What Is an Industrial Fire?

Fires remain one of the most significant hazards in the production processes carried out at industrial facilities today. It is also true that the danger of fire has never been fully solved. A significant number of fires and explosions occur at industrial facilities in Turkey. Even where environmental and mechanical factors are not obviously present, fires caused by them can still break out. In particular, the possibility that heavy equipment, large storage tanks or an entire facility could be exposed to fire — and that a fire could rapidly escalate into a large-scale event — is a serious problem at industrial facilities. These fires cause deaths and injuries, major environmental harm, and extraordinary economic and material losses.

What Causes Industrial Fires?

The leading causes of fire include unknown causes, natural causes, accidents, negligence, sabotage and re-ignition. These causes can allow a fire to spread from where it started into other areas, even escalating into a disaster that affects an entire region. The nature of the combustible material, weather conditions (windy weather) and fire behaviour all work against the crews fighting the fire and the suppression effort, and under these conditions fires tend to grow.

Electrical Faults: The dense electrical equipment and installations used at industrial facilities mean that damaged cables, inadequate maintenance or overloading can lead to electrical faults and fires. Short circuits, faults in electrical panels or overheating of heat-generating devices, for example, can all increase fire risk.

Heating and Lighting Systems: Heating systems used in industrial settings (boilers, furnaces, ovens and similar) and lighting equipment can carry fire risk if not properly maintained or used correctly. In particular, misuse or poor maintenance of these systems can cause them to ignite.

Chemical Substances and Materials: Chemical substances used in industrial businesses (solvents, fuels, chemical reagents and similar) significantly increase fire risk. Incorrect storage, transport or handling methods can trigger the combustible properties of chemical substances and cause a fire to start.

Machinery and Equipment Failures: Fire risk can arise from excessive use, inadequate maintenance or failure of machinery used at industrial facilities (conveyors, presses, cutters and similar). In particular, failure to maintain lubrication systems regularly, or heat generated by friction between moving parts, can increase fire hazard.

Human Error: Worker error, failure to follow safety procedures or carelessness can lead to industrial fires starting. Examples include smoking in no-smoking areas, incorrect storage of combustible materials, or the incorrect use of fire safety equipment — all of which can create serious fire hazards.

Natural Factors: Lightning strikes, extreme hot weather (such as excessive summer heat), wind-driven external factors, or environmental factors such as vegetation and wildfires can all increase the risk of industrial fire.

Measures That Can Be Taken

Responding to industrial fires promptly depends on preparation. The first priority is to take measures that prevent fires from starting in the first place. Fire and explosion risk assessments should be carried out. In particular, whenever any work is to be carried out that could generate sparks or otherwise cause a fire, a written Hot Work Permit must always be issued as the most effective way of preventing fires and explosions. Responding urgently to industrial fires depends on preparation.

Every product, piece of equipment and vehicle needs a backup. The single most important thing to remember is that no two fires are identical. For that reason, ongoing training and drills should be carried out, and these training sessions and drills should be supported with realistic scenarios.

Regular fire risk analysis should be carried out to identify fire risks within a business. This analysis assesses factors such as potential ignition sources, the storage of combustible materials, the electrical installation, and heating systems. The fire safety actions defined in a fire safety management plan should be based on this risk assessment. Information that affects the required level of fire safety should be kept up to date, because in modern industry the one constant is change itself.

A detailed fire safety plan covering the steps to be taken in the event of a fire within the business should be prepared. This plan should include important information such as the fire alarm system, fire suppression equipment, evacuation procedures and emergency contact details. It is important that personnel know this plan and are able to apply it when needed. A Project Cycle Management (PCM) approach can be an effective way of managing a workplace’s fire safety.

Fire suppression equipment at the business (fire extinguishers, fire hoses, sprinkler systems and similar) should be present in the right numbers, correctly positioned, and regularly maintained. Employees should know how to use this equipment. Because extinguishers need to be accessible to building occupants during an evacuation, they should be positioned along normal travel routes.

This also prevents building occupants from having to leave an escape route to reach a fire extinguisher, which would otherwise create a risk of becoming trapped. Under normal conditions, extinguishers should be placed where everyone can see them; but where a structural obstruction prevents this, a sign showing the location of the fire extinguisher must be installed.

Fire alarm systems (smoke detectors, sirens, warning systems) should be present at the business and tested regularly. Routes and access points that fire crews can reach easily should also be provided. When establishing these routes and access points, the assessment should take a holistic view of factors such as the likelihood and persistence of an explosive atmosphere forming; the presence, activation and likely effectiveness of ignition sources including static electricity; the facility itself, the substances used, the processes involved and their possible interactions; the potential scale of any explosion effect; and openings, or openable areas, into places where an explosive atmosphere could form.

These assessments involve mathematical calculations, and on that basis a “zone” classification is determined. A site plan is drawn up showing these designated zones along with emergency exit routes, first-aid cabinets, emergency stop buttons, fire extinguishers and hydrants, emergency assembly points, and work equipment.

Most fire safety practices in use today have been developed from lessons learned from major industrial fires. These practices include flammability testing carried out in scientific laboratories, fire-resistant industrial building construction, advanced automatic suppression systems for industrial storage areas, effective fire-escape measures using automatic exit doors, ensuring that electrical equipment, materials and wiring are fire-safe, the use of more sensitive fire detection systems, and the use of clean extinguishing agents. Electrical installations and similar electrical equipment should be inspected and maintained regularly. Electrical faults such as overloading and short circuits should be prevented, and electrical equipment should be shut down safely when necessary.

Areas where combustible materials are stored must be confirmed to be safely isolated and properly stored. Storage areas should be arranged appropriately against fire risk, and measures should be taken against fire spread. The planning and inspection of where these materials are stored should be carried out. Measures should also be taken against any fires or explosions that could occur.

All employees should receive regular fire safety training and be made aware of fire safety on these topics. This training should cover subjects such as fire suppression techniques, evacuation procedures and the use of fire alarm systems. Regular emergency drills should be carried out within the business. During drills, a fire scenario should be simulated to test employees’ responses and the effectiveness of the fire safety plan.

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Teza Mühendislik provides solutions tailored to your safety needs, identifying and implementing the most appropriate safety measures for every kind of facility. Our customer-specific solutions use the latest technology to maximise safety and minimise potential risks. For more information, get in touch with us and visit our LinkedIn page and our website!