Page 37 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2019

Fire Extinguishers
The primary purpose of a fire extinguisher is to assist in clearing an evacuation route if necessary. A secondary purpose is to put out small fires. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under 29 CFR 1910.157, requires that anyone who may be expected to use a fire extinguisher in the workplace be trained in their use. The first thing that one should be familiar with is that there are several classes of fires:
■ Class A: Ash producing materials, such as wood or paper
■ Class B: Chemical fires, such as gasoline, oils, etc.
■ Class C: Energized electrical fires
■ Class D: Metal fires
■ Class K: Kitchen grease fires
It is important to understand the types of fire in order to de- termine which extinguisher to use. Most fire extinguishers in the work area are classified as ABC, but you need to identify this before discharging them on a fire. A simple acronym for using a fire ex- tinguisher is PASS:
■ Pull the pin.
■ Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.
■ Squeeze the lever.
■ Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
The overriding rule when using a fire extinguisher is that if you
are not comfortable, then evacuate the building and let the fire de- partment put out the fire.
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Fire Prevention Tips
The most effective means of fire safety lies in the prevention of their occurrence in the first place. The following tips are provided to as- sist in the prevention of office fires.
Housekeeping
Good housekeeping can not only prevent workplace injuries, it is also vital to preventing fires in the office. By maintaining com- bustible and flammable materials to a bare minimum, the potential for fires is greatly reduced, if not eliminated. Dust also can increase the likelihood of fires or dust explosions. Trash cans should be con- structed of non-combustible materials, and dumpsters should be covered with lids. Another important prevention (and an OSHA requirement) is to store oily rags in a self-closing container con- structed of non-combustible materials. Finally, flammable materi- als should be stored in flammable materials cabinets.
Electrical safety
A common occurrence in the office includes overloading of circuits by using multi-plugs, such as surge protectors. In some instances, there are multi-plugs that are plugged into multi-plugs. The typical circuit in an office building is tied to a 20-amp break- er. The amp rating for each device to be plugged into the outlet is identified on the label. All devices to be plugged into the circuit are to be added together to get the total amps. Do not go over this rating.
Electrical cords are another concern in the office. Extension
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