Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Acetylene Cylinders Involved in Fire Kieran Nolan & Barry Jones

Transcript of Acetylene Cylinder Fire

Page 1: 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

Page 2: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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.

Page 3: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service

HSL TESTS MID 1990’S

Page 4: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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

Page 5: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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.

Page 6: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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.

Page 7: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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.

Page 8: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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

Page 9: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

The Chief Fire Officers’ AssociationThe professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service

SWEDISH APPROACH

PASSIVE

ACTIVE

USE OF ROBOTICS

Page 10: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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”.

Page 11: Acetylene Cylinder Fire

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.

Page 12: 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

QUESTIONS??????