66. [ Fire protection.] [Substituted vide Punjab Government Gazette L.S.P. III dated 19.3.1991.]
- (1) Process, equipment, plants, etc., involving serious explosion and serious fire hazards. - (a) All processes, storages, equipment, plants, etc. involving serious explosion and flash fire hazards shall be located in segregated buildings where the equipment shall be so arranged that only a minimum number of employees are exposed to such hazards at any one time.(b)All industrial processes involving serious fire hazards shall be located in buildings or work places separated from one another by walls of fire resistant construction.(c)Equipment and plant involving serious fire or flash fire hazards shall, wherever possible, be so constructed and installed that in case of fire, they can be easily isolated.(d)Ventilation ducts, pneumatic conveyers and similar equipment involving a serious fire risk shall be provided with flame-arresting or automatic fire extinguishing appliance, or fire resisting damps, electrically interlocked with heat sensitive or smoke detectors and the air-conditioning plant system.(e)In all work places having serious fire or flash fire hazards, passages between machines, installations or piles of material should be at least ninety centimeters wide and for storage piles, the clearance between the ceiling and the top of the pile should not be less than two metres.(2)Access for fighting. - (a) Buildings and plants shall be so laid and roads, passage ways etc. so maintained as to permit unobstructed access for fire fighting.(b)Doors and windows opening shall be located in a suitable position on all external walls of the building to provide easy access to the entire area within the building for fire fighting.(3)Protection against lightning. - Protection from lightning shall be provided for -(a)buildings in which explosive highly flammable substances are manufactured, used, handled or stored:(b)storage tanks containing oils, paints or other flammable liquid;(c)grain elevators;(d)buildings, tall chimneys or stacks where flammable gases, fumes dust or lint are likely to be present; and(e)sub-station buildings and out-door transformers and switch-yards.(4)Precautions against ignition. - Whenever there is danger of fire of explosion from accumulation of flammable or explosive substances in air, -(a)all electrical apparatus shall either be excluded from the area of risk or they shall be of such construction and so installed and maintained as to prevent the danger of their being a source of ignition;(b)effective measures shall be adopted for prevention of accumulation of static charges to a dangerous extent;(c)workers shall wear shoes without iron or steel nails to cause sparks by friction;(d)smoking, lighting or carrying of matches, lighters, or smoking materials shall be prohibited.(e)transmission belts with iron fasteners shall not be used; and(f)all other precautions, as are reasonably practicable, shall be taken to prevent initiation of ignition from all other possible sources such as open flames, frictional sparks, overheated surfaces of machinery or plant, chemical or physico-chemical reaction and radiant heat.(5)Spontaneous ignition. - Where materials are likely to induce spontaneous ignition, care shall be taken to avoid formation of air pocket and to ensure adequate ventilation. The materials susceptible to spontaneous ignition shall be stored in dry condition and shall be in heaps of such capacity and separated by such passage which will prevent fire. The materials susceptible to ignition and stored in the open, shall be at a distance not less than ten metres away from process or storage buildings.(6)Cylinders containing compressed gas. - Cylinders containing compressed gas may only be stored in open, if they are protected against excessive variation of temperature direct rays of sun or continuous dampness. Such cylinders shall never be stored near highly flammable substance furnaces, or hot processes. The room where such cylinders are stored shall have adequate ventilation.(7)Storage of flammable liquids. - (a) The quantity of flammable liquids in any work room shall be the minimum required for the process or processes carried on in such room. Flammable liquids shall be stored in suitable containers with close fitting cover:Provided that not more than twenty litres of flammable liquids having a flash point of 200C or less shall be kept or stored in any work room.(b)Flammable liquids shall be stored in closed containers and in limited quantities in well ventilated rooms of fire resisting construction which are isolated from the remainder of the building by fire walls and self closing fire doors.(c)Large quantities of such liquids shall be stored in an isolated and adequately ventilated building of fire resisting construction or in storage tanks preferably underground and at a distance from any building as required in the Petroleum Rules, 1976.(d)Effective steps shall be taken to prevent leakage of such liquids into basements, pumps or drains and to confine any escaping liquid within safe limits.