STOP FIRES SAVE JOBS

fire controlled and guided by man fire makes jobs fire the servant of industry fire creates goods and services fire the benefactor of mankind fire produces products and payrolls yes fire makes things and fire makes jobs but fire out of control is man's greatest enemy destroyer of life and happiness of wealth and industry destroyer of places to work destroyer of jobs each year fires maim and injure a hundred and more than ten thousand of these victims are burned to death before this year this one year ends fire will have attacked more than 30 000 factories and thousands of them will have been completely destroyed before this year this one year ends fires in industry will have caused the loss of 200 million man days of work men made idol men who could have built for example nearly a million automobiles industrial fires alone in only one year this year will have caused losses of more than 250 million dollars that's a quarter of a billion bucks in wages burned up and destroyed yes skilled and efficient as we know we are all of us year in year out are paying a needless and horrible price in lives and jobs and dollars but how can fires like these be prevented how can they be prevented before they happen well there is an answer fire protection engineering plus management cooperation plus employee cooperation equals fire safety that's where we come in it's also up to us up to all of us wherever we work whatever we do it's up to us to know and to understand three facts about fire every fire must have three ingredients the first ingredient is fuel the second is air and the third is a source of ignition which supplies the heat to ignite the mixture of fuel and air fire feeds on fuel so don't let waste or rubbish accumulate anywhere aisles should be kept clean and clear at all times to prevent the spread of fire as well as to provide ready exits in case of fire rubbish piled against fire doors is doubly dangerous it is itself a fire hazard and furthermore the doors when blocked cannot save us when there is a fire so now the rubbish is gone and the door can do the job for which it was designed packing materials are nearly always combustible they should not be so used that they can become fuel for a fire packing materials are safely stored in metal containers in metal line bins with self-closing covers or in fire resistant vaults many machines use oil extensively sawdust or shavings underneath such machines especially when drenched with oil are a perfect fuel a great fire hazard don't use them metal pans are better and much safer and outdoors when combustible material like boxes crates and rubbish is placed against a building the building can burn too so don't pile this kind of material near buildings and here although we can't see it we're looking right now at one of the most dangerous fire hazards vapors now a powerful light reveals them see how they flow down toward the ground these vapors are highly flammable they are a fire hazard at all times a fire hazard we must know about because the naked eye cannot see it liquids like alcohol gasoline naphtha ether and many types of paints must be watched carefully because even at low temperatures they are constantly giving off highly flammable vapors and practically as dangerous as these vapors is another often invisible fuel in this bakery for instance the fine dust of flour starch or powdered sugar can explode just as easily as gasoline fumes such dust is nothing else but finely divided combustible material generously mixed with oxygen and a spark or an open flame can set it off start an explosion this is the same kind of dust we saw floating in the air a small quantity is placed in this testing machine an airstream will blow it past the heated coil and so that this dangerous fuel be removed as it must we must frequently check the dust collecting systems and vents for proper operation should they fail you might as well be surrounded by dynamite therefore cleanliness is extremely important dust which is settled for example on ducks or on overhead trusses must be removed there is hardly a place of work without that danger we call fuel and almost always we will also have with us at other menace source of ignition let's remember air plus fuel plus ignition source sources of ignition often hide in machines so don't allow machinery to run unattended and if we keep motors and bearings well lubricated they won't run hot but nevertheless while we're at it let's remove all dust or lint which could ignite misuse or abuse of electrical equipment is dangerous for instance an overload will heat up motor and wiring and may start a serious fire to prevent the effects of overloading each motor should be protected by approved fuses of the proper rating but remember that fuses give the right protection only if their rating is that which is specified for the equipment wires strung like these are not only unsightly but very dangerous they fray easily the insulation wears out quickly and the wires become exposed welding and cutting create sparks in abundance sparks are potential firebugs we must protect ourselves against them before we start welding let's remove all combustible material from the work area whatever we can't remove we should cover up with a flame proof tarpaulin fire extinguisher should always be close by ready for instant use and remember too never cut our weld if sprinklers are shut off for repairs or for any other reason after the job is finished a watchman armed with an extinguisher should be left on guard but maybe this sort of thing isn't part of your daily work all right how about this where we smoke we know what happened to that cigarette shouldn't have been smoked here right wherever we see this sign let's do as the sign tells us it says briefly but clearly it is dangerous to smoke here but some fires will occur and it's well that we prepare ourselves before fire strikes the safest procedure is to call the fire department at once our fire department has the equipment our fire department has the know how therefore it's good common sense to get them to a fire as quickly as possible remember in fighting fires the first five minutes are more important than the next five hours so we must know the location of the fire alarm box nearest to where we work and know how to turn in an alarm also know how to turn in an alarm by telephone and in the excitement don't forget to give the address nor forget to tell them where you're phoning from in the plant then study the location and types of the firefighting equipment which is in the plant remember without air fire cannot burn smothering a fire means just that the supply of oxygen is cut off and the fire is extinguished a fire can also be extinguished by reducing the temperature below the ignition point water has always been used for that purpose these are the two principles which are used in fire extinguishers there are five major types of them learn which one or two or more have been approved for use on your job the extinguisher containing soda and acid use it for fires in ordinary combustible materials such as wood and paper when the extinguisher is turned upside down the soda and acid under high pressure discharges a stream of water into the fire the water of course lowers the ignition temperature of the burning materials and so puts out the fire this is a foam extinguisher use it for fires in flammable liquids and for fires in wood paper and the like it also must be turned upside down the foam blankets the fire and cuts off the air this extinguisher is charged with carbon tetrachloride it's to be used for fires in electrical equipment and also for fires and flammable liquids carbon tetrachloride does not conduct electricity the carbon tetrachloride vaporizes into a heavy gas which smothers the fire carbon dioxide a gas compressed to liquid form is in this extinguisher use it against fires in electrical equipment and against fires in burning liquids the carbon dioxide smothers the fire by cutting off the air this extinguisher contains a powder it is designed to extinguish fires in liquids it also may be used for fires in electrical equipment because the powder is non-conducting the powder broken down by the fire's heat produces carbon dioxide which shuts out the air and so smothers the fire if we use these extinguishers the right ones for the types of fire for which they were designed we will have gone a long way toward fire safety automatic sprinkler systems installed in the plant are another weapon in our fight against fire be sure that no goods are piled so high as to interfere with water distribution from an automatic sprinkler head if automatic sprinkler valves must be turned off for repairs to the system for instance each one of us must do his share to make sure they are not left turned off and report such a condition at once to the plant manager the protecting role of automatic sprinkler systems in the battle against fire is so important that some progressive plants use automatic alarm systems to signal the closing of a sprinkler valve a signal transmitted by this simple installation at the stem of the sprinkler valve is sent to an outside central station which operates very much like a central station of the local fire department a coated signal on the tape indicates a closed sprinkler valve in a plant the central station operators at once notify the plant and keep a close watch until the tape informs them that the sprinkler valve has been reopened many plants because they close at the end of a day because of weekends and holidays are shut down better than half the time many fires from carelessly discarded cigarettes for instance start during the first hour after the plant closes for the day automatic alarms automatic sprinklers and last but not least watchmen are intended to detect fires in the early stages help them by being especially careful before leaving the plant your locker where you keep work clothes and tools can be a fire hazard keep it clean and that pipe it's still lit don't forget it remember no one can afford a fire nor can most of us afford to be out of work when we protect our company's property we are protecting our jobs our lives our family men lost their jobs here men lost their jobs here and here and here they were fired by fire don't let this happen to us you