Selection of fire extinguishers is
Appropriate for a given type of fire
There are five different types of fire extinguishers
in common use in garage premises, these are identified
by their colour, as given in the following table:
Colour Type
red water
cream foam
green vaporizing liquid
blue dry chemical powder
black carbon dioxide
In addition there are ‘fire buckets’ full of sand, and
‘fire blankets’.
Before you use any fire extinguisher you must
ask yourself three questions:
1 Can the fire be put out easily?
2 If it cannot be put out easily can the spread of
the fire be slowed down or stopped without risk
by using an extinguisher?
3 Which fire extinguisher should be used?
To help you to choose the correct fire extinguisher,
fires are classified into four classes:
Class Description Colour of
extinguisher
class A fires of solid material, red
such as wood, paper,
cloth, rubber
class B fire of liquids, such as black, blue or green
petrol, paraffin,
brake fluid
class C fires involving leaking cream or blue
gas such as acetylene,
Calor or natural gas
class D fires of metals which blue, but it must
burn, such as be an inert dry
magnesium and nickel powder
Liquid and gas fires are easily spread by using
water, water can also conduct electricity.
Let us look at a few typical examples of fires
which sometimes occur in garages:
1 Petrol spillage fire – if this is on the forecourt
the need is for quick action. The black carbon
dioxide (CO2) extinguisher will put out the fire
and not leave a mark anywhere.
2 Fire under the car bonnet, cause unknown –
blue extinguisher using dry chemical powder
is safe on both petrol and electrical fires, it
is also easily cleaned off and will not damage
the engine.
3 Fire in a rubbish bin, cause unknown – the use
of a fire bucket full of sand or a fire blanket
spread over the top of the bin should extinguish
this fire.
Fires need fuel, oxygen from the air and heat.
Remove any one of these and the fire will go out.
Most fire extinguishers tend to both starve the fire
of oxygen and lower the temperature of the fire so
that it goes out.
82Repair of Vehicle Bodies
In the event of warnings,
Procedures for isolating machines
And evacuating premises are
Followed
If you hear a fire/emergency warning you must follow
the company’s evacuation procedure – this is
usually stated on the workshop wall. If you hear a
fire alarm a typical evacuation procedure is:
1 Shut off the electricity by pressing the emergency
stop button.
2 Leave the premises by the nearest route, go to
assembly point (AP) 1 which is in the customers’
car park.
3 Do NOT re-enter the building until your supervisor
tells you that it is safe to do so.
In the event of discovering a fire raise the alarm by
breaking the glass of the alarm button.
2.8.17 Reports/records are available
To authorized persons and are
Complete and accurate
The Social Security (Claims and Payments)
Regulations 1979 require employers to maintain
an accident book as well as regulation 7 of the
HSWA. This book requires brief details of any
accident or dangerous occurrence to be recorded.
An approved book BI 510 is available from the
HSE direct or through most good book stores. For
more detailed information HSE Form 2508 should
be completed. HSE staff have a statutory right to
see a completed accident book or Form 2508, and
they may also ask for further information. If you
are personally involved in an accident you are
advised to keep a copy of the book entry and any
completed forms as well as your own notes on the
event. These may be useful in the event of legal
proceedings.
Machines and equipment are
Isolated, where appropriate,
From the mains prior to cleaning
And routine maintenance
Operations
You must always isolate an electrical machine
from the mains supply before either cleaning it or
carrying out any maintenance or repairs. There
are two reasons for this: first, if you touch an
electrically live part you may get an electric shock;
second, the machine may be accidentally started
which could cause injury or damage.
With portable electrical appliances this simply
means switching off and taking the plug out of the
socket.
With fixed machinery, for instance a pillar drill,
you will need to switch off the power supply at the
isolator switch. This is usually found on the wall
near the machine. Isolating this way is fine while
cleaning the machine, but for carrying out maintenance
or repair work it is advisable to remove the
supply fuse from the isolator box. With the fuse
removed the machine cannot be restarted if the isolator
is accidentally turned on by a colleague who
confuses the isolator for the one on an adjacent
machine.
Safe and approved methods
for cleaning machines/equipment
Are used
There are three main items of cleaning equipment
used in the garage: the cleaning bath (or tank), the
pressure washer and the steam cleaner.
The cleaning bath uses a chemical solvent, this
is usually used for cleaning dirty/oily components.
The components are submerged in the solvent and
dirt is loosened with a stiff-bristled brush.
The pressure washer is used for cleaning the mud
off the underside of vehicles; water at very high
pressure will clean off mud. For hard-to-remove
dirt detergent can be added to the pressure washer.
The steam cleaner, often referred to as a steam
jenny ( jenny _ generator), produces hot pressurized
water with the option of detergent. This is
used for removing very stubborn grease and dirt,
like that found on the underside of high mileage
goods vehicles.
If you are cleaning an engine or electrical
equipment it is important not to get water inside.
Before cleaning inside an engine bay with a
pressure cleaner the electrical components and
engine inlets should be covered over with
polythene.
When cleaning portable electrical appliances be
careful not to get water on the plug, this could
cause a short circuit.
The mechanical parts of fixed machines may be
cleaned with solvents, then dried with absorbent
paper towel.
Health and safety 83