Health and Safety and Risk1 HEALTH AND SAFETY AND RISK By Name Course Instructor Institution Location Date
Health and Safety and Risk2 Aircraft Fire Hazards Identification of the hazard Not all the crashes in aircrafts result into fire. The roles and responsibilities of the firefighting department do not come to a halt when fire does not occur. It is important to take note of any serious potential or even actual fire that may need to be done away with or its effects reduced as soon as possible(Administration 2016, p. 564). Fires in aircrafts are mostly brought about by spillages of fuel from the engine and the greater the damage that occurs to the aircraft during a crash, the higher the chances of spillage of fuel. Fuel vapors can be ignited by a hot part of the engine or even a spark that may result into a full-fledged fire that may consume the whole aircraft and the passengers or goods aboard. It is for this reason that it is fundamentally important to the aircraft operators to take the most precautionary measures that would thwart ignition of fire hazards(Bier 2013, p. 236). Detailing of the Hazard Aviation gasoline, oxygen systems, jet fuels and hydraulic fluids are among the flammable, fire accelerating and hazardous substances of fire hazards origin(Frolov 2016, p. 458). Whereas aviation gasoline spreads at the rate of 700 and 800 feet per minute when on flames, jet fuels JP- 5 fuel which is a compound of kerosene and gasoline spreads flame at the rate of about 750 feet per minute. JP-5, another jet fuel spreads flames at the rate of 100 feet per minute and has a flash point of 60⁰C. There are four types of aircraft fires among them engine fires, cabin fires, hidden fires and electrical fires(Granot 2012, p. 369). Engine fires occur at the engine of the aircraft and are most easily noticeable and contained by the suppression systems and the fire detection
Health and Safety and Risk3 department ofthe aircraft team. However, under certain circumstances for example in the case of an explosion that leads to breakage of the turbine, the onboard systems of the aircraft may not manage to contain the fire thereby spreading to the other parts of the aircraft like the fuselage and/or the wing. Chances are that an engine fire can reignite even after it has successfully been contained and eliminated. It is for this reason that the pilot is advised to land as soon as an engine fire is detected so that the fire crews can examine the engine to ascertain safety(Gunnink 2011, p. 562). Hidden fires are detectable using onboard firefighting tools and equipment or by the crew or passengers who make detect fumes or smoke. Other indicators of hidden fire include a hot spot on the floor or wall or an abnormal electrical malfunction especially in cases where the systems are not related(Favorsky 2012, p. 458). Hidden fires are the most dangerous of the aircraft fires because they are not easily locatable and accessible for ease of containing them. The time taken in locating the fire may be long enough that may lead to significant damage to the aircraft. Another reason for the dangerous nature of hidden fires is the difficulty in the confirmation by the pilot leading to delay in the initiation of the landing process. The result of such delays would be the fire becoming not survivable before the aircraft can successfully land. Cabin fires are fires within the cabin of the aircraft and can easily be detected early enough and contained by the crew with the aid of onboard firefighting equipment. Just as in the case of engine fires, in case of cabin fires, the crew is advised to land as soon as possible and a detailed investigation into the causes of the fire is conducted and any damages accounted for(Avenhaus 2012, p. 582).
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