It has been a while since my last blog. The Month of May was good despite the ongoing crisis. From physical live training, I was delivering training sessions online. As I sat down to write, my mobile buzzed and there was the breaking news of a famous young actor taking his own life. That set me thinking on what to write. This actor had everything going for him, fame, money, success and adulation. Not only being a good actor he was a good human who donated large amounts of money to charity and his death at his own hands shocked me. I began to wonder why one takes his own life. What made him to do it?

Now if you are all wondering is this going to be a motivational piece of writing. It certainly is not but I have decided to narrate the story of my friend who could have resorted to taking his life but did not. He too had everything going good for him in life. He had a good job, a beautiful family of his wife and son and was living a life of good quality. His job of being an Engineer onboard, a ship that took him all around the world and what not. In the year 2001, he was sailing along with his family and was incredibly happy as he was to sign off from the ship and head home as soon as the ship reaches Durban, South Africa the next day.
But life has its own twists and turns, fate has its own agenda and as the ship was cruising on the highseas, a big loud sound shattered it all. There was a huge explosion in the engine room of the ship and soon the entire ship’s engine room was on fire. He was caught bang in the middle of it all and before he could realize what was happening, all hell broke loose. He bore the brunt of it as he was very near to the explosion. Thank God as sailors were well trained in Emergency situations and large ships are equipped with the best firefighting systems, he was saved and his fellow sailors got him out of the inferno.

He suffered burns all over his upperbody and his life was in grave danger. The pain was unimaginable and the suffering was something only that person can understand. From the ship, he was shifted to a Hospital in Durban, South Africa, after 3 days for treatment. He was there in the hospital for almost 6 months. Then he was shifted to Nellore, Andhra Pradesh his hometown in India where he continued to be in hospital. He fought on every day not knowing whether he would be alive to see the next day. If not the pain, the trauma of it all, the recurring nightmares could have killed him. His relatives had given up hope of his survival and even instructed his wife to forget and move ahead in life. Indian Women are sentimental, emotional and very spiritual in nature. She had unflinching faith in God and that he would make it back. She nursed him, cared for him, prayed for him and motivated him to survive the most testing time of his life.

It is said when prayers go up, blessings descend and it was the prayers of whomsoever concerned about him through which the miracle of saving him was possible. He came out of the hospital and started his own business and today with two of my school mates, he has started an International School in Hyderabad providing a Comprehensive Education. He makes sure that every year there is a fire fighting training done at the school and all the teachers, support staff and students are trained on it. The scars are still there which serve as a grim reminder of the nightmare but they also tell a story of a man who never gave up.
PROUD OF YOU MY FRIEND and want you keep inspiring all of us. I never knew all this as we had lost contact for many years till we all met back in 2011. When he told me about this incident, I just could not believe it. He could have taken his life unable to bear the suffering but he did not. Not only him, there are countless people who suffer in Fire accidents and hence the responsibility is on all of us to keep our Homes and work places or any place for that matter Fire-Safe. The scars o the burns heal over time but the mental scars remain for a long time.

Fire safety is Everyone’s job and it does not have a holiday. The fire of life is too precious to be snuffed out.
Till my next blog, stay safe and be safe.

Seshadri Varadarajan.
9840814353.

There are many people in the world who do great things but some take it to a level that is never imagined. That is why they are called Legends and one of the Legends in Fire Safety Educators in India is Mr. MOIEZ AHMED. When I joined Usha Fire Safety in the year 2007, my Mentor Jagadish Adapa, a Legend himself, used to tell me to watch Moiez Ahmed in action and then you will understand what fire safety training is. I can still remember the day I met him in Hyderabad at a Fire Drill in an IT Company. Thousands of occupants had gathered in the fire drill and this man mesmerised them with his powerful oration. I was simply overwhelmed and became a very big fan of him.

I learnt the true meaning of passion by watching him. He is an individual who has dedicated himself to the cause of fire safety education and on a mission to make India Fire-Safe. First let me present his credentials before telling you more about him.

