Fire Safety, Prevention & Emergency Response

What this chapter covers

Fire is one of the highest-frequency catastrophic risks on industrial sites. This chapter walks the learner through the chemistry of combustion, the classification of fires (A through K) and the matching extinguishant for each. We examine the NFPA codes commonly adopted worldwide, the design of fixed suppression systems (sprinkler, deluge, foam, CO₂) and how to specify them. The second half of the chapter is operational: how to build an Emergency Response Team, design assembly points, run a credible fire drill, and write the incident report after a real event. Worked examples are drawn from the downstream petrochemical sector, where the consequence severity of fire is highest, and from high-rise construction projects.