(8)Accumulation of flammable dust, gas, fume or vapour in air or flammable waste material on the floors. - (a) Effective steps shall be taken for removal or prevention of the accumulation in the air of a flammable dust, gas, fume or vapour to an extent which is likely to be dangerous.(b)No waste material of flammable nature shall be permitted to accumulate on the floors and shall be removed at least once in a day or shift and more often, when possible. Such materials shall be placed in suitable metal containers with covers wherever possible.(9)Fire exits. - (a) In this rule -(i)"horizontal exit", means an arrangement which allows alternative egress from a floor area to another floor at or near the same level in an adjoining building or an adjoining Part of the same building with adequate separation; and(ii)"travel distance" means the distance an occupant has to travel to reach an exit.(b)An exit may be a doorway, corridor, passageway to an external stairway or to a verandah or to an internal stairway segregated from the rest of building by fire resisting walls which shall provide continuous and protected means of egress to the exterior of a building or to an exterior open space. An exit may also include a horizontal exit leading to an adjoining building at the same level.(c)Lifts, escalator and revolving doors shall not be considered as exits for the purpose of this sub-rule.(d)In every room of a factory, exits sufficient to permit safe escape of the occupants in case of fire or other emergency shall be provided which shall be free of any obstruction.(e)The exits shall be clearly visible and suitably illuminated with suitable arrangement irrespective of the fact that whatever artificial lighting is to be adopted for this purpose, to maintain the required illumination in case of failure of the normal source of electric supply.(f)The exits shall be marked in a language understood by the majority of the workers.(g)Iron rung ladders or spiral staircases shall not be used as exit stair cases.(h)Fire resisting doors or roller shutters shall be provided at appropriate places along the escape routes to prevent spread of fire and smoke, Particularly at the entrance of lifts or stairs where funnel or flue effect may be created inducing an upward spread of fire.(i)All exits shall provide continuous means of egress to the exterior of a building or to an exterior open space leading to a street.(j)Exits shall be so located that the travel distance to reach at least one of them on the floor shall not exceed thirty metres.(k)In case of those factories where high hazard materials are stored or used, the travel distance to the exit shall not exceed twenty-two-and-a-half metres and there shall be at least two ways of escape from every room, however small except toilet rooms, so located that the points of access thereto, are out of, or suitably shielded from areas of high hazard.(l)Wherever more than one exit is required for any room, space or floor exits shall be placed as remote from each other as possible and shall be arranged to provide direct access in separate direction from any point in the area served.(m)The unit of exit width used to measure capacity of any exit shall be fifty centimetres. A clear width of twenty-five centimetres shall be counted as an additional half unit. Clear width of less than twenty-five centimeters shall not be counted for exit width.(n)Occupants per unit width shall be fifty for stairs and seventy-five for doors.(o)For determining the exits required, the occupant load shall be reckoned on the basis of actual number of occupants within any floor area of ten square metres per person, whichever is more.(p)There shall not be less than two exits serving every floor area above and below the ground floor, and at least one of them shall be an internal enclosed stairway.(q)For every building or structure used for storage only, and every section thereof considered separately, shall have access to at least one exit so arranged and located as to provide suitable means of escape for any person employed therein, and in any such room wherein ten persons may be normally present, at least two separate means of exit shall be available as remote from each other as practicable.(r)Every storage area shall have access to at least one means of exit which can be readily opened.(s)Every exit doorway shall open into an enclosed stairway, a horizontal exit or a corridor or passageway providing continuous and protected means of egress.(t)No exit doorway shall be less than one hundred centimeters width. Doorways shall not be less than two hundred centimeters in height.(u)Exit doorways shall open outwards, that is, away from the room but shall not obstruct the travel along any exit. No door when opened, shall reduce the required width of stairway of landing to less than ninety centimetres. Overhead or sliding doors shall not be installed for this purpose.(v)An exit door shall not open immediately upon a flight of stairs. A landing at least 1.5 metre x 1.5 metre in size shall be provided in the stairway at each doorway. The level of landing shall be the same as that of the floor which it serves.