Fire Safety - How do fire sensors work ?

The fire sensors comes under that Active Fire Protection steps. The fire sensors will function  by detecting the flame, smoke, heat in the premise where they are fixed. These sensors are to be placed during the construction process. They have some electronic sensors with them. But the traditional fire detecting system comes with a simple methodology.

Fire Alarm: The sensor comes along with a sprinkler. They have a glass covering over the sprinkler. The heat generated by the fire will make the glass covering fail.  The  water will start sprinkling over the fire. But this type of sensor will operate only in the place where the fire is ignited. But will not function in the nearby places to prevent them from spreading of fire.

In recent days the sensors comes in the form of detectors with electronic sensors and once the fire or smoke is detected the fire alarm and the fire protection system will start operating in the entire building.

So  the spreading of fire can be prevented in the other part of the premises. These sensors are fixed to the ceiling of the building in each floor in a regular interval. This will help to identify the fire in all every part of the building.

In this type of fire protection we need a force to start acting or a motion to induce the system. The fire sensors to be tested and maintained in a regular interval. So  they are kept in live and can be used in the emergency period. The fire sensor should consist of an important component. 

Once the fire is detected, it should automatically form the local fire brigades to get their assistance in fighting against the fire.

This should never fail to inform. Because in the emergency condition every one will be tensed and will try to save their life and the loved ones. They will not be able to think of informing the fire brigades. The fire brigades will not come to know till others near the premise informs them.

For more details about Fire Fighting

At Ogon Fire we design, install and maintain all your Fire Fighting Equipment to ensure that your people and assets are protected against fire risk. This service can include monthly and quarterly inspections as required by Fire Safety Regulations.

Osha Fire Safety Standards & Training

Arc flash hazards or accidents can't handled merely by putting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or just Fire resistant Clothing (FRC). These electrical accidents can only be stopped simply by making your employees undergo a thorough program of OSHA arc flash training according to NFPA 70E standards.

This helps to create a secure work environment and compliance with OSHA electrical safety regulations. An arc flash training program can be really complicated to develop and even put in place. The following tips will help you to commence with some basic steps for an arc flash training program:

1.Analyzing arc flash hazards - They can result in fatal accidents by releasing radiant heat and also blast waves that is going to burn and harm people present nearby. You can get of resources like ESAs, IEEE as well as NFPA to recognize the arc flash hazards present in your workplace as well as eliminate them.

2.Carry out arc flash analysis - Arc flash analysis help to calculate the level of arc flash hazards in the environment. This analysis calculates the incident power potential of electric supply equipment in your company, within other things. Arc flash analysis allows you to determine the level of PPE which your workers require to wear in the workspace.

3.Perform arc flash training courses - The main aim of these training classes is to teach your workers about the significance of electrical safety methods, specially those associated with arc flash, electrocution, arc blasts and shock. OSHA doesn't consider electrical personnel capable unless they have undergone arc flash training.

4.FRC clothing and PPE - Be sure that you have enough PPE and FRC clothing for your employees in hazardous areas. These are crucial for safeguarding people from the severe burns caused by arc flash accidents.

5.Warning labels - So as to reduce arc flash hazards, NFPA regulations insist that all hazardous tools and moreover equipment be marked with cautionary labels. These include panel boards, switchboards, meter socket enclosures, industrial control panels, motor control centers and also others. The labels have to be clearly visible to those workers who are in charge of evaluating, altering, servicing or even maintaining the risky tools and equipment.

6.Hire a manager for the electrical safety program - Find out one of your own personnel who has the required knowledge and also expertise of electrical safety standards. This individual should have adequate experience of electrical code requirements and also should be capable to impart electrical safety training to other workers.

7.Properly maintain all components of the electrical distribution system -These systems contain several energized parts such as circuit breakers, fuses and even protective relays that secure the system against electrical problems. Protective tools are crucial for safeguarding your employees from arc flash hazards and also blasts, and even they should be properly maintained.

8.Preserve and up-date documentation related to electrical distribution - Proper paperwork of your electrical distribution system is important for eliminate arc flash hazards. Important papers consist of short circuit and also coordination studies, electrical one-line diagram and even various other essential documentation that is usually poorly maintained in organizations.

I hope these tips assist you in your quest of providing protection from arc flash hazards to your personnel.

OSHA Electrical & Fire Safety Training

Working with electrical equipment is a hazardous job. If you happen to an engineer or electrician, or if your job involves electricity, you need to undergo OSHA compliance training. These are workplace safety regulations to protect you against the risks of electrocution, explosions, arc flashes, electric shock and fire.

