ABSTRACT
This chapter explores fire prevention in the workplace, and how to ensure that people are properly protected if fire does occur. The financial costs associated with serious fires are very high including, in many cases, the failure to start up the business again. The absence of any one of these elements will prevent a fire from starting. Prevention depends on avoiding these three coming together. Fire extinguishing depends on removing one of the elements from an existing fire, and is particularly difficult if an oxidising substance is present. Workplaces have numerous sources of ignition, some of which are obvious but others may be hidden inside machinery. Oxygen is of course provided by the air all around but this can be enhanced by wind, or by natural or powered ventilation systems which will provide additional oxygen to continue burning. Hot air becomes less dense and rises, drawing in cold new air to fuel the fire with more oxygen.
