Fire Prevention and Protection Report

This report outlines the lapses that cause fire hazards and their prevention and protection measures at Acme Manufacturing Company. It provides methods as ways of prevention and control of fire hazards in Acme Manufacturing Company.

Running head: FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION REPORT 1
Fire Prevention and Protection Report
Faisal Ahmed
OSH4308-15C-1
7/29/2018

FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION REPORT 2
Introduction
Higgins et al (2015) argues that in any workplace, measures must be put in place to
ensure safety for all. If there are any lapses in prevention and protection, it might result in a
disaster that will be accompanied by loss of property and lives as well as many injuries. When I
was carrying out my assessment for Acme Manufacturing Company, I found out that despite the
company has put up some fire safety and rescue equipment and appliances, high fire incidences
were reported, ironically.
According to Kopczewski & Tobolski (2013), this is primarily due to negligence and
slow response to fire alarms. After a thorough audit of the company, some homes and some
occupancy that have a potential for a fire outbreak, there was dire need to make sure haste
responses are made so that the hazards associated with fire outbreaks can be prevented,
minimized or even gotten rid of, eventually. This report, therefore, seeks to outline the lapses
that cause fire hazards and their prevention and protection measures at Acme Manufacturing
Company.
Report Details
According to the research carried out, it was observed that the following are the causes of fire
prevention and protection hazards;
1. Improper disposal of waste and combustible materials – in any workplace, it is not
uncommon to meet waste materials such as papers, cardboards, and other common combustible
materials. In case of an ignition of such materials, a fire could break out. These materials will act
as fuel for the fire hence it’s advisable for those at the workplace to properly dispose of these
flammable materials that they may dismiss as simple waste.

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2. In Acme Manufacturing Company, it was observed that there was the emission of some
flammable liquids and vapors. In the industrial warehouse and the factories is where such
emissions were highly observed. Others include the kitchen, garage, and hotel. These flammable
liquids and vapors are ignited once they come into contact with a spark or a naked flame. This
will happen if they are not stored properly and hence they can seep through the storage
containers. Vapors, for instance, can even result in an explosion.
3. There was dust builds up in the company. This resulted from the dust and powder from
materials such as wood, plastic and some metal when cutting. This build-up was as a result of
poor ventilation in the enclosed places. Likewise, machines and equipment that heat up can cause
a fire in case they come into contact with dust or grease.
4. Another cause of fire hazards that was found out is some electrical equipment and
machinery that warm up when at work. Once such machines and equipment come into contact
with flammable materials, a fire might be ignited, such as paper, dust, and grease among others.
5. One of the main causes of fire outbreaks is faulty electrical equipment. It was observed
that there were several neglected electrical lapses such as loose cables, damaged plugs and other
faulty equipment that had not been replaced.
6. Another cause of electrical fire hazards is the overloading of power sockets. Excess
appliances should not be plugged in the same socket. This may cause overheating and hence
might cause a fire. Also, faulty extension cords might trigger an electrical fire.
7. Smoking is a common fire cause. If cigarettes are irresponsibly discarded in an area
which has potentially flammable materials, a fire outbreak is imminent. This has caused some

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fire outbreaks in Acme Manufacturing Company due to lack of enough designated safe smoking
zones as well as the negligence by the employees to properly use these smoking zones.
8. Humans are not perfect and they are bound to err, every once in a while. Out of sheer
accident or pure negligence, fires can be caused by instances such as improper use of equipment,
spilling drinks over electrical equipment and also some cooks leaving food unattended.
This report provides these methods as ways of prevention and control of fire hazards in Acme
Manufacturing Company.
1. The employees should be made aware of the causes of fire and the ways on how to
respond to them once they happen. For instance, they should be provided with the codes of
access to different buildings so that in case of a fire outbreak, they can seal off the affected
buildings so that there will be minimal or no fire spreading to other areas. The buildings should
also have fire prevention devices, exit signs, and fire alarms.
2. Speaking of fire prevention and control equipment, fire extinguishers should be installed
and placed in designated places in the entire company. These will come in handy in preventing
the spread of a fire in case it breaks out. For instance, a fire extinguisher will prevent a fire from
spreading to a machine that might explode when in contact with fire. Apart from fire
extinguishers, the buildings should be coated with fire resistant. These include paints and
chemicals that can coat the combustible materials to prevent them from causing a fire.
3. A fire can be prevented and its hazards reduced by use of an alarm. These alarms can be
triggered by the employees while some are automatic. The latter include heat sensitive triggers,
smoke detectors, and a rate-of-rise detector. The building should also be installed with automatic
sprinkler systems which will sprinkle water on the inflamed material hence putting out the fire.

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This system is one of the most effective since it minimizes the effects of a fire even before other
methods are used.
4. The company can use various firefighting equipment for fire prevention and protection.
These include sophisticated buckets and extinguishers, fire engines, ladder and rescue trucks
which work perfectly well with the fire engines. There are some chemicals that can be used to
combat fire outbreaks. For instance, foaming agents can be used to combat oil fires
Conclusion
According to this report, fire hazards have been occurring in this company for quite some
time due to negligence and also lack of proper equipment and precautions to take to protect the
employees and the property from fire hazards. Also, it was observed that once there is a fire
outbreak, the employees were not well equipped to combat the fire. Likewise, the buildings in
Acme Manufacturing Company do not meet the required standards to prevent fire hazards.
Recommendations
i. Proper and adequate training of employees to be carried out periodically.
ii. Installation of up-to-date and state-of-the-art fire equipment.
iii. Proper disposal of flammable materials such as papers, cardboards, and dust particles.
iv. According to Frank, Spearpoint & Challands (2014), the electrical equipment that emits a
lot of heat should not be covered in grease. Also, avoid leaving such machines to run overnight.
v. Personal safety should always be a priority as this will ensure public protection as well.
vi. Flammable fluids, gases, and vapors should be stored under tightly sealed containers to
prevent them from being released to fire hazardous areas.

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vii. Electrical appliances should be checked every once in a while, to ensure that none are
faulty and also discern from overloading electrical sockets.

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Appendix
Welding Shop
Building scale: 1” = 20’
125ft 5.85in = 125/20 formula
80 3.95 = 80/20
Extinguisher scale
Maximum fire distance Radius Diameter (in)
30 1.5 3
Building (125 x 80) 10,000 = 125 * 80
2A10B: C extinguisher 2827 = Pi () x 302
2A20B: C extinguisher 7854 = Pi () x 502
Coverage needed 10,000
7854 x 2 + 2827 = 18,535
Coverage used 18,535
Alternate 2A20B: C extinguisher
Building measurement 125 x 80
= 125*80

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= 10,000ft2
Therefore; the area of the room = 10,000ft2
2A20B: C extinguisher 7854 = Pi () * 502
Coverage needed 10,000
7854 x 2 = 15809
Coverage used 15809
Approximately 3 extinguishers needed for the welding shop

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References
Frank, K., Spearpoint, M., & Challands, N. (2014). Uncertainty in estimating the fire control
effectiveness of sprinklers from New Zealand fire incident reports. Fire Technology,
50(3), 611-632.
Higgins, E., Taylor, M., Francis, H., Jones, M., & Appleton, D. (2015). Trans-forming fire
prevention: A case study. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 9(2),
223-236. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1680701127?
accountid=45049
Kopczewski, M., & Tobolski, M. (2013). The oversight of fire prevention in an enterprise.
Foundations of Management, 5(1), 33-41.