Fire assessment of a lab

Fire assessment of a lab Qualitative Risk Assessments FIRE 4460 Fire Hazard and Risk Assessment Nelson C. Dunston Qualitative Fire Risk Assessments • Fire Risk based on subjective judgment of the probability of a fire hazard or fire scenario, but also the consequence of such a fire hazard or fire scenario. • Risks are relative measures of risk based on ranking or separation into descriptive categories. (low, medium, high; not important, important, very important; on a scale from 1 to 10. Methods of Qualitative RA • Checklist Method • Risk Matrix Method • HAZOP Method • Event Tree Method Checklists • Help identify fire hazards in unstructured, qualitative risk assessments • Advantages: Tells the non - professional what may constitute a fire hazard. Reminds professional risk assessor of the range of fire hazard • Disadvantages: Because it is a list, hazards can be list and may not be all - inclusive. Combustible Materia ls • Products based on flammable liquids • Flammable chemicals • Wood • Paper and card stock • Plastics, rubber, foam • Flammable gases • Textiles • Packaging materials • Waste materials (wood shavings, offcuts, dust, paper, textiles) Ignition Sou rces • Matches and smoking materials • Electric, gas or oil fired heaters • Hot processes such as welding and grinding • Cooking • Engines and boilers • Machinery • Faulty or misused electrical equipment • Lighting equipment (halogen lamps) • Hot surfaces and obstruction of equipment ventilation • Friction from loose bearings or belts • Static electricity • Metal impacts such as metal tools striking each other • arson Sample List of Combustible Materials and Ignition Sources – Not all inclusive Factors to determine the level of hazard from combustible material • Ignitability – some flammable liquids are easier to ignite than others; thin items are easier to ignite than thick items. • Reaction to fire – rate of flame spread, HRR, smoke production, toxicity • Amount – the higher the fuel load the greater the potential rate of HRR and fire severity • Orientation – vertical, corner and ceiling surfaces and high - racked storage tend to increase the rate of flame spread • Location – materials that are grouped together or near exits or large numbers of people may present an increased risk.