Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Electro-mechanical equipment
– to combat the fi re 
risks from poorly maintained mechanical equipment, e.g. 
bearings running dry causing friction which can in turn 
ignite excessive levels of contaminated grease, all such 
equipment should be included on a planned prevent-
ive maintenance regime, which includes a cleaning and 
where necessary a degreasing programme.
Establishing a procurement policy, which includes a 
pre-procurement risk assessment, will ensure that correct 
selection of plant and equipment for use in hazardous 
areas (where a fl ammable or explosive atmosphere has 
the potential to cause a fi re or explosion) will minimise 
the risk relating to such equipment. BS EN 50020:2002, 
Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive atmospheres 
– Intrinsic safety ‘i’, specifi 
es the construction and 
testing of intrinsically safe apparatus, intended for use 
in potentially explosive atmospheres and for associ-
ated apparatus, which is intended for connection to 
intrinsically safe circuits which enter such atmospheres. 
This document may well form the basis from which an 
organisation establishes its procurement policy for such 
equipment.
Any intrinsically safe equipment will also need 
to be used by competent persons and included both 
within an inspection and testing programme undertaken 
by competent engineers and in a planned preventive 
maintenance programme.
8.4.9 Vehicles
Road-going vehicles are subject to testing as part of 
Ministry of Transport requirements; however, such ‘MOT’ 
testing provides only a ‘snapshot’ test of the vehicle and 
while failures of electrical components, exhausts, etc. 
are included the possibilities of electrical wiring defects 
which may lead to an uncontrolled ignition source may 
go unnoticed.
Ensuring that road-going or site-based vehicles are 
subject to regular inspections and servicing will assist in 
identifying components and systems that could lead to 
a fi re before it occurs.
Establishing formal procedures for refuelling or 
recharging of vehicles as part of a safe system of work 
and ensuring that staff are provided with training to raise 
their awareness of the risks involved will reduce the 
likelihood of fi re starting from such operations.
As previously discussed within the hazardous 
substances section the control of fl ammable vapours 
must be considered when refuelling operations take 
place and thus rudimentary controls should be observed 
such as:
➤
Ensuring that refuelling/recharging is only under-
taken in designated areas remote from ignition 
sources and with good ventilation
➤
No smoking policy is strictly observed and monitored
➤
The use of mobile communications (telephones/
radios) is prohibited
➤
Warning signage is displayed
➤
Vapour recovery systems (petrol) are incorporated 
into the system when bulk tanker delivery takes place
➤
Provision of appropriate fi re fi ghting equipment
➤
Emergency isolation arrangements
➤
Emergency action plans.
When considering the recharging of batteries for vehicles 
such as forklift trucks and other mechanical handling 
devices overcharging cut-out safety devices should be 
installed and maintained to prevent any potential for the 
release of hydrogen. Such operations will also require 
many of the aspects covered when refuelling petrol 
driven vehicles such as good ventilation.