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Health and Safety Software » Risk Assessment » Fire and Explosion due to Dangerous Substances
The effects of an explosion or a fire in the workplace can be devastating in terms of lives lost, injuries, significant damage to property and the environment, and to business continuity.
Fires and explosive atmospheres can be caused by work which involves storage, use or creation of flammable substances including gases, mists, or vapours or by combustible dusts. If there is enough of a substance, mixed with air, then all it needs is a source of ignition to cause an explosion.
To help prevent accidental fires or explosions, you need to identify what substances, materials, processes have the potential to cause such an event and the people who may be at risk/harmed.
Once you have identified the risks, you should consider what measures are needed to reduce or remove the risk of people being harmed. This will include measures to prevent these incidents happening in the first place, as well as precautions that will protect people from harm if there is a fire or explosion.
The hazards
Many substances found in the workplace can cause fires or explosions. These range from the obvious, for example petrol, cellulose paint thinners, welding gases and other flammable chemicals. Less obvious sources include engine oil, grease, dusts from wood, flour and sugar.
Flammable Liquids
Liquids (such as petrol and other fuels) and solvents in industrial products (such as paint, ink, adhesives and cleaning fluids) give off flammable vapour which, when mixed with air, can ignite or explode.
Extremely flammable
Highly flammable
Flammable
Dusts
Dusts which can form explosive atmospheres are also classed as dangerous substances. They can be produced from many everyday materials such as coal, wood, flour, grain, sugar, certain metals and synthetic organic chemicals.
Dusts are found in many industries such as food/animal feed, chemicals, woodworking, rubber and plastic processing and metal powders. They may be raw materials, intermediates, finished or waste products. A cloud of combustible dust in the air can explode violently if there is a source of ignition (e.g. naked flame, sparks).
Gases
Gases, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), hydrogen or other flammable industrial gases, are usually stored under pressure in cylinders or bulk containers. Uncontrolled releases can readily ignite or cause the cylinder to become a missile. Methane (mains gas) is also a flammable gas which can cause explosions.
Solids
Solids include materials such as plastic foam, packaging and textiles can burn fiercely and give off dense black smoke, sometimes poisonous.
Welding gases
The flammable gases and oxygen used as a fuel for hot work and flame cutting can give rise to fire and explosion risks on their own without involvement of any other dangerous or combustible substances.
Chemical substances
Many chemical substances can give rise to harmful heat and pressure effects because they are unstable or because they can react violently with other materials. Chemicals need to be stored correctly and sufficient information obtained to ensure that correct process controls can be used to prevent dangerous exothermic runaway reactions.
iProtectU provides inspection forms and allows a user to create, edit and document a risk assessment covering explosion hazards in the workplace.
iProtectU brings together the key resources and knowledge of three companies specialising in EHS software development, health and safety, business intelligence and data analytics.
Our vision is to provide fully integrated, cost effective and simple to use health and safety software tools that enable our clients to engage their entire team.
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Are you now thinking about the risks involved in your existing or new sports venture?
iProtectU sponsor and contributed to the Ibec seminar on Embracing technology to manage Occupational Safety & Health.
Digitalisation is rapidly changing the world of
Join us in Ireland on the 26th September Ibec seminar on Embracing technology to manage Occupational Safety & Health.
Digitalisation is rapidly changing the