01What three things does a fire need?
Fuel, oxygen and heat. Remove any one and the fire stops — which is what every extinguisher is doing, by one route or another.
Knowledge base · Fire safety
हिन्दी में पढ़ेंKnowledge base
Fire safety
Most people reach for the nearest extinguisher. The useful skill is knowing which one, from how far, in which direction — and recognising the fire you must walk away from. This is taught as a drill on our ground, not from a slide.
Taught on: HAZMAT Safety — 3 days02What are the classes of fire?
A — ordinary solids like wood, paper and cloth. B — flammable liquids like petrol and diesel. C — flammable gases like LPG and CNG. D — metals. And electrical fires, which are treated separately.
03Why must water never be used on a petrol fire?
Petrol floats on water. The water spreads the burning fuel instead of putting it out, and carries the fire wherever it runs.
04Which extinguisher for a fuel fire?
Dry chemical powder (DCP) or foam. Both work on Class B. Foam also seals the surface so the vapour cannot re-ignite.
05Which extinguisher for an electrical fire?
Carbon dioxide, because it leaves no residue and does not conduct. Never water, and never foam.
06What does PASS mean?
Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the lever, Sweep side to side. Aiming at the flames instead of the base is the commonest error.
07How far should you stand?
Two to three metres for a portable extinguisher, with an escape route behind you and the wind at your back. Never work with the fire between you and the way out.
08When should you stop fighting a fire and leave?
If the extinguisher empties without effect, if the fire is spreading, if a tank or cylinder is being heated, or if you cannot see your escape route. Leave, move people back, and let the fire service take it.
- Source: National Disaster Management Authority — chemical (industrial) disasters
09What is a BLEVE, and why does it matter to a tanker crew?
A boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion — a pressure vessel heated by fire until it fails all at once. It is the reason a burning LPG tanker is evacuated rather than fought.
- Source: Oil Industry Safety Directorate — LPG tank truck incidents — rescue and relief operations
- Source: Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)
- Source: National Disaster Management Authority — chemical (industrial) disasters
10How often should extinguishers be checked?
Look at the gauge and the seal before every trip, and have them serviced and refilled on the schedule marked on the body. An extinguisher that has lost pressure looks exactly like one that has not.
11What is the fire emergency number?
101 for fire, or 112 for the national emergency number, which routes to all services. Give the location, the substance and whether anyone is trapped — in that order.
- Source: National Disaster Management Authority — chemical (industrial) disasters
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