For the past 100 years, a national fire prevention campaign has endeavored to prevent serious or fatal fires both at home and on the job. Over a century ago, President Woodrow Wilson initially proclaimed October 9, 1920, as “National Fire Prevention Day.” Today, the White House recognizes the second week of October as “National Fire Prevention Week,” with various public service campaigns running for the entire month of October.
Industrial Fire Accidents
While tragic fires can erupt in many places, some of the most deadly and devastating fires are those that happen on the job in industrial accidents. Sadly, while researchers have documented a handful of causes for these industrial fires, these workplace catastrophes continue to occur.
From a safety advocate perspective, almost every single fatality or permanent injury caused by an industrial fire accident here in Illinois and Indiana is preventable. Why?
First, the hazards are known. Industrial fires are predictable, not mysterious, in their cause.
Second, there are legal and regulatory safety measures in place for employers to follow that will protect workers from harm. Often, merely breaching the simple duties of worksite housekeeping, inspection, repair, and maintenance practices will be determined to have caused an industrial fire with its deadly consequences.
NFPA: Major Causes of Industrial Fires
What are these recognized causes of industrial worksite fires? The National Fire Prevention Association (“NFPA”) publishes fire data for the United States. In studies of industrial fires, the NFPA considers industrial fires to include a variety of enterprises, from “… manufacturing and processing, agriculture, utility or distribution systems, energy production, laboratories, mines or quarries, and forest, timberland, or woodlands.” For more, read NFPA’s “Fires in U.S. Industrial or Manufacturing Properties,” written by Richard Campbell and published by the National Fire Prevention Association in April 2018.
According to the NFPA, the major causes of industrial fires in this country are:
- Electrical distribution and lighting equipment
- Heating equipment
- Intentional fires.
Different industries have different risks. The NFPA warns that:
- Structure fires are more common in manufacturing or processing properties
- Vehicle fires are more common in agricultural properties
- Electrical distribution and lighting equipment was involved in 24% of structure fires
- Heating equipment was involved in another 16% of structure fires.
- Hot ember or ash was the leading heat source in 15% of outside non-trash fires in industrial properties.
- Vehicle fires are more common in the fall months, particularly in October, likely due to harvesting
For more, read Explosives and Fire: Workplace Explosion Accidents; and Burn Injuries and Death in Fire Accidents: October is National Fire Prevention Month.
Safety Researchers: Major Causes of Industrial Fires
Other research has been undertaken by industry experts who are dedicated to protecting workers against industrial fire incidents. Read, “The Most Common Industrial Fire Hazards (and What to Do About Them),” written by Todd Wells and published by Safeopedia on October 15, 2019.
From their studies come the following warnings of the major causes of industrial fires:
- Flammable Gases and Liquids
- Electrical Malfunctions
- Combustible Dusts
- Hot Work
- Equipment and Machines.
Employers’ Duty of Care to Protect Against Worker Industrial Fire Injuries on the Job
Workers in our local steel mills, manufacturing plants, factories, commercial construction sites, commercial farming and agricultural operations, mines, quarries, etc., are entitled to have protection and safety from fire hazards provided from their employers as well as all others in possession, custody, or control of aspects of their industrial worksite.
These duties include following the federal safety regulations mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for their particular industry as well as those safety standards established by the NFPA. See, e.g., OSHA’s Safety and Health Regulations for Construction: Fire Protection and Prevention — Flammable Liquids [Standard].
Any worker who is at risk of harm from fire on an industrial worksite should be kept safe through the processes and procedures defined by these safety protocols.
Hazardous Chemicals
For instance, flammable gasses and liquids should be kept safe from erupting into a blaze by employers doing things like reading, understanding, and following the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each and every chemical hazard on the site. For more on SDS, read Chemical Injuries on the Job: Continued Widespread Failure to Comply with Federal Safety Standard.
Electricity and Live Wires
Electricity is notorious for starting fires on the job and at home. On industrial worksites, employers and others in control of aspects of the site should routinely inspect the workplace for any live wires, damaged cables, or electrical equipment in need of repair or replacement. For more, read Electric Power Lines and Live Wires on the Worksite: Serious or Fatal Electricity Accidents.
Combustible Dust
Combustible dust is particularly dangerous for workers in grain facilities, coal mining, metal work, and chemical manufacturing plants. Confined spaces necessary for workers to do their jobs in these industries also contribute to the danger of an industrial fire. Those in control of these worksites have legal responsibilities to do things like wetting down the dust as well as routinely removing the dust as part of the workplace’s housekeeping procedures with vacuuming, down draft tables, etc. For more, read Workplace Housekeeping and Serious Accidents on the Job: Duty of Care.
Hot Work
Hot work, of course, comes with an obvious risk of industrial fire. Welding comes with a duty to have only those with proper training in the hot work area, as well as ongoing supervision of the worksite to make sure no combustibles are near the welding, and having preemptive safety measures in place including fire blankets, evacuation procedures in place, etc. For more, read Hot Work Industrial Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: Employer’s Duty of Care.
Justice for Industrial Fire Accident Victims and Their Loved Ones
For anyone earning a living in an industrial environment here in Indiana or Illinois, there will be daily dangers to face each day in that industrial workplace. The risks will depend upon the worksite: a welder at a Chicago dock faces different risks than agricultural workers loading grain or someone working at an Indiana steel mill.
Every employer, as well as all third parties with legal possession, custody, or control of any part of that workplace has legal responsibilities to keep all workers on that site safe from harm. This is especially true for the known risks of industrial fires. The steps necessary to keep workers safe from being injured or killed in a workplace fire are not complicated and they are well-known.
When an industrial fire hurts someone on the job here in Indiana or Illinois, then there are state and federal laws that provide legal remedies for that fire accident victim and their loved ones. These may involve state or federal workers compensation benefits as well as third party claims based upon personal injury law against others who have breached their legal duties of care with tragic results.
For more, read:
- Workplace Safety and OSHA Regulations in Indiana and Illinois
- Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents: Third Party Injury Claims
- Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims for On-the-Job Accidents
- The Two Main Differences Between Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims for Accident Victims in Indiana and Illinois.
Industrial fires are often deadly and usually cause permanent disability or harm to the fire worker victims. These are preventable accidents. This month’s Fire Prevention Awareness campaign should remind employers of their duty to protect workers from fire. Please be careful out there!
