Five Tips for Preventing Plant Fires in 2021 – Occupational Health and Safety

Five Tips for Preventing Plant Fires in 2021

Fire may not seem like an immediate threat, but there are more than 5,000 fires in manufacturing plants every year.

2020 has been a landmark year for industrial facility safety. A slew of challenges and hazards have put the worlds safety systems to the test, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. After nearly 4.2 million acres of land burned in California alone, fire safety carries new urgency going into 2021.

Fire may not seem like an immediate threat, but there are more than 5,000 fires in manufacturing plants every year. These result in hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage and, more importantly, hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths. Thankfully, these incidents are preventable, and these five steps can help ensure facilities avoid them.

1. Train All Employees On Fire Safety

Carelessness is one of the leading causes of nonresidential fires, second only to cooking accidents. Facilities need to provide thorough fire safety training if they hope to prevent these incidents. All workers should understand where potential fire hazards are located and how to work in those areas safely.

If any employees work with flammable materials, they should know how to handle them correctly. Facilities should also take disciplinary action whenever an employee violates fire safety protocol to discourage carelessness. In addition to initial training, workers should receive periodic reminders about safety measures so they dont forget anything.

2. Keep The Plant Clean

Loose debris like combustible dust is responsible for many industrial plant fires, yet its easy to overlook. Even materials that are safe in larger quantities can be flammable in dust form, so cleaning is essential to fire safety. Employees must regularly clean any areas that generate dust, no matter the material.

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Five Tips for Preventing Plant Fires in 2021 - Occupational Health and Safety