He holds a Diploma In fire engineering from National Fire Service College in Nagpur the only institution that offers Degrees and Diploma in Fire Engineering. After completing his diploma, he joined the Karnataka State Fire Services in 1971 and served for 29 long years till he took retirement voluntarily. He held many responsible positions and the prominent among them are :

Deputy Assistant Director of National Fire Service College.

Senior Instructor as Divisional Fire officer in R. A Fire Service College Bangalore.

Served as an N.C.C Instructor in the Indian Army and Instructor for the Karnataka State Home Guards for Civil Defence.

He has received the President’s medal for meritorious service in 1989 and 1998 and the Karnataka Chief Minister Medal in 1992.

In recognition of his services, the Karnataka state has made him the Chief Fire Warden of the Fire Services and he still serves in that capacity.

Though he has impressive credentials as a Fireman, his heart was always into educating people. There is no Fireman in India during his tenure in the fire services who is not trained by him. His passion found a calling after he retired and joined Usha Armour Private Ltd in Bangalore. Together with Mr. Jagdish and Jaysheel Adapa, the trio created a revolution in Fire Safety Training. Till date, he would have done 10000+ training sessions and still continues to do so. If at all I have been able to write it, it is because of them.

I always found it great to be in his company though they were very few. But just being with him gave you tremendous insights into the man who was so passionate about his work. I had gone to watch his training session in Bangalore and was sitting a little away from the crowd when he roared saying TOO FAR. He made me come forward and sit in front of him. After that, He told me that I had a lot to learn. After the session, he took me to the Brigade Road Fire Station and introduced me to Firemen who saved lives in a fire accident at Carlton Towers in Bangalore. Those moments spent with him are truly amazing for someone like me and shall always be in debt to that man. He used to have a lot of one liners for educators and few are reproduced as under.

People learn from cradle to grave, how they learn changes throughout the life.

Learn not to burn.

Effective fire and life safety educators are effective communicators.

It is not enough to tell people how to operate a fire extinguisher but tell them how to operate safely.

Open flame and naked light, in causing fire they find delight.

Faulty lines you often find, electric spark is seldom kind, better call a wireman bright for he will set it right.

There are many more like him who are unsung heroes and who do their job with passion, energy and selfless service. Leaders in the true sense who have inspired many a person like me. If at all Fire Drills and the post occupancy briefing are popular, it is because of people like Moiez Ahmed.

LONG LIVE THE MASTER OF THE FIRE DRILL, MR. MOIEZ AHMED.

See you all in my next blog till then, stay safe and be safe.

Seshadri Varadarajan
Mobile 9840814353.

Dear readers,

I know that every one of us is fighting the biggest crisis of mankind, the COVID 19 or the CORONA virus. All of us, wherever we are across the world, are in various stages of lock down and venturing out only to buy essential things for survival. We are fighting this battle by staying at Home but there are countless others who are fighting this war from the front, and are working round the clock to save us. They deserve gratitude and praise of the highest order from all of us.

If you are wondering is this a blog on Corona Virus, you are mistaken. This blog is a tribute to every FIREMAN who is fighting the battle of Corona along with everyone else. My tribute to them is to tell you all the History of Fire Service day in India

HISTORY OF FIRE SERVICE DAY —– INDIA.

The 14^th of April every year in India is celebrated as Fire Service day. When I tell the date to most people they immediately ask me what is so special about that day? What was the achievement of the firemen on that particular day? The day was one of the saddest events in the history of fire fighting. 66 firemen sacrificed their lives while fighting a fire and thus, the government of India has decided to call this year’s fire service day as MARTYRS DAY.

