What is a Fire Hazard?
Fire hazards are a broad category of hazards in the workplace that have the presence of a flame, increase the probability of an uncontrolled fire or increase the severity of fire in a potential fire incident. Fire hazards also include anything that restricts the function of the fire protection system. Obstacles in the evacuation passage of the occupants is also a fire hazard.
Fire hazards are workplace hazards that either involve the presence of a flame, increase the probability that an uncontrolled fire will occur, or increase the severity of a fire should one occur. Some other fire hazards include flames, hot objects, sparks, flammable material, chemical accelerants.
What is Fire hazard analysis?
Fire Hazard Analysis (FHA) is a process of evaluating the fire hazards and potential results of a fire incident. This assessment is done by fire safety design consultants especially for industries with a significant risk of fire incidents.
Objectives of FHA:
The objectives of a fire hazard analysis are to :
- Identify and give an understanding of the hazards
- Estimate the potential risk and impact to occupants and property.
- Provide the specification of a suitable fire protection system
- It is a part of the fire risk assessment of the industry.
The crucial steps in fire hazard analysis include selecting target outcomes, developing and quantifying design fire scenarios, predicting hazards and reporting.
Benefits of Fire Hazard Analysis :
- Fire Hazard Analysis gives a good understanding of the fire hazard in the facility.
- The analysis gives an inventory of the fire hazards
- It provides the potential impact of the fire incident on the occupants
- FHA helps in designing a suitable fire protection system.
- It helps in preparing an evacuation plan.
The fire safety consultants must check the following for potential fire hazards
- Solid combustible materials.
- Flammable and combustible liquids and gases
- Process chemicals and materials
- Potential ignition sources.
Conclusion:
Fire hazard analysis is one of the tools used to design fire protection systems in the industry. Fire safety design consultants use it as a basis for designing fire risk protection and the design of active and passive fire protection systems. The analysis helps determine how a set of fire protection systems will perform in case of a potential fire incident.
