In the past couple of weeks, there have been several serious industrial fires throughout the City of Ekurhuleni.
According to William Ntladi, district manager media liaison for DEMS, while most of us know basic fire safety tips, not everyone has as much knowledge.
“In the workplace it’s important that everyone is on the same page when it comes to fire safety policies and procedures,” he said.
“Fire can cause damage, injury and in extreme cases, death.
“Therefore, it is important that all employees understand fire-prevention techniques and its reactivity.”
Ntladi explained that few people understand the three main ingredients that create fire – heat, fuel and oxygen.
“The fourth hidden aspect of fire creation is chemical chain reaction,” he said.
“It is a spontaneous self-combustion reaction.”
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He recommended keeping work areas neat and orderly, maintaining warehouses, workshops, halls, offices, storerooms and floors free of slip and trip hazards, and to remove hazardous materials and other fire hazards from work areas.
Classes of fire and examples are:
• Class A: Solids – wood, papers, plastics (material leaves ash after burning)
• Class B: Liquids – petrol, diesel, oil (no ash is left behind after burning)
• Class C: Gases – butane, methane, propane
• Class D: Metals – magnesium, titanium, potassium, uranium, lithium and plutonium
• Class E: Electricity – electrical appliances
Safety tips for fire prevention includes:
• Keep your workplace clean and tidy as waste left lying around is a source of fuel for a fire.
• Keep flammable substances (fuel) and ignition sources (heat) apart.
• Use designated smoking areas.
• Do not leave food cooking unmonitored.
• Avoid using naked flames unless necessary.
• Install smoke and fire detecting systems.
• Avoid self-connection of electrical machinery and appliances.
• Firefighting equipment should be installed in accordance to building fire safety regulations.
Different fire extinguishers should be placed in accordance to different risks factors.
• Chemicals should be stored in a closed environment and mixing of chemicals should be avoided.
• Doors and corridors should be unobstructed.
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“There should be a designated smoking area that’s a safe distance away from the building,” said Ntladi.
“Also, make sure to provide ashtrays or other safe options for people to properly extinguish and dispose their lit cigarettes.
“This will help keep your building safe from accidental fires caused by lit cigarettes.”
• Cleaning of dry vegetation along the perimeter fencing, inside and outside, could prevent unexpected veld fires from moving into your property, especially during non-operational hours.
• Emergency and evacuation plans are important to prevent further damages or issues if there’s a fire.
Fire prevention is just as important after a fire has started because it can reduce the risk of it spreading, which can lead to more damage.
In case of an emergency, call DEMS on 011 458 0911 (life-threatening Ekurhuleni emergency line), 10177 (national toll-free number) or 112 (cellphone).
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