Question

Explain the 3 elements of the fire triangle.
Discuss the purpose of modern fire safety standards.

Discuss source of fire hazards.

Answer 1

Fire Triangle

The following are the three elements of the fire triangle are the components that a fire needs to get ignited.

• Heat is the energy without which the fire cannot ignite. Firefighters used to remove the heat from the fire with the help of any cooling agents like water, dry chemical powder, etc., which can be done by using a fire extinguisher or by any other medium.

• Fuel can be any combustible material like paper, wood or chemicals. The fire will end when it gets out of fuel.

• Oxygen is the oxidizing agent the is needed to start or continue the fire. Firefighters use fire blankets for normal fire in order to restrict the supply of oxygen.

When all three elements combine in the right mixture, a fire occurs and it can be prevented by removing any one of the elements.

Sources of fire hazard:

Fire hazards may be defined as the risk of uncontrolled fire present in a place. As oxygen is already present in the atmosphere, any combustible material gets ignited and acts as a fuel when there is a source of ignition to induce the required heat. Flashpoint and fire point are two important factors that needs to be considered while handling the fire hazard. Flashpoint is the lowest temperature at which a material catches fire when there is source of ignition and fire point is the lowest temperature at which the material continues to burn after ignited. Some of the main sources of fire that is present in the place are:

• Smoking cigarettes

• Flammable liquids

• Combustible materials like paper, wood

• Faulty electrical equipment

• Cooking