TBT 02: Fire Safety

FIRE HAZARDS / RISKS DUE TO FIRE:

1. BURNS
2. OXYGEN STARVATION
3. POISONOUS GASES
4. DESTRUCTION
1 of 14
HWS -Toolbox Talk 02 Fire Safety v001 11.09.2012

TBT 02: Fire Safety

Causes of Fires - Fires need:
FUEL + OXYGEN (AIR) +
HEAT/IGNITION = FIRE

The Fire Triangle

TBT 02: Fire Safety

SOURCES OF HEAT / IGNITION:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Matches & lighters

Smoking
Heaters
Hot works
Electrical sparks
Damaged machinery
Damaged cables
Compost
Land fill
3 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

SOURCES OF FUEL:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Wood, paper, card

Plastics
Solvents
Fuels & oils
Carpets & furniture
Clothing
Many waste materials
Some types of dust eg. MRF
Some metals
4 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

CHOOSING THE RIGHT EXTINGUISHER:
There are six types of fire:
1. Solids
2. Flammable liquids
3. Flammable gases
4. Electrical apparatus
5. Cooking oils and fats
6. Flammable metals
5 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

WATER EXTINGUISHER:
Red body + red label
Cools the fire
Use for SOLIDS fires
(wood, paper, card, plastic)
NOT for liquids or electrical
fires
6 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

FOAM: Red + cream label:
The foam smothers the fire
and cools it
Use on SOLIDS and
FLAMABLE LIQUIDS fires
NOT for electrical fire BUT
safer than water if
accidentally used
7 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

POWDER: Red with blue label
Use on SOLIDS, LIQUIDS,
GASES
NOTE: Turn off the gas supply.
Smothers the fire.
Very messy / damaging:
powder cloud fog.
[Special powders availablefor
metal fires]
8 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

CARBON DIOXIDE:
Red + black label
ELECTRICAL FIRES
Excludes oxygen.
Can cause suffocation.
Nozzle gets very cold.
(Also for liquid fires BUT fire
could re-ignite)
9 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

Fire blankets:1. Use to smother small fires
2. Use to cover small
quantities of cooking
burning cooking fat or oil
3. Use to smother burning
clothing make the casualty
lie down to keep flames
away from the head
10 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

FIRE PRECAUTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

House-keeping
Cleaning and maintenance
Ventilation grilles
Check cables
Electrical equipment dry
Gas lines and hoses
Smoking
Flammable substances
Cooking activities
Work permits
11 of 14

TBT 2: Fire Safety

FIRE SAFETY RULES:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Fire exits, routes, assembly point

Fire call points
Fire extinguishers
Fire evacuation plan
Fire risks
Hot works permit
Do not obstruct fire doors or safety routes
Do not obstruct access to fire extinguishers
12 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

IF YOU DISCOVER A FIRE:

DO NOT ENDANGER YOURSELF
Shout FIRE, FIRE, FIRE
Break call point
IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, tackle the fire
Call 999, report the fire, give your name,
your address POST CODE
6. Help evacuate the area
7. Report to Fire Marshall
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

13 of 14

TBT 02: Fire Safety

FIRE, FIRE, FIRE or Fire Alarm:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

DO leave by nearest safe exit

DO go to Assembly Point
DO report to fire marshall
DO help colleagues and visitors
DO switch off plant
DO NOT lock any doors
DO NOT leave the site until given permission
then DO NOT return
14 of 14

HTM 02: Fire Safety

REMEMBER
Statistically, waste management and
recycling has a very high accident rate

If you see a problem DO NOT walk on by!

Report accidents, incidents & near-misses!
Do NOT become a statistic!