What are arc flashes?

An electrical arc flash has a lot in common with lightning ? both are fast and both release a tremendous amount of electrical energy in a moment. However, unlike lightning, arc flashes do not require storm-like conditions but can occur in various conditions. Arc flashes are extremely hazardous and are known to cause serious injury and even death.

An estimated 80% of industrial injuries have been attributed to arc flash hazards.

In fact, arc flashes are so hazardous that OSHA regulations require all employers to conduct frequent arc flash analyses in the workplace. These results of these analyses are measured against the NFPA 70E OSHA standards.

What do employees learn from OSHA compliance training?

OSHA compliance training teaches employees about three-phase and single electrical systems; grounding, ground fault circuit interrupters, risky locations and safe work practices.

Safety training as per NFPA 70E standards usually covers the following topics:
Introduction to NFPA 70E standards
Safe work practices
General requirements for work practices related to safety
Electrical safety work practices
Transformer current ratings
Tagout/Lockout
Working on or near live parts
Alternative methods of determining arc flash FR clothing and PPE
General NFPA 70E standards pertaining to Personal and other protective equipment

Why is OSHA compliance training important?

All your employees should participate in arc flash training as per NFPA 70E standards.

The training process is fully documented and all employees need to pass an exam to prove that they have understood all that has been taught to them during training. OSHA compliance training needs to be updated at regular intervals , particularly if there are changes in the building' s electrical system.

As an employer, it is your duty to provide your workers with all the proper tools required for their safety. All equipment must be clearly labeled with warning signs about the arc flash hazards that it can tackle. OSHA compliance training needs to be boosted with NFPA 70E training for your employees total safety. If an arc flash hazard is discovered during the organization's arc flash calculations, you need to immediately develop an effective compliance plan comprising of six points.

What are the learning outcomes from OSHA compliance training?
Employees begin to understand the importance of electrical safety standards as well as ARC ratings.
They also grasp the relationship between NFPA 70E and OSHA.
Your employees will learn how to create and maintain safe working conditions in the organization once they understand the hazards of electrical shock.
Employees also understand how circuit breakers and transformers work, along with the risks posed by live parts.
They learn to execute a tagout/lockout and become aware of the standards required for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

OSHA compliance training should be taken by every employee working on hazardous locations.

The Importance Of Fire Safety Training At Work

 

Reports have revealed that there are over 100,000 incidents of fire within the uk every single year which result in over 600 fatalities and there is a possibility that a great many of these fatalities might have been prevented as a result of the correct fire safety training. The interactive training programmes available these days, developed specifically for fire safety at work, are both convenient to use and informative. The fantastic thing about these interactive DVDs is that they may be used time and again, for both the instructing of all new staff members and as a refresher for personnel who have previously undergone the fire safety at work training.


The fire safety at work training programme covers points such as how to proceed in the event of a fire, how to utilize fire fighting devices in the correct way and which equipment should be applied to which kind of fire, ways to decrease the risks of fire outbreaks, testing fire and smoke alarms frequently and making sure the place of work is adequately supplied with the correct fire safety equipment.

The programme will take you step by step through the training and is set out in a simple, understandable manner and additionally trained advisors will be available to deliver assistance should you or other staff members have any important questions with regards to the programme.


It is also recommended to get a fire risk assessment on the work environment carried out to guarantee optimum fire safety at work. Risk assessments vary considerably in price, from just a few hundred pounds to very nearly a 1000 dependant upon which firm you choose, but if you don’t have one performed then there can be the possibility that the building won’t be covered by insurance should there be a fire. A fire risk assessment will cover a thorough checklist such as fire safety policy and fire procedures in the workplace, the company’s fire drill and evacuation routines plus an evaluation of any kind of combustible substances and sources of ignition. All equipment will be subjected to testing and all smoke alarms, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, fire doors and additional fire equipment will be examined and tested if necessary. All points of escape will be evaluated and the emergency lighting fixtures will be checked and tested. Any fire safety training that personnel have been given will also be checked out however, if you and your co-workers have already undergone the fire safety at work interactive training course, then you know you're going to successfully pass this stage with flying colours.


To ensure fire safety at work there are specific points from the training programme which both you and your associates or workforce should always to take into consideration. Make sure you regularly test and check the batteries in the smoke alarms and perform frequent fire evacuation practices, always make sure that everyone in the workplace switches off their equipment or machinery when not in use or before going home and make certain that all of the fire extinguishers are completely full, easy to access and that you have got the right extinguishers for each specific form of fire. Being properly prepared could well save lives.

