat) burns occur when some or all of the cells in the skin or other tissues are destroyed by:

• Hot liquids (scalds/steam)
• Hot solids (contact burns)
• Flames (flame burns)
• Radiation (UV rays/sunburn)

PREVENTION:

• Enclose fires and limit the height of open flames in domestic environments.
• Promote education regarding stoves, open fires, loose clothing and fuels.
• Apply safety regulations to housing designs and materials and encourage home inspections.
• Improve the design of cook stoves, particularly with regard to stability and prevention of access by children.
• Lower the temperature in hot water taps (geysers)
• Promote fire safety education and the use of smoke detectors, fire sprinklers, and fire-escape systems in homes and workplaces.
• Promote the introduction of and compliance with industrial safety regulations, and the use of fire-retardant materials.
• Avoid smoking in bed and encourage the use of child-resistant lighters.
• Promote legislation mandating the production of fire-safety.
• Encourage further development of burn-care systems, including the training of health-care providers in the appropriate triage and management of people with burns.
• Support the development and distribution of fire-retardant aprons to be used while cooking around an open flame or kerosene stove.

 

 

First Aid-DO's & DONT's:

 

What to do:

• Stop the burning process by removing clothing and irrigating the burns.
• Extinguish flames by allowing the patient to roll on the ground, or by applying a blanket, or by using water or other fire-extinguishing liquids.
• Use the STOP, DROP & ROLL method.
• Use cool running water to reduce the temperature of the burn.
• In chemical burns, remove or dilute the chemical agent by irrigating with large volumes of water.
• Wrap the patient in a clean cloth or sheet and transport him/her to the nearest appropriate facility for medical care.

What not to do:

• Do not start first aid before ensuring your own safety (switch off electrical current, wear gloves for chemicals etc.)
• Do not apply paste, oil or raw cotton to the burn.
• Do not apply ice because it deepens the injury.
• Avoid prolonged cooling with water because it will lead to hypothermia.
• Do not open blisters until topical antimicrobials can be applied, by a health-care provider.
• Do not apply any material directly to the wound as it might become infected.
• Avoid application of topical medication until the patient has been placed under appropriate medical care.

FIRE FIGHTIN AND FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:

ANATOMY OF THE HANDHELD FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Any fire to burn needs 3 things:

1) Oxygen

2) Heat

3) Fuel

When one of the above is taken away, no fire can burn.

So, it needs enough OXYGEN to sustain combustion.

·        Enough HEAT to reach ignition temperature.

·        And some FUEL or combustible material.

·        And of course, OXYGEN.

Together, they produce the CHEMICAL REACTION that we call fire.

 

FUEL CLASIFICATIONS:

•         Fires are classified according to the type of fuel that is burning.

•         If you use the wrong type of fire extinguisher on the wrong class of fire, you might make matters worse.

•         It's very important to understand the four different fire or FUEL classifications…

•         Class A: Wood, Paper, Textiles, Cloth, Domestic waste, Plastics.

•         Class B: Flammable Liquids-Gasoline, Oil, Grease, Acetone &   Flammable Gases.

•         Class C: Electrical Equipment-As long as it’s “plugged in” It is LIVE     Electricity

•         Class D: Flammable Metals like Potassium, Aluminum, Magnesium

It is important that we know that CLASS-B fires (flammable liquids) are not only Petrol/Gasoline and Diesel, but these are also any liquid that can burn!!!

 

 

Today I will only discuss the Dry Chemical (ABC) Fire Extinguishers as they are most commonly used and I like to call them "all in one" Extinguisher, because the ABC can be used to extinguish a fire at home, office, Vehicle & workshop.

 

Dry chemical extinguishers put out fire by coating the fuel with a thin layer of dust. This separates the fuel from the oxygen in the air.

 

The first step if there is a fire:

1) Evacuate the building & make alarm

2) Proceed to your nearest EMERGENCY ASSEMBLY point.

Orderly, do not panic or run this will only cause other incidents or accidents and injuries.

Do not run as this will only cause panic.

Stay at you assembly point and await further instructions from your senior.

The fire team or fire marshals who are trained will inspect their fire extinguishers and try to extinguish the fire, do not try to be a hero.

Only a trained & competent or appointed person should extinguish a fire.

SFAETY AT HOME:

a) Never leave any stove or fire Un attendant

b) Never put a gas cylinder on top of a stove and make sure there is enough ventilation.

c) Never leave candles burning, make sure they are out before you leave or go to bed.

d) Never overload any electrical socket.

Keep matches and lighters out of reach from children.