It was the year 1944 which was world war time. A ship by name S.SFORTSTIKINE belonging to the British Ministry of War and transport was docked in Mumbai city then known as Bombay. It contained 1395 tons of explosives, arms and ammunition.Under normal circumstances, the ship is not allowed to dock in the port but   the ship had a certificate Of Grave Urgency, hence it was allowed to dock. On 14^TH April around 2.00pm in the afternoon, smoke was noticed and the fire service was informed. They rushed to the spot to fight the fire but no one was aware what lay in store for them. Initially, they thought the fire was under control but it was not and more reinforcements were called and they too arrived. At 4.05pm there was a tremendous explosion in the ship and then all hell broke loose. All the nearby ships which were docked too were destroyed. The second explosion which occurred at 4.36pm shook the ship and went up 3000 feet high. The dock was on Fire for a few kilometres and the explosion was heard in many places.

336 people burned and 66 Firemen died. The number of injured was immense and even today there is no clear data of the number of deaths in this tragedy. Many Fire fighters were disabled and some of them lived to tell the tale to future generations. One such fire fighter was Mr. Meharvanjee who was 19 years old at that time. He recounted the tragedy many years later in an interview to a television channel.

Though late in the year 1968, the Government of India declared APRIL 14^TH as FIRE SERVICE DAY and the entire week is declared as Fire Service week. Let us all remember this date in the honour of all firemen who risk their lives to save ours. They are the unsung heroes of the society. I salute all the Firemen for their selfless service. Many today are joining the police or Armed forces but none prefers the fire services.

Continuing the tribute to the fire fighters I shall be writing about one of the legendary fire service personalities in my next blog. Until then, stay Home, stay Safe, in the fight against COVID-19.

SESHADRI VARADARAJAN.
9840814353.

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It’s been quite a while since I have posted a blog. A combination of factors such as a busy training schedule and health issues had taken over most of my time and hence the delay. However, as soon as the month of March comes to an end, I will be able to spare more time to write. Apologies to all my readers for the delay!

So far in all my blogs I have covered a lot of things on the Basics of Fire Safety. In my last blog, we have seen the media used for firefighting and I hope it was very useful to the readers. In this blog, let us go through the history of fire extinguishers. Though one may not need the knowledge of who patented or created the first extinguisher, it is always good to know the same.

The first fire extinguisher of which there is any record was patented in England in 1723 by Ambrose Godfrey, a celebrated chemist of that time. It consisted of a cask of fire-extinguishing liquid containing a pewter chamber of gunpowder. This was connected with a system of fuses which were ignited, exploding the gunpowder and scattering the solution. This device was probably used to a limited extent, as Bradley’s Weekly Messenger for November 7, 1729, refers to its efficiency in stopping a fire in London.

The modern-day dry powder fire extinguisher was invented by British Captain George William Manby in 1818; it consisted of a copper vessel of 3 gallons (13.6 litres) of pearl ash (potassium carbonate) solution contained within compressed air.

Pictures of some of the early extinguishers are as under.

The soda-acid extinguisher was first patented in 1866 by Francois Carlier of France, which mixed a solution of water and sodium bicarbonate with tartaric acid, producing the propellant CO₂ gas. A soda-acid extinguisher was patented in the U.S. in 1881 by Almon M.Granger. His extinguisher used the reaction between sodium bicarbonate solution and sulphuric acid to expel pressurized water onto a fire. A vial of concentrated sulphuric acid was suspended in the cylinder. Depending on the type of extinguisher, the vial of acid could be broken in one or two ways. One used a plunger to break the acid vial, while the second released a lead stopple that held the vial closed. Once the acid was mixed with the bicarbonate solution, carbon dioxide gas was expelled and thereby pressurized the water. The pressurized water was forced from the canister through a nozzle. This type of extinguisher was used for a very long time in India till new types were manufactured and adopted.

After the Soda Acid type came in the form of chemical and Mechanical foam-type extinguishers for use on Liquid fires. These type were normally cartridge-type extinguishers and were in vogue for a long time and in some places are still used though the governments have banned them from manufacture. Then came dry chemical powder type, with sodium bi carbonate as the main extinguishing agent. Today it is Mono Ammonium phosphate.