Fire Safety At Work

Keeping the workplace safe from fire is extremely important and all employees MUST have fire training. This isn’t simply a matter of learning how to use fire extinguishers and practising evacuations, although these are, of course, really important elements of any fire training, but it’s also important to include background information about fire and fire behaviour - a little bit of science. An increased awareness reduces the chance of a fire happening and increases the chances of survival if the worst happens. 

So, to help understand fire and fire behaviour a good fire training programme will include some basic science - the science of fire.

For example, it sounds obvious, but fires rely on the presence of fuel, oxygen and heat, and to put a fire out you have to deprive it of one of these elements.This is why smothering a fire puts it out - it removes the oxygen. Understanding the logical reasons why to take steps such as these make fire safety easier to understand and therefore more memorable. Fire training should cover these points.

When a fire is doused with water the water takes out the heat and this puts the fire out. However, if hot oil catches fire and you douse it with water the water will sink to the bottom of the pan (because water is heavier than oil), and the water becomes incredibly hot. The steam produced then forces the burning oil to burst upwards and outwards - making matters much worse - so NEVER try to put out this type of fire with water.

If there is enough fuel and oxygen to sustain it there are three ways in which a fire can spread through a workplace; conduction, convection and radiation. Conduction is the movement of heat through a material, and metals are great conductors. For example, if a metal door handle is hot then there is heat on the other side of the door, and it should not be opened. Convection is the movement of heat through air currents. Smoke rises until it hits an obstruction, such as the ceiling, so the air near the floor is cooler and clearer, meaning it makes sense to keep low in smoky conditions. Radiation is when heat spreads from one object to another through an empty space, which is why it is important to keep fire doors closed. Smoke can spread very quickly through a building, usually ahead of a fire, so keeping fire doors closed also helps to stop smoke quickly spreading to escape routes.

Employees need to understand the importance of not tackling a fire unless it is safe to to so. A fire should only be tackled if one person can put it out with one fire extinguisher and if that person is confident that they are capable of doing so. Any time that person realises they can’t do it they must leave it and get out, safety comes first. An employee should never try to put a fire out with a fire extinguisher unless they know how to use it. Fire training will cover which types of fire extinguishers are for which types of fire, as using the wrong one can be worse than doing nothing at all.

An understanding of what to do if the worst does happen is also a vital element of good fire training: fire training must increase the chance of keeping staff safe. Knowing the best and safest route out, where the meeting point is, where the fire extinguishers are, how to raise the alarm, what the fire signs mean and how to evacuate safely must be included in a good fire training programme.

So before choosing fire training for staff, make sure it contains all the important fire safety information, is clear, easy to understand and engaging. It must also be designed to hold attention, so that the information is easily and readily digested and retained. Interactivity ensures participation and a careful mix of video, graphics, animations, diagrams and text keeps interest high. The length must be not too long as to lose attention, but not too short as to miss out any important points. The fire training you choose has to make you feel staff will be safer, so your company will be safer too.

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.

Arc Flash Fire Safety Training For Work Place Safety

It is advisable to be safe than sorry. 

 
Arc flash results in a tremendous release of energy, which is often destructive for all those working in its vicinity. It can cause severe injury, burn and in some cases loss of life. Factories should not reject the occurrence of arc flash as well as take required steps to protect their staff. Arc flash fire safety training is a must for people who work under the risk of arc flash or even electrical short circuit. The specific training safe guards workers from risks of electrical and as well as fire accidents. 
 
There days, there are lots of private companies that offer arc flash safety services. Upon your request they'll evaluate the danger of arc flash in your company. Additionally, they'll tag many machines, provide appropriate NFPA 70E clothing plus even give OSHA arc flash fire safety training to help workers execute electrical maintenance jobs properly. Certain agencies also offer arc flash hazard software that facilitates you to stick to government regulations as well as give a secure surroundings for your staff.
 
Significance of OSHA arc flash
 
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - a federal agency in the US that implements and as well as makes sure health and as well as safety standards in places of work, has set up strict guidelines to protect employees from arc flash. It emphasizes on the importance of training for those working directly with electricity to cut down the risk of arc flash. The organization is rolling out a lot of training resources that enable small employers recognize potential potential risks and moreover find solutions to minimize those risks. 
 
