A handful of timber processing sites are affected by fire and explosion each year. Such occurances can lead to personal injury as well as threatening the overall viability of the business through the destruction of stock and loss of production.

If companies fulfil their legal duty with regard to fire, the likelihood of such potentially devastating events can be dramatically minimised. According to the Health and Safety Executive, within industry as a whole, there were 36,000 workplace fires in 1997, which killed 30 people and led to 2,600 injuries.

Fire requires three elements: fuel, oxygen and an ignition source. These three factors are commonly referred to as the fire triangle – if one is missing, a fire should not start.

Fuel takes the form of vapours and/or gases emitted by liquids and solids which themselves do not burn. Thus, when a piece of timber is heated, gases are given off and these mix with air. If the gases come within the flammable range, they may be ignited. In addition, the dust of combustible solids will also ignite under certain conditions.

Although there are exceptions, nearly all combustion requires the presence of oxygen. The higher the concentration, the more rapid the burning.

Ignition sources

A wide variety of ignition sources can generate sufficient energy to start a fire. The most obvious are open flames such as lighters, matches and welding torches. Others include sparks from electrical equipment, overheating of machine components because of inadequate lubrication, static electricity and sparks from grinding tools.

The first two elements of the fire triangle will be widely available on the majority of timber processing sites. Machinery will typically generate dust, the majority of which is extracted. However, over time some dust will accumulate in the workplace and varying amounts of solid timber will also be present. Oxygen is readily available in the surrounding air – so a source of ignition is all that is needed to create fire.

Efforts to prevent fire on timber processing sites will largely centre on the minimisation of fuel and the elimination of sources of ignition.

Legal considerations

As with many aspects of health and safety, a number of pieces of legislation have implications with regard to fire. As ever, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 contains broad duties such as: ‘It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.’

More specifically, the Fire Precautions Act 1971 requires places of work to have a fire certificate where:

  • more than 20 people are employed at any one time;
  • more than 10 people are employed at any one time other than on the ground floor;
  • the premises is part of a larger building which exceeds the above numbers;
  • explosive or highly flammable materials are stored or used.

    • Fire certificates are issued by the local fire authority and they are very useful documents as they are effectively the results of risk assessments conducted by fire experts. Certificates will typically include a number of conditions with which the site must comply, eg:

  • measures to restrict the spread of fire, smoke and fumes;
  • means of fighting fire (including auto-matic systems);
  • means for giving warning;
  • storage of highly flammable materials;
  • training of employees on what to do in the event of a fire.

    • More recently, the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 (as amended) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 together require fire risk assessments, with the recording and actioning of significant findings.

    Thus, sites are required to conduct their own fire risk assessment. Where a fire certificate is held, an internal risk assessment is still needed, but if the conditions of the existing certificate are being complied with and no major changes have occurred in the workplace, it is likely that there will be little need for additional precautions.

    The HSE has published an excellent guide which breaks down the fire risk assessment process into five stages:

  • Step 1: Identify fire hazards
  • Step 2: Identify location of people at significant risk in case of fire
  • Step 3: Evaluate the risks
  • Step 4: Record findings and action taken
  • Step 5: Keep assessment under review

    • The first step involves the identification of any elements of the fire triangle, ie listing potential sources of fuel, oxygen and ignition.

    Step two requires the identification of those who may be at risk, how they will be warned and how they will escape. It should not be forgotten that non-employees such as visitors, contractors, the public and neighbours must also be considered. In addition, some employees may be at greater risk than others – eg spray shop personnel using solvents.

    The third stage of the assessment will involve the consideration of:

  • What are the chances of a fire occurring and whether this can be reduced further?
  • Existing precautions and their suitability
  • Means of escape

    • As discussed above, the chances of a fire occurring will be dictated by the presence of the three elements of the fire triangle:

  • Sources of fuel: is there good extraction of wood dust with regular vacuuming of floors, storage areas and the top of extraction pipes and ledges? Is there a minimum of solvent stored in the workplace – with the use of flameproof cabinets?
  • Sources of ignition: are there designated areas for smoking? Is machinery inspected and maintained regularly? Is electrical equipment tested?
  • Sources of oxygen: are doors and windows not required for ventilation closed? Is the use of oxygen cylinders controlled?

    • A wide variety of measures will need to be considered under the heading of ‘existing precautions’. These include:

  • Fire detection and warning: are manually operated call points present? Is there automatic fire detection if fire could start undetected? Is the detection quick enough to ensure that all can escape? Do employees know how to operate the system?
  • Means of escape: can people escape to a place of safety? Are the type and size of exits sufficient? Are they clearly marked and not blocked?
  • Means of fighting fires: are extinguishers suitable in terms of type and number? Have people been trained in their use? Are they aware that their first duty is to ensure the safety of themselves and others rather than to try to fight a fire?
  • Maintenance and testing: are checks regularly conducted and recorded regarding fire doors, escape routes, lighting, fire fighting equipment, fire detection and alarms?
  • Fire procedures and training: is an emergency plan present? Are employees familiar with the plan and trained accordingly? Are training records retained?

    • Need for training

    Research by the HSE has previously highlighted inadequacies in wood machinery training within the industry and it is fair to assume that levels of fire training will be even lower. Employees need to have some basic facts with regard to fire in their own workplace eg:

  • how to prevent fires occurring;
  • action upon discovering fire; how to set off alarms;
  • action upon hearing alarm; evacuation procedure;
  • location and use of fire fighting equipment;
  • location of escape routes and assembly points;
  • importance of keeping fire doors closed and unobstructed.

    • The final stages of the risk assessment should include the documentation of the main findings and the compilation of a list of corrective actions which allocates responsibilities for improvements and sets target dates. These findings will need to be reviewed occasionally – especially if there are changes in the workplace.