The carbon dioxide (CO₂) extinguisher was invented  by the Walter Kidde Company in 1924 in response to Bell Telephone’s request for an electrically non-conductive chemical for extinguishing the previously difficult-to-extinguish fires in telephone switchboards.CO₂ is still popular today as it is an ozone-friendly clean agent though it is a green-house gas. Carbon dioxide extinguishes fire mainly by displacing oxygen. It was once thought that it worked by cooling, although this effect on most fires is negligible. There were extinguishers with Carbon Tetra Chloride and Halon as extinguishing media which were later phased out due to various factors. Today they are replaced with environmentally friendly Clean Agent Gases.

Many of the early types of extinguishers were not easy to operate unless one was perfectly trained and sometimes if the fire extinguishers were not maintained properly they even exploded causing injury and sometimes death.
Below are some pictures of the extinguisher, including the ones used today.

I hope you would find the History interesting and I shall give you a lot more information on the types of extinguishers in my next blog.

Till then stay safe and be Happy!

Seshadri Varadarajan.
Sr. Corporate Trainer Usha Fire Safety.
M:0940814353.
You tube channel- Live and Let Live.

First and foremost let me wish all my readers a VERY HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR.

May this year bring abundance of everything in life.

Though Happiness is very important at the same time Safety is very much necessary as it is the only thing that can help us stay alive and injury free. I hope my blogs are helping you all gain knowledge on fire safety and making your homes and work place fire free. In my last blog we have discussed the classification of fire based on the fuel or the substances which can burn. Here we discuss the media or material available to combat and extinguish fire.

They are as follows.

1. WATER : Since time immemorial water has always been used for fire fighting. One of the most natural fire fighting media and available everywhere. Due to its natural property of absorption of heat it is a very effective in fire fighting. Though very effective it can be only used to extinguish Class A Fire IE Fire on Combustible Solids. It cannot be used on the other the other Classes. For example when you use it on Liquid Fires the density of water is more and thereby it increases the fire. Even a drop of water when used on flammable metals can cause explosion.

2. Mechanical and Chemical Foam: This media is widely used on Class B liquid fires. The Foam falls on the surface of the liquid fire like a blanket and cuts off the oxygen supply thereby extinguishing fire. The Foam even cools the liquid to prevent reoccurrence of the fire due to heat. There are different types of foam available and would be too technical and elaborate to explain here.

3. Dry Chemical Powder : There are 3 widely used dry chemical powders for fire fighting.

a. Sodium Bi Carbonate,

b. Mono Ammonium Phosphate and

c. TEC – Ternery Eutectic Chloride.

Sodium Bi carbonate can be used on Classes B and C fires that is fire on flammable liquids, gases and electrical fire. Mono Ammonium phosphate powder which is known as ABC powder can be used on Solids, Liquids, Gas and Electrical fire and hence it is very popular as a fire fighting media. TEC powder is only used for Class D metal fire. All the powders employ the method of Blanketing or Smothering to put out fire. Even though they are very good at fire fighting they however damage the equipments when used on sophisticated and expensive equipments like servers.

4. Carbon di oxide or CO2 : As we all know removal of oxygen cuts off fire and what better material than CO2 to do the job. CO2 is also a very popular agent to extinguish fire on Electrical equipment and most importantly the sophisticated and expensive ones. CO2 is not only used in extinguishers but also used in large automatic fire fighting systems as a Flooding agent. Though very good at putting out fire on electrical equipments it can be used on Liquid and Gas fire too.

5. WET CHEMICAL : This a new recent addition to fire fighting to specifically address the issue of fire on Fatty oils and saturated fats. As grease accumulates when there is combustion, to fight the same a special effect called Saponification is needed. Even Sodium Bi Carbonate has this effect too but of late research has found that wet chemicals are more effective. As there is a growing need for environmental protection there is extensive research going on in the field of fire fighting and new products are being developed. I will talk more about them in my subsequent blogs and writing.Till then read, ruminate and post your doubts and queries on the blog page itself.

Take care and have a great year everyone.

Seshadri Varadrajan.9840814353.

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Hello Readers !

