Fire or explosion may occur from overheating, leakage, spillage of flammable chemicals, gases exposed to excessive heat, an open flame, or electric sparks. Be careful when working with flammable or explosive chemicals and avoid heat or electric sparks nearby. Safely operate electric equipment and any source of heat to prevent fire or explosion.
Types of fire
| Class A |
Ordinary combustible solids such as paper, wood, clothes |
| Class B |
Flammable liquids such as gasoline, petroleum oil and paint and flammable gases such propane, methane and butane |
| Class C |
Electrical equipment such as appliances, motors |
| Class D |
Combustible metals such as sodium, aluminum and potassium |
| Class K |
Cooling oil and greases such as animal or vegetable fats |
Types of extinguishers
- Water and Foam: for Class A fires only. Not suitable for class B or C fires.
- Water and foam extinguish fire by reducing the heat and the foam helps to separate oxygen from the objects.
- Carbon Dioxide: for Class B and C fires. Not effective for Class A fire. Carbon dioxide extinguishes fire by separating oxygen from the object and removing heat.
- Dry Chemical: multipurpose dry chemical works for Class A, B and C and ordinary dry chemicals works for Class B and C only. Dry chemical extinguishes fire by interrupting the chemical reaction.
- Wet Chemical: for Class K fire only. Wet chemical extinguishes fire by removing heat and separating oxygen from fuel elements.
- Clean agent: for Class B and C. Clean extinguishers used halon or halocarbon agents to interrupt the chemical reactions.
- Dry Power: for Class D only. Dry power takes away heat and separates oxygen to extinguish fire.
Procedural steps
- In case of a fire involving an individual's clothing, do not run since it might accelerate the fire. Stop, drop onto the ground with hands covering the face, and roll to extinguish the fire. If possible, use the safety shower to extinguish the fire.
- In case of a lab fire or explosion, ensure your safety first and call emergency responders immediately for help.
- Evacuate the building safely and pull fire alarms or notify nearby people, if possible.
- Do not use elevators. Use stairs and locate the nearest exit.
- If possible, shut down the electric power before evacuating.
- Use a wet towel to cover the mouth and nose, if there is heavy smoke.
- If it is safe to bring the situation under control without endangering life, environment or health, then use of fire extinguisher, shut off a leaking valve, use of sand to form dike or use of spill kit may be enough. This shall be done by competent personnel like fire marshal.
- Notify the EHS Officer / Emergency Response Team and ask for instructions.
- If situation cannot be brought under control as described above, immediately leave the affected area and notify the Fire Station Tel: 997 (Response time to arrive at site is between 10-15 minutes)
- Rush to the nearest assembly point. Use designated escape routes.
- Arrange for someone to meet the Emergency Response Agencies like Police/ Ambulance, and provide them with information and appropriate assistance when they arrive at site. (Free access to site must be provided to these agencies.)
- In case of major incident requiring campus-wide evacuation, the fire alarm siren will be sounded repeatedly for 5 minutes. EHS Officer will be dispatched to the assembly point and will establish a COMMAND POST there to further inform and/or direct students, employees, visitors, and contractors to safe areas.
- For the entire duration of emergency, any of the EHS and Emergency team members will be responsible to make or receive telephone calls. The assembly point will become the command center that should be manned by at least one person in this type of emergency.
- During and after the emergency, unauthorized personnel to the site will be restricted. However, personnel from the Emergency Response Agencies will be provided unobstructed access to the site.
- The Fire Marshals will ensure that all personnel have evacuated the site/building, headcount has been taken and missing students, employees, contractors, and/or their guests accounted for. They will ensure that employees stay within the assembly area. They will give the headcount information to the EHS Team and coordinate with them all necessary actions. They will give the “ALL CLEAR” signal and allow students, employees, contractors, and visitors to re-enter the site/building.