Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Table 8.1 
Classifi cations of dangerous substances under CHIP 2000

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Introduction to Fire Safety Management
140
8.1.6 Smokers and smokers’ materials
The majority of current workplaces are non-smoking and 
with the advent of legislation that bans smoking in public 
the number of fi res in workplaces caused by smokers 
and their discarded smoking materials is set to be 
reduced still further if not eradicated.
As is very often the case where prohibition 
of practices such as smoking is established the 
consequences are to drive the prohibited practice 
‘underground’. Boiler rooms, stores and other out of the 
way places are then utilised for the prohibited practice, 
which if not checked can lead to increased risks, partic-
ularly as there are no formal arrangements for disposal 
of smoking materials.
8.1.7 Waste and waste management systems
Waste materials and a lack of formalised waste manage-
ment systems are very often a major cause of fi res within 
the workplace. Arson is a very real threat in today’s soci-
ety and the issues associated with it will be discussed 
later in this book. Accidental fi res are also started from 
poor management of waste, including the lack of a for-
malised policy in removal from a building and onward 
transportation from the site. A lack of staff awareness 
as to the priority of combustible and fl ammable material 
waste management is also responsible for poor man-
agement of waste, for example the poor disposal of rags 
contaminated with linseed oil by persons working within 
the furniture industry or solvent contaminated materials 
in the printing industry being discarded inappropriately.
As previously discussed within the section on 
chemicals and LPG poor disposal arrangements can 
contribute signifi cantly to the fi re risks within a building. 
Storing waste containers and skips in close proxim-
ity to buildings can allow any resultant fi re to develop 
and penetrate buildings though windows, eaves and 
lightweight wall claddings.