 I have a feeling that you are all having a Great time in life and enjoying yourselves. When we are busy and go about our work and business, it gives us great happiness and a lot of satisfaction. Keeping professional success apart, I hope you are all taking good care of your family members. I got disturbed when I read and watched the atrocities perpetrated towards Women and hence, did my bit by posting a video on my Youtube channel regarding Women Safety.

In my last blog, we have discussed how fire spreads and in this blog, let us discuss its classification. Humans since time immemorial, have been always looking to remember things in a very easy way and classified things into different categories. Similarly, to fight fire easily we have divided Fire in different classes. The classification of the fire is done based on the fuels available to burn and their classes are A, B, C, D and K or F, means there are only 5 classes of fire or fuel. Let us examine them one by one.

CLASS A : In this class, all the materials which are solid in nature and can become ash when burnt are called Class A fire. Examples are Wood, Paper, Textiles, Plastic, Coal etc. When Solids burn, usually the smoke is White in Colour.

CLASS B : This class is all about the flammable Liquids like Petrol, Kerosene, Diesel and others. Though the fatty oils used for cooking are liquids, they don’t come under this classification. When Liquids burn, they emit smoke either which is thick Black in Colour or in Grey. In certain classifications, gases are also  included in this class.

CLASS C :   All the flammable gases like LPG, Methane, Ethane, Hydrogen etc come under this classification. Not only gases, but this class includes fire on electrically charged equipment otherwise known as Electrical Fires. Till the last decade, Fire on Electrical Equipment was called E class but subsequently this type of fire has been changed to C.

CLASS D :  Metals that catch fire are categorised into this class. In our knowledge, the metals like Gold, Silver, Iron and Copper melt when they are heated up. But certain metals like Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Aluminium, Tin and Zinc can burn in metallic state.

CLASS F OR K : The four classes mentioned above have existed for quite a long time in the history of classification of Fire. However, with the advent of new types of Foods which are cooked in oils with high fat content, this class has come into existence. Oils used for cooking, particularly for deep fry and for that which contain a lot of fat, fall into this category. The reason being, when used, they leave a lot of grease as residue and when that burns, it is a totally different dimension. The reason this class is F or K is because of two schools of thought ie, The European and American. The European classify it as Fatty oil fire hence Class F. The Americans call it Kitchen fire and hence K class.

This table will make you understand even better.

I feel that most of you would be able to understand the above classification on seeing the above pic. Let us discuss the type of media to fight fire in the next blog. Till then, stay safe and be safe.

Seshadri Varadarajan.
Sr. Corporate Trainer
Usha Fire Safety Equipments pvt ltd.
Mobile 9840814353.

Hello Readers. It has been some days now since my last blog. Have been a bit busy with official duty and training programmes and hence the delay in posting the blog. Shall take care to increase the frequency of my blogs so that the readers are not kept waiting. In my last blog we had discussed the ways and means of fire fighting via Starvation, Blanketing and Cooling. In this we shall discuss the methods of the spread of fire.

Fire fighting is quite easy if fire is just confined in a small area. However most of the times, it is not. Very quickly it spreads to other areas by the transfer of heat. Transfer of heat happens due to Conduction, Convection and Radiation. Let us discuss in detail the same.

CONDUCTION : In this method of heat transfer, the transfer of heat happens through solid particles between two or more objects. Speed of the transfer varies from one material to other. Iron, Steel and other metals have good heat conduction whereas wood has low heat conduction. This way of heat transfer was demonstrated by our teachers in the science laboratory by holding a metal rod over a Candle. In the same way fire also moves from one place to the other using Solid materials while burning.

CONVECTION : Convection is the transfer of heat energy by the movement of heated liquids or gases, from the source of heat to a cooler part of the environment. In fire spread this happens through the heated smoke travelling upwards. This method of heat transfer is very dangerous as smoke can enter in buildings in many ways like shafts, air conditioner ducts, open doors and windows and even through holes in walls. Hence as per the NBC (NATIONAL BUILDING CODE) states that high rise buildings should provide pressurised staircases to avoid spread of smoke and for easier evacuation. Convection in buildings can be prevented by closing of doors and windows whenever smoke is present.

