The Complete List of Fire Hazards as Laid Down by OSHA

The conditions at job sites should be hazard free in order to maintain the safety of the workers employed there.Hazwoper training courses stress on the importance of safety of the employees. OSHA sees to the safety of employees by setting down manuals and guidelines. Fire safety is one of the most important parts of a safe work place. The identification of fire hazards and setting solutions for them is the responsibility of every work place.

Dust: Dust that is made of a flammable material causes fires and explosions. In 2005, OSHA released a bulletin to suggest the awareness of this kind of fire hazard. For controlling fire caused due to dust, OSHA suggested housekeeping to control dust. Also, the awareness of ventilation system designs was introduced.

Insulation: Polyurethane foam is used as a common insulator.

Interestingly, it consists of around nine different types of flammable and noxious substances. Caution should be exercised while handling this particular material. Also, its flammable properties should be kept in mind. Often, organic foams are labeled as flame retardant. Even then, these foams possess flammable characteristics.

Gas: Special standards exist for the use of compressed gas. This is because a variety of gasses are used in the industrial sector. Compressed gas has its own standards for safe usage and handling. There are special requirements for those equipments that are used to contain or dispense these gasses.

Heavy Industry: Equipments used in the industry can pose as significant hazards. They can cause sparks and generate a lot of heat. Both of these have enough potential to start a fire. The chemicals present at these sites add more to the danger.

Pyrotechnics: Hazwoper training courses claim that this category deals with the usage of fireworks. Retailers are provided detailed guidelines that refer to the correct use of fireworks and ways to prevent a fire. There are special guidelines for those workers who ignite these fireworks.

All these guidelines and manuals have been issued by OSHA for the sole purpose of maintaining the safety of employees at workplaces. These guidelines are specifically addressed to those employee’s that are forced to work in situations that pose as potential threats. These include workers employed in the construction industry, general industries, ship yard jobs and the likes. It is mandatory for all the employers to see to the complete safety of employees and eliminate all the safety hazards that may be present in the workplace.