Acetylene Cylinder Fire
Transcript of Acetylene Cylinder Fire
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Acetylene Cylinders Involved in Fire
Kieran Nolan & Barry Jones
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Technical Bulletin 2/1992• Cool cylinder for minimum of 1 hr• If passes ‘Wetting Test’ submerge in water
bath (dam) for 12 hours.• Notify gas supplier for collection.
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
HSL TESTS MID 1990’S
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
POOL/ TORCH TESTSACETYLENE BURNERSIMULATE LOCALISEDHEATING
KEROSENE IGNITEDIN BIN TO SIMULATEFIRE SITUATION
CYLINDER VALVE FITTED WITHPRESSURE TRANSDUCER AND ATTACHED TO DUMP LINE
CYLINDER SHELLS FITTED WITH THERMO COUPLES
ALL TESTS UNDERTAKEN IN CONCRETE BUNKEREACH BLOCK WEIGHING TWO TONNESFRAGMENT TRAP ERECTED INSIDE EACH TEST ZONEALROUND DELUGE SYSTEM FITTED TO COOLCYLINDERS IF REQUIRED.
STRICT SAFETY PROCEDURES ADHERED TO
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Interim Guidance – HMI 2001.•• Treat as a potential bomb do not move or Treat as a potential bomb do not move or
approach the cylinderapproach the cylinder•• Establish 200m hazard zone and use Establish 200m hazard zone and use
maximum shieldingmaximum shielding•• If safe to do so cool with copious amounts of If safe to do so cool with copious amounts of
water for 24 hours.water for 24 hours.•• After 24hrs transfer responsibility of cylinder After 24hrs transfer responsibility of cylinder
to gas supplier.to gas supplier.
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
FSM Vol 2 Fire Service OperationsAcetylene Cylinder Incidents 2003
• Establish a 200m hazard zone• Cool Cylinder for 24hrs• “Wetting Test” for reduction of cordons.
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
GN 15 Guidance• Competent Person – Levels of assistance• 1 hour ‘Wetting Test’ – If safe collapse the
cordon.• Continue to cool for further 24 hours.• Gas supplier will remove cylinder.
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Other Considerations
Age of cylinder and physical condition
Affect of Fire on cylinder and porous mass
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
SWEDISH APPROACH
PASSIVE
ACTIVE
USE OF ROBOTICS
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Health and Safety Laboratory ReportSafety of acetylene containing cylinders during and after involvement in fire FS/06/04 States,
“Water deluge can be an effective means of mitigating against a dissociation but it must be effective over the entire surface and must be continued over an extendedperiod. Little is known about the required rates or the time over which cooling must be continued”.
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Conclusion CFOA acknowledge that cooling the cylinder does reduce the potential for catastrophic failure. However there is no scientific evidence to support the likely time-frame that acetylene cylinders have to be cooled for, before cordons can be effectively reduced.
The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service
Acetylene Cylinders Involved in Fire
Kieran Nolan & Barry Jones
QUESTIONS??????