RADIATION : Radiation is the transfer of heat Energy from a hot surface to a Cooler surface through electromagnetic waves without an intervening medium. In this method the spread of fire is through the air and hence if the fuel load is high in a particular area the fire can spread rapidly. The best example to understand radiation is the heat from the Sun. Radiation can be prevented by cooling the surrounding areas of a fire with water.

Fires can sometimes ignite and spread through a method called direct burning like lightning strikes or even because of the wind direction.

By reading the above one can easily understand how fire spreads and how one can save oneself during fire accidents. We shall discuss more in the next blog. Stay Safe and Be Safe

Seshadri Varadarajan
Mobile 9840814353
Email seshadri3225@gmail.com
You tube channel LIVE AND LET LIVE.

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We have seen the four stages of fire ie The Incipient, The Growth, The Fully Developed and The Decay in my last blog. In this blog let us understand the methods of fire fighting so that we can put out the fire and also understand the ways in which fire spreads from one place to the other.

Based on the fire triangle that we have studied, fire extinction can be done by removing any one element from the triangle consisting of Fuel, Oxygen and Heat. These 3 ways are called Starvation, Blanketing or Smothering and Cooling.

Starvation : It is the method of removing the Fuel element from the fire triangle. In this method the materials surrounding the area near the seat of fire are removed and the fire is made to starve without the supply of fuel. As the fire feeds on fuel when this is removed the fire does not get anything to burn and hence dies out by itself. This method of fire fighting is usually adopted by the fire fighters putting out fires which happen in homes with thatched roof. Not only do they pour water on the roof that is burning but they remove the thatched roofs from the nearby houses to contain the fire.

Blanketing/Smothering : In this method the oxygen supply to the fire is cut off. Naturally the fire is put off due to the lack of oxygen. I know many of us will remember our science lab in school where the teacher used to cover a lit candle, with a glass and show us the lack of oxygen. This method of putting out fire is also the same. It is a well known fact that human beings can survive without oxygen beyond 5 minutes but Fire cannot survive without oxygen even for a few seconds. The cutting off of oxygen supply can be done in homes by closing the doors and windows to the room which has caught fire, and also by using materials like blankets and wet towels when oil pans catch fire in the kitchen. If an oil pan catches fire in the kitchen the same can be put out by first switching off the gas supply and then covering the pan with a wet cloth or blanket. Even some of the fire extinguishers use this method to put out fires.

Cooling : In this method the heat element is simply removed from the fire. This can be done by using water over the fire as water is a great absorber of heat. Water can be used on solid fuels like paper, coal, leaves etc but cannot be used on flammable liquids, gases and electrical fires. On fire where you cannot pour water directly the water can be used in areas adjacent to the fire to cool the heat and not allowing the fire to spread. The firemen use this method most often in fires in buildings and homes.

Fire Spread happens due to transfer of heat and the methods of heat transfer are Conduction, Convection and Radiation. We shall discuss these methods in my next blog.

As the festival of lights DIWALI, is fast approaching just wanted to give my readers a few Safety Tips.

1. Burst Fireworks in open areas only.
2. Do not wear synthetic clothing while lighting fireworks.
3. Keep 2 buckets of water near the place where you light fireworks to render any first aid for fire burn.
4. Parents should supervise children when lighting fireworks.
5. Wear tight clothes rather than loose ones while lighting fireworks.
6. While lighting crackers ensure a safe distance between the body and the crackers.
7. Do not get too close to any misfired Crackers.
8. Always store the fireworks in a safe place well away from sources of heat.
9. Buy Fireworks from reputed manufacturers only.

For many Indians Diwali is a festival which brings in a lot of prosperity and joy in lives. Enjoy the festival by meeting and greeting your friends and loved ones but at the same time be careful with fireworks.

WISHING ALL MY READERS A VERY HAPPY DIWALI/DEEPAVALI.

Till my next blog be safe and stay safe.

