Housekeeping was cited by the city fire inspection as

Housekeeping was cited by the city fire inspection as being of concern. There was a
variety of food materials, household cleaners and chemicals, paper products, and oil being stored
in the facility. Without knowing specifically how the facility was arraigned, other than a racking
system it is hard to determine the storage practices, but the fire department reported the need for
training on storage practices and segregating materials. However, the given variety of materials
could pose significant hazards with the mixture of dry materials, food products, and chemicals.
The fire itself was ignited by welding activities within the vicinity of cardboard on the floor, the
cardboard ignited and spread. Apparently, the cleanliness and waste management come into

3
Unit II: Case Study, Fire Protection
question. It is stated that during the firefighting event, that oil was on the floor making it slick
and unsafe. Most oils have flammable properties which are now managed by water in an
effective manner. Oil, beyond being slick, can float on water and still burn where it collects on
the water.
As with OSHA requirements and local planning, the quality of the response to the fire
was based on the lack of planning and preventative measures. The appropriate measures had not
been taken internally. OSHA requires planning and prevention in a standard OHS policy under
general requirements (1910.22, n.d.). This states that hazard assessments be completed,
strategies for emergencies be in place, and that engineered systems go through testing. As with