ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the basics of fire, how to prevent it and if fire does occur, then how to evacuate safely. Fire is considered to be one of the major hazards in the offshore oil and gas industry which can result quite easily from the ignition of accidentally released hydrocarbons from the well or any associated pipelines. In order to ensure personal safety and escape safely, one must understand the basic principles of fire fighting as well as fire prevention. There are normally two types of fire protection systems i.e. active and passive protection systems. Active Fire Protection (AFP) systems include fixed fire extinguishing systems which will be activated in the case of activation of the fire alarm through detection of fire, smoke or heat. Passive Fire Protection (PFP) systems on the other hand are aimed at containing fires or reducing the spread of fire by use of fire resistant materials for construction of the installation.