Seshadri Varadrajan,
Sr. Corporate Trainer.
Usha fire Safety Equipments Pvt Ltd.
Chennai.

Call: 9840814353.
Email seshadri3225@gmail.com

Till now we have focused on what causes fire, its prevention, timely evacuation and LPG safety in the previous blogs. In this blog, the attention will be on the various stages of Fire and the way it spreads. Only when we know these aspects, it will help us not only to fight the fire but also do timely Evacuation. Normally we all use the words Small Fire or Big Fire. However technically there is no such thing as small fire or large fire it only fire in various stages.

As you all know, by now Fire is the rapid oxidation of material in a process of combustion, releasing heat and light and various reaction products. Basically, there are 4 stages of fire and they are Incipient, Growth, Fully developed, and Decay stage.

The Incipient Stage: This first stage begins when Fuel, Oxygen and Heat combine and have a chemical reaction called Combustion, resulting in a fire.  This is also known as Ignition stage and in this stage there will be a Flame and a little heat but no Fire. Usually in this stage the fire goes out on its own but if there are fuel sources around then it starts to feed on that and increase. In this stage the fire can be easily put out or suppressed and easy to evacuate. Here one needs to just raise the alarm and can fight the fire if trained to do so.

The Growth Stage: The growth stage is where the structures, fire load and oxygen are used to fuel the fire. In this stage there is flame, fire and extensive heat. There are numerous factors affecting the Growth of fire including where the fire started, what combustible materials are near it, ceiling height and the potential for ”Thermal Layering”. It is in this stage which is very short where a deadly phenomenon called “Flashover” happens thereby trapping, injuring or potentially killing people. In this stage one needs to Raise the alarm, evacuate the persons in the area and call the Fire Brigade. You can fight the fire if you are trained and confident to do so.

The Fully Developed Stage: When the growth stage has reached its max and all the combustible materials have been ignited, a fire is considered fully developed. This is the hottest stage of fire and can be deadly for anyone trapped within the fire areas. In this stage one can hardly do anything. It is foolish to go inside and try to rescue anyone trapped. Leave that work to the Professional Fire fighters. Even they cannot do anything but douse the fire. In the previous two stages damage to property is limited but in this stage the damage is very high.

 The Decay stage: Usually this is the longest stage of a fire, the decay stage is characterised by a significant decrease in oxygen or fuel, putting an end to the fire. Two common dangers during this stage are first—the existence of non flaming combustibles, which can potentially start a new fire when not fully extinguished and Second, there is a danger of a back draft when oxygen is reintroduced into a volatile confined space. In this stage one needs to be careful while opening the doors and also make sure the fire is extinguished completely.

While describing the four stages i have used the terms Flashover and Back draft. Let us now understand the definitions.

Flashover:  A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of most of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area. When certain organic materials are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition and release flammable gases.

An example of flashover is ignition of a piece of furniture in a domestic room. The fire involving the initial piece of furniture can produce a layer of hot smoke which spreads across the ceiling in the room. The hot buoyant smoke layer grows in depth, as it is bounded by the walls of the room. The radiated heat from this layer heats the surfaces of the directly exposed combustible materials in the room, causing them to give off flammable gases via pyrolysis. When the temperatures of the evolved gases become high enough, these gases will ignite throughout their extent.

Back Draft pronounced as Back Draught: A back draft is a rapid or explosive burning of superheated gases in a fire, caused when oxygen rapidly enters an oxygen-depleted environment; for example, when a window or door to an enclosed space is opened or broken. Back drafts present a serious threat to fire fighters.

As these blogs are written for the benefit of everyone I will not be too technical though the subject of fire and fire fighting is highly technical.

We shall talk about the spread of Fire and how to put fire out in my next blog.

Stay safe, Be Safe and live happily.

Comments can now be posted on the blog page itself.

