fire risk

Drafting of the fire risk assessment document UNI ISO 16732-1 and EN ISO 19353 (Machines)

The risk assessment allows the employer, on the basis of the indications of UNI ISO 16732-1 and EN ISO 19353 (Machinery), to take the necessary measures to safeguard the safety of workers and other people in the workplace. These measures include:
  • risk prevention
  • information of workers and other people present
  • worker training
  • technical-organisational measures, intended to implement the necessary measures
The document must be periodically verified by the Employer and will be subject to revision following:
  1. structural adjustments
  2. plant adjustments
  3. new creations
  4. activation of construction sites inside buildings
  5. organizational and functional changes.
The fundamental criterion adopted in risk assessment is based on the identification of dangers in relation to different workplaces, in the analysis of risk factors and in the estimate of possible consequences.

The fire risk assessment considers:
a) the type of activity;
b) materials stored and handled;
c) the equipment present in the workplace including furnishings;
d) the construction characteristics of the workplace including covering materials;
e) the size and layout of the workplace;
f) the number of people present, whether employees or other people, and their readiness to leave in case of emergency.

The evaluation is therefore divided into the following phases.
identification of any fire danger such as easily combustible and flammable substances, ignition sources, situations that can cause the fire to spread easily; in particular, the following types of factors can be identified:
  1. combustible or flammable materials or substances: large quantities of paper materials, plastic materials and derivatives from petroleum processing, flammable liquids and vapours, flammable gases, explosive substances, flammable chemical products in combination with other substances that may be present, etc.;
  2. sources of ignition: open flames, sparks, electric arcs, high temperature surfaces, electrostatic charges, electromagnetic fields, machines, systems and equipment that are obsolete or do not comply with good practice standards, etc.;
  3. transversal factors: territory with high seismicity, proximity to other activities with a high fire risk, incorrect work methods, lack of maintenance of machines and systems, etc.
  4. identification of workers and other people present in the workplace exposed to fire risks, paying particular attention to the maximum foreseeable crowding, to the possible presence of occasional members of the public, with external people who are not aware of the workplaces and the safety procedures emergency, but that during that particular event there are disabled people, workers whose activity is carried out in areas at specific risk of fire or workers who carry out their activity in rooms or areas isolated from the rest of the workplace;
  5. elimination or reduction of fire hazards;
  6. assessment of residual fire risk;
  7. verification of the adequacy of existing safety measures or identification of any further provisions and measures necessary to eliminate or reduce residual fire risks.
  8. For example:
  • organize an efficient system of emergency routes and exits in implementation of what is indicated in Annex IV of Legislative Decree 81/08 and subsequent amendments and additions and in UNI ISO 16732-1 / EN ISO 19353 (Machines);
  • set up suitable measures to ensure rapid fire notification to all people present in the workplace;
  • install fire extinguishing devices and automatic and/or manual shutdown systems;
  • ensure that all fire fighting vehicles, equipment and devices are kept in perfect working order over time;
  • ensure that all emergency routes and exits are regularly checked in order to be constantly and perfectly usable in case of need;
  • ensure that all fire detection and alarm devices are subject to constant monitoring and periodic functioning tests so that they maintain adequate efficiency over time;
  • guarantee workers complete training and information on the fire risk related to the activity and specific tasks performed, on the prevention measures adopted in the workplace, on the location of exit routes, on the procedures to be adopted in the event of fire, on how to call the Bodies responsible for managing emergencies, etc.
The UNI ISO 16732-1:2020 standard provides the conceptual basis for fire risk assessment by stating THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE QUANTIFICATION AND INTERPRETATION OF RISK RELATED TO FIRE. These fire risk principles apply to all fire-related phenomena and all end-use configurations, which means that these principles can be applied to all types of fire scenarios.
Probability is the mathematical representation of uncertainty, and risk assessment is the form of fire safety analysis that most extensively uses probabilities and therefore most extensively addresses all types of uncertainty.
The risk assessment is preceded by two basic analyses:
• definition of a scenario, including the fire safety objectives to be met and the subjects of the fire risk assessment, and the related facts or hypotheses; And
• identification of the various dangers to be assessed. A “hazard” is something that has the potential to cause harm.
Fire risk assessment topics include the design and control of any part of the built environment, such as buildings or other structures.
The fire risk assessment of a project consists of risk analysis, for example analysis of the frequency and severity of damage expected as a result of design choices, combined with an assessment of the acceptability of those risks.
Fire risk assessment can be used to support any decision relating to fire prevention or protection of new or existing built environments, such as buildings, where probabilistic aspects, such as fire ignition or reliability of fire protection measures, are important .
The fire risk assessment can also be used to determine the safety equivalent to a code, to evaluate the balance between the risk reduction cost and benefit of a proposal, or to examine the acceptable risk relative to severe events.
The fire risk assessment can also be used to provide general guidance or to assist in the choice of scenarios and other elements of a deterministic analysis.

According to UNI ISO 16732-1 and EN ISO 19353 (Machines) “In the risk assessment document the employer evaluates the level of fire risk of the workplace and, if necessary, of individual parts of the same place, classifying that level in one of the following categories:

a) high level of risk: workplaces or parts of them, in which, due to the presence of particular highly flammable substances and/or local and/or operating conditions, there is a considerable probability of the development of fires with a strong probability of flame spread.
b) medium risk level: workplaces or parts of them, in which flammable substances are present and/or local and/or operating conditions may favor the development of fires, but in which, in the event of a fire, the probability of its propagation is to be considered limited. For example, the activities listed in Annex I of Presidential Decree 151/2011 are considered workplaces with medium fire risk.
c) low level of risk: workplaces, or part of them, in which substances with a low flammability rate are present and the local and operating conditions offer little possibility of starting a fire and in which, in case of fire, the probability of its spread is considered limited. In general, places that cannot be classified as medium or high risk, where, in general, flammable materials are present in limited quantities or poorly flammable substances and where the operating conditions offer limited possibilities for the development of a fire and its possible spread".
Share by: