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