At the time of OSHA arc flash training, workers get to learn about single and moreover three phase electrical systems, ground fault circuit interrupters, grounding, fixed besides cord-and-plug connected equipment, hazardous locations and moreover safe work practices. The agency coordinators prepare report regarding the potential health hazards and also suggest viable solutions. So with the help of OSHA arc flash training, organizations can put a stop to workplace injuries and moreover ensure a safe working environment for the workers. This practice raises the morale of the employees. They carry out better as they feel safe in their work environment.
 
Give NFPA 70E clothing to workers to safeguard their life
 
OSHA in association with NFPA came up with arc flash protection requirements generally known as NFPA 70E standards. These guidelines suggest workers to utilize flame resistant safety clothing that fulfills the NFPA 70E specifications. These NFPA 70E clothing are verified for their heat performance value and as well as are tested to give security to workers against arc flash hazards. These clothes offer safety by way of acting as a layer of protection between the wearer and the heat flowing out from an electrical enclosure.
 
Different types of NFPA 70E clothing can be found. These are categorized under various levels which range from 0-4. All these clothes are lightweight, flexible, durable and moreover extremely comfortable. Few highly advisable forms of NFPA 70E clothes include fire resistant clothing, protected clothes, chemical protective clothes, high visibility clothes, rainwear, safety vests, aprons, sleeves, arc flash coverall, bib overall, gloves, protective footwear, face shields and even head covering.

Fire Extinguishers: Ensure Safety at Offices and Work Places

The modern houses, offices and other work places are very well equipped with all the basic and high end amenities. This gives a feeling of completeness and comfort to the people associated with such places. To add more value to this, safety aspects are also thought of. In order to judge the presence of any sort of calamities like fire, smoke and fire detectors are very extensively used. These devices are based on a sensor which can detect smoke and fire, thus alarming the people to reach a safer place. Fire Extinguishers are also kept in case of minor fire outbursts.

The safety departments of all the prestigious institutions and organizations are also focusing on the methods of ensuring the best possible safety of people. The first thought that comes in the minds of all the people is of keeping a fire extinguisher in the vicinity. Such devices are either water based or CO2 based or foam based.

The companies manufacturing such safety devices are also getting much appreciation. Such companies ensure higher standards of manufacturing. This is why Fire Extinguisher Testing is carried out very frequently. Previously installed devices are also tested and are refilled once in a year.

Water Fire Extinguishers make use of water to extinguish fire. Extinguishers using water as fire preventing element are used for mainly solid burning materials. Burning solids gets cooled down and the fire is extinguished in some time. But they are not as efficient as other extinguishers which make use of foam or CO2. Such devices are comparatively cheaper than the CO2 Fire Extinguishers. The CO2 cuts the contact of fire with oxygen and the fire is extinguished immediately. Thus, it prevents the fire from spreading further and many lives can be saved within time.

Fire safety products: work as the business security systems

While anyone is running any business, then he/she must be aware of the business security systems well in advance.It is always necessary to safeguard the business assets with the help of proper security arrangement.  When it is the matter of securing the stability and future of the business assets, then employers need to have complete arrangement for the security systems.  As per the business rules and regulations, protection and safety of the workers is also another aspect of the successful business. Thus, employers must not be reluctant in investing any amount of money in this safety arrangement.

When it is the matter of fire safety products, then many high-quality firefighting equipment are available in the market. This type of safety equipment helps owners to get desired security and protection. We can see the existence of different smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire hose reels and fire alarms, which can act as the firefighting devices.

Along with the mentioned equipment, we can also see the existence of fire blankets, fire extinguisher stands and fire extinguisher cabinets.

These fire safety products are not only meant for keeping firefighting equipment in good working condition, but they also ensure many added protection. For example, if we keep fire extinguishers outdoors, then they can keep the dirt and dust away from us. At the same time, fire extinguisher cabinets reduce the probability of the damages, which can come to the existence due to the over exposure. Moreover, these cabinets are manufactured from the tough materials. These materials are found to be very much durable and long lasting. We can find one waterproof seal on the extinguisher cabinets, which are making the product perfect and ideal for both outdoor and indoor use.

When it is the matter of rescue workers, they always take immediate action at the time of emergency.Fire safety products, like, fire extinguisher trolleys guarantee the rescue mission on time. This type of trolley is found to be portable and durable, so that it can make the workers or employees safe. This kind of product is also available with optional items like, fitted fire buckets and hand bells. When it is the matter of fire extinguisher stands as the business security systems, then they serve as the reliable security accessories. This kind of stand helps to determine the location of the fire extinguishers. Different extinguisher covers or blankets are present in the market, which can be used to protect fire extinguisher from dirt. Also, this kind of equipment keeps children away from playing with the safety equipment.