safety bulletin #034
SAFETY BULLETIN # 034
FIRE PREVENTION
Fire Prevention means exactly what it says: Preventing
Fires.
A basic part of each job is preventing potential fire situations
from existing, in order to save men, materials, time and money.
Construction within a petroleum industry complex requires
extremely careful planning, since plant being constructed are
frequently next to those in production. Physical location requires
the constructors to plan for the worst possible conditions. The
site preparation, work permit schedule, type of permits required,
type and quantity of equipment required, and the manner in which to
handle problems when they do arise, must be taken into
consideration before the job starts.
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALSIn the construction of plant for the
petroleum industry, the majority of the material used is steel and
concrete which are considered non-flammable.
However, some portions of the equipment used during the
construction phase are flammable.
For example, one source of combustible materials on construction
sites are scaffold planks. These planks can smoulder unnoticed as a
result of hot slag being dropped during welding operations. As the
wind comes up the smouldering wood is fanned into flames. This may
happen when no one is at the job site.
During actual welding operations, the welder or his helper
should wet down the scaffold planks to make sure that anything
which had fallen or dropped, would not smoulder and eventually
break into flames.
This is one very simple precaution which should be taken.
Other combustible materials likely to be encountered are: cable
insulation, insulation materials, vehicle tires, scrap packing
material, forming timbers and flammable liquid fuels and gas
cylinders.
Rubbish, if allowed to accumulate on the job site, provides a
good starting point for fire.
All waste should be collected at regular intervals and disposed
off correctly.
Good housekeeping at all times can eliminate most of the
combustible materials which act as fuel for fire.
FLAMMABLE LIQUIDSContractors problems are likely to arise from
fuels used by construction equipment. Care in handling these
flammable products is of prime importance and is one of the keys to
fire prevention.
1.In storage, all flammable liquids must be kept in securely
capped cans or steel drums on which the contents are clearly
marked.
Gasoline, acetone, spirits and other volatile liquids with
flashpoints below 90F should be kept in robust metal lockers stored
in well-ventilated, non-combustible huts. The storage area should
be 50 feet away from any other buildings or storage areas. No other
materials should be stored with flammable liquids.
In handling, the following precautions should be observed:
Transportation must always be in closed containers.
Transfer operations should be carried out with funnels, and
there should be no naked flame within 20 feet of the operation.
Screw tops and stoppers must be replaced immediately.
2.Gasoline and diesel-powered equipment should only be used in
well-ventilated areas.
Exhaust pipes must be kept away from combustible material.
Engines must be stopped before refueling takes place.
RESTRICTED AREASAny construction that takes place within
existing plant or other industrial areas which are classified as
restricted, work permits must be obtained for all work prior to it
commencing.
In any restricted area, the contractor shall become familiar
with the activities of other plant around him and with problems
likely to develop as a result of possible upsets. If a condition
does develop that endangers his workforce, he can take immediate
action for their protection.
In restricted areas, there are not only gases which are
flammable, but include gases which are health hazards at
concentrations well below their explosive or flammable limits.
Therefore, the contractor must be aware of the potential hazards
that could develop from these gases and must be prepared to handle
these problems in a safe manner.
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