V.Seshadri
SR. Corporate trainer,
Usha Fire Safety Equipments private ltd, Chennai.
9840814353. Email: seshadri3225@gmail.com

Fire and how to prevent fire, was discussed in my last blog. I had even mentioned that I would be sharing safety measures on Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly known as LPG. LPG is a very popular fuel and is used to power a lot of things, but it is mainly used for cooking and as a fuel for vehicles. Developed countries have shifted to Compressed Natural gas (CNG) whereas developing nations still use LPG. The statistic information is mind boggling.                              

In India, especially in the domestic sector, LPG is used mainly for cooking. The number of domestic connections have been estimated to be 215 million (one connection for every six people) with a circulation of more than 350 million LPG cylinders.  Apart from the above usage, LPG is also used as fuel in industries and to run automobiles. In industries, special containers called BULLETS are used which are isolated and hence, the risk is minimised.  Piped gas connections are slowly becoming the order of the day but even today in India, LPG is supplied in Cylinders.

Most of us think that LPG is a gas but actually it is a mixture of Propane and Butane in the ratio 60: 40. The expansion ratio is very high which is1: 250. Hence, this can cause an immense problem if there is a leak. It is an inflammable fuel and just a spark is enough to ignite it. The LPG cylinders, which are used for cooking, contain 85% of it in liquid condition.  Hence, safety precautions are an absolute must. LPG is also heavier than Air and thus, settles down rather than up.

Sometimes, we would have experienced a very typical smell when cooking is being done or with cylinders around. The original LPG does not have a smell. In 1944, there was an explosion in the USA which has lead to the addition of a chemical named Ethyl Mercaptan which gives out an odd smell to signify a leak.  Let us discuss how to take care of this threat.

The use of LPG is through a cylinder which contains the gas, a hose which connects the cylinder to the burner and then a regulator to open and close the gas. Let us understand how to store, use it safely and what to do in case of emergency.

Safe storage and installation :

• Place Cylinder in a well-ventilated area, away from sources of ignition. Get it installed only by authorized dealers.
• Check whether the safety cap and security seal are in place. Don’t accept Cylinders without the safety cap and safety seal.
• Don’t change cylinders near sources of ignition. A naked flame or a spark could ignite any gas that is released.
• Attach the regulator and ensure that it is securely connected to the cylinder valve. Apply soapy water to check for leaks.
• Store cylinders that are not in use in a well-ventilated, secure area, preferably out of doors, away from direct sunlight, heat and other sources of ignition. Don’t store cylinders in basements.

Safe Usage :

• Use the correct hose and check its condition regularly. Hoses designed for use will be marked with a phrase such as LPG hose. It is recommended that hoses be replaced every 2 years.
• Use the correct regulator and check its condition regularly. It is also recommended to replace regulators 5 years after the date of manufacture.
• It is safer to use matches than lighters while lighting burners.
• Turn off the regulator and gas appliance when not in use. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the use and maintenance of your gas appliance.
• Check for leaks from time to time using soapy water. Never use a naked flame.

IF YOU SMELL GAS :

• Extinguish all naked flames.
• Eliminate all sources of ignition. Don’t switch ON or OFF any electrical equipment. Just a touch can cause a BLAST.
• Open doors and windows to increase ventilation.
• Turn off the gas supply at the cylinder. If leak is found to be on the cylinder, cover the leaking portion with a wet rag.
• If it is safe to do so, move cylinders to an open space away from people, buildings and source of ignition. Spray water on the cylinder to help dispense LPG vapour.
• Do not answer calls on the mobile phone.

It is always recommended to wear Cotton Fabrics in the kitchen than any other. Use of Cotton Aprons while cooking is a Best Practice. If the flame is flickering, it is an indication that the cylinder is almost empty. When it happens, never shake or roll the cylinder. When the Vendor delivers the cylinder, ensure that it is lifted and not rolled. Shaking or rolling of the cylinder is extremely dangerous. Keep a fire extinguisher or an old blanket handy in the kitchen.

I feel we have covered quite a lot in this blog.
Meanwhile, you can post your questions on my previous blogs to  seshadri3225@gmail.com  or you can post them on the blog page.

 Till then, stay safe.

SESHADRI VARADARAJAN
9840814353.