Fire safety: the basic warehouse rules

A warehouse fire starts from an unexpected place and spreads very fast. Cardboard, wooden pallets, polyethylene film, paper, clothing and plastic containers are all fuel, and tall racking draws flames upward like a chimney. A fire often starts not from expensive equipment or dangerous chemicals but from something small: an extension lead, a dropped cigarette, a charger left on overnight. Below are the basic rules every warehouse needs. Exact requirements (number of extinguishers, alarms, the evacuation plan) depend on the category of the building, so confirm them with the fire safety service.

What burns and how it starts

A warehouse is a huge store of fuel in itself, even without any hazardous chemicals. So the main job is to reduce the causes of ignition:

• electricity: an overloaded extension lead, a hot socket, damaged wiring, a heater left on overnight;
• charging: forklift batteries, scanners, phones, couriers' e-bikes and scooters;
• smoking: it should be banned in the warehouse entirely;
• hot work: welding, cutting, naked flames;
• oily rags and accumulated waste, which can heat up and ignite on their own.

Escape routes

In a fire the main task is to get people out. An exit must not be locked during working hours: the habit of "the key is with the guard" is one of the most dangerous. The door should open outward and nothing should stand in front of it. Empty pallets, trolleys and returned goods piling up by a door are very common.

At every entrance and at the head of each aisle there should be an evacuation plan with a "you are here" mark. Exit signs should be lit, and better still visible when the power fails. Walk from the farthest point of the warehouse to the nearest exit and time it with a stopwatch: without that figure you cannot say the route is "sufficient". Outside, set an assembly point away from the road and from vehicles.

Extinguishers and alarms

The type of extinguisher must suit the kind of hazard. Powder is universal for most cases, while carbon dioxide is convenient for electrical equipment. Live equipment must never be put out with water. An extinguisher can be used in the early stage of a fire, so it should hang where any employee can reach it within a few steps: in plain view, at a convenient height and without obstructing the way. Stock on racking must not hide it: mark the spot beneath it on the floor.

Every extinguisher should carry a check date: is the seal intact, is the gauge needle in the green zone, is the hose cracked. If there are an alarm and automatic suppression, do not fill the space around the detectors and sprinklers with goods, otherwise the system reacts late or the water cannot reach the fire.

Daily routine

Safety is made of small habits, not big decisions:

• at the end of a shift electrical equipment is switched off, and charging is done only in the designated place under supervision;
• the space in front of the electrical panel and sockets is always clear, and goods do not touch lamps or heaters;
• cardboard, film and wooden waste is taken out at the end of the shift and not left to pile up in a corner;
• flammable liquids and gas cylinders are kept apart from ordinary goods (we wrote about this in the article on hazardous goods);
• welding and cutting get a written permit beforehand, and the spot is watched for a while after the work.

Staff and drills

An employee who does not know the rules cannot follow them. A newcomer is briefed on the first day and shown the escape route. At least twice a year hold a real drill: sound the alarm, take people to the assembly point and count them against a list. The list must include drivers, visitors and temporary workers, who are often forgotten. Agree in advance who raises the alarm, who calls the fire service (101 in Uzbekistan) and who counts people at the assembly point.

Goods can be bought again, a person cannot: in a fire the first decision is always the same.

Try an extinguisher only when the fire is small and the exit is behind you. If the flames start to spread, close the door, raise the alarm and leave.

Conclusion

Fire safety rests on three things: clear escape routes, working extinguishing equipment and people who know the rules. During a warehouse audit, SkladKontrol helps examine the order in storage areas and aisles and note shortcomings such as blocked routes; the official fire inspection remains the responsibility of the competent services.