GENERAL/BASIC PRINCIPLES

OF
FIRE PREVENTION
 OBJECTIVES
Fire May Not Occur
If Occur, May Not Spread
If Spread, Losses Should
Be Minimum
Chemistry
of Fire
 How
Fire is a a fire
chemical
starts?
reaction
involving rapid
oxidation or
burning of a fuel.
It needs three
elements to
occur
ELEMENTS OF FIRE
Fuel can be any
combustible
material - solid,
liquid or gas. Most
solids and liquids
become a vapour
or gas before they
will burn.
The air we breathe
is about 21 percent
oxygen. Fire only
needs an
atmosphere with at
least 16 percent
oxygen.
Heat is the
energy
necessary to
increase the
temperature of
the fuel to a
point
CHEMICAL
REACTION - A chain
reaction can occur
when the three
elements of fire are
present in the proper
conditions and
proportions. Fire
occurs when this rapid
oxidation, or burning
takes place
SPREAD OF FIRE
CONDUCTION
CONVECTION
RADIATION
 Principles of
Extinction
COOLING METHOD
SMOTHERING
METHOD
STARVATION METHOD
Classification of fir
 CLASS A

Ordinary
combustibles or
fibrous
material, such
as wood, paper,
cloth, rubber
and some
plastics.
 CLASS B
flammable or
combustible
liquids such as
gasoline,
kerosene, paint
and thinners
 CLASS C

Flammable gases C
i.e. Methane,
Propane and
CNG
 CLASS D
Certain combustible
light metals, such as
magnesium, titanium,
potassium and sodium.
These metals burn at
high temperatures and
give off sufficient oxygen
to support combustion.
 CLASS E
Energized
electrical e
equipment,
such as
appliances,
switches, panel
boxes and
power tools.
Application of Fire
Extinguishers
Class A - Extinguish ordinary
combustibles by cooling the
material below its ignition
temperature and soaking the
fibers to prevent re-ignition.

Use pressurized water, foam

or multi-purpose dry chemical
extinguishers. DO NOT USE
carbon dioxide or ordinary
dry chemical extinguishers on
Class A fires.
 Class B - Extinguish
flammable liquids, greases or
by removing the
oxygen, preventing the vapors
from reaching the ignition source
or inhibiting the chemical chain
reaction.
.Foam, carbon dioxide, ordinary
dry chemical, multi-purpose dry
chemical, and halotron
extinguishers may be used to
fight Class B fires
 Class C - Extinguish flammable
C gases by removing the oxygen.
Carbon dioxide, ordinary dry
chemical, multi-purpose dry
chemical, and halotron
extinguishers may be used to
fight Class C fires
Class D - Extinguish
combustible metals such as
magnesium, titanium,
potassium and sodium with
dry powder extinguishing
agents specially designated
for the material involved.

In most cases, they absorb

the heat from the material,
cooling it below its ignition
temperature.
 Class E - Extinguish energized
electrical equipment by using
an extinguishing agent that is
E not capable of conducting
electrical currents.
Carbon dioxide, ordinary dry
chemical, multi-purpose dry
chemical .extinguishers may be
used to fight Class E fires. DO
NOT USE water extinguishers
on energized electrical
equipment.
E N D
 Do You Know "How to
Use a Fire Extinguisher?"
IF YOU FIGHT A FIRE
WITH A FIRE
EXTINGUISHER,
REMEMBER THE WORD
PASS...
PULL... AIM...
SQUEEZE... SWEEP...
 PULL.
PULL... Pull the
pin. Some
extinguishers
require releasing
a lock latch,
pressing a
puncture lever or
other motion
 AIM
AIM... Aim low,
pointing the
extinguisher
nozzle (or it's
horn or hose)
at the base of
the fire.
 SQUEEZE.
..
SQUEEZE...
Squeeze the
handle. This
releases the
extinguishing
agent
 SWEEP...
SWEEP... Sweep
from side to side at
the base of the fire
until it appears to be
out. Watch the fire
area in case fire
breaks out again, and
repeat use of
extinguisher if
necessary.
 summary
Remember the acronym
"P.A.S.S.
P......Pull the Pin.
A......Aim the nozzle at the
base of the flames.
S......Squeeze trigger while
holding the extinguisher
upright.
S......Sweep the extinguisher
from side to side, covering the
area of the fire.
 If You .
Find a fire
Inform
Others
React Quickly
Extinguish
 SAFETY
Search for hazards.
Analyze the risk.
Find the causes.
Eliminate the
causes.
Tell others
You are safe