(w)The exist doorways shall be openable from the side which they serve without the use of a key.(x)Exit corridors and passageways shall be of a width not less than the aggregate required width of exit doorways leading from there in the direction of travel to the exterior.(y)Where stairways discharge through corridors and passageways, the height of the corridors and passageways shall not be less than 2.4 metres.(z)A staircase shall not be arranged round a lift shaft unless the latter is totally enclosed by a material having a fire-resistance rating not lower than that of type of construction of the former.(aa)Hollow combustible construction shall not be permitted.(bb)The minimum width of an internal staircase shall be one hundred centimetres.(cc)The minimum width of treads without nosing shall be twenty-five centimetres for an internal staircase. The treads shall be constructed and maintained in a manner to prevent slipping.(dd)The maximum height of a riser shall be nineteen centimetres and the number of risers shall be limited to twelve per flight.(ee)Hand rails shall be provided with a minimum height of one hundred centimetres and shall be firmly supported.(ff)The use of spiral staircase shall be limited to low occupant load and to a building of height of nine metres, unless they are connected to platforms such as balconies and terraces to allow escapees to pause. A spiral staircase shall be not less than three hundred centimetres in diameter and have adequate head room.(gg)The width of a horizontal exit shall be the same as for the exit doorways.(hh)The floor area on the opposite or refuge side of a horizontal exit shall be sufficient to accommodate occupants of the floor areas served, allowing not less than 0.3 square metre per person. The refuge area shall be provided with exits adequate to meet the requirements of this sub-rule. At lest one of the exits shall lead directly to the exterior or street.(ii)Where there is difference in level between connected areas for horizontal exit, ramps not more than one in eight slope shall be provided. For this purpose steps shall not be used.(jj)Doors in horizontal exits shall be openable at all times.(kk)Ramps with a slope of not more than one in ten may be substituted for the requirements of staircase. For all slopes exceeding in ten and wherever the use is such as to involve danger of slipping, the ramp shall be surfaced with non-slipping material.(ll)In any building, not provided with automatic fire alarm, a manual fire alarm system shall be provided if the total capacity of the building is over five hundred persons, or if more than twenty-five persons are employed above or below the ground floor, except that no manual fire alarm shall be required in one storey buildings where the entire area is undivided and all Parts thereof are clearly visible to all occupants.(10)First aid fire fighting arrangements. - (a) In every factory there shall be provided and maintained adequate and suitable fire fighting equipment for fighting fires in the early stages, those being referred to as first-aid fire fighting equipment in this rule.(b)The types of first-aid fire-fighting equipment to be provided shall be determined by considering the different types of fire risks which are classified as follows :-(1)"Class A fire". - Fire due to combustible materials such as wood, textiles, paper, rubbish and the like;(i)"light hazard". - Occupancies like offices, assembly halls, canteens, rest-rooms, ambulance rooms and the like;(ii)"ordinary hazard". - Occupancies like saw mills, carpentry shop, small timber yards, book binding shops, engineering worshop and the like;(iii)"extra hazard". - Occupancies like large timber yards, godowns storing fibrous materials, flour mills, cotton mills, jute mills, large wood working factories and the like;(2)"class B fire". - Fire in inflammable liquids like oil, petroleum products, solvents, grease, paints etc.;(3)"class C fire". - Fire arising out of gaseous substances;(4)"class D fire". - Fire from reactive chemicals, active metals and the like;(5)"class E fire". - Fire involving electrical equipment and delicate machinery and the like.(c)The number and types of first-aid fire fighting equipment to be provided for 'light hazard' occupancy shall be as given in Schedule I to this rule. For 'ordinary hazard' or 'extra hazard' occupancies, as the case may be, equipment as given in paragraph 12 shall be provided, in addition to that given in Schedule I to this rule.(d)The first-aid fire fighting equipment shall conform to the relevant Indian Standards.(e)As far as possible the first-aid fire-fighting equipment shall be similar in shape and appearance and shall have the same method of operation.(f)All first-aid fire fighting equipment shall be placed in a conspicuous position and shall be readily and easily accessible for immediate use. Generally, these equipments shall be placed as near as possible to the exits or stair landing or normal routes of escape.(g)All water buckets and bucket pump type extinguishers shall be filled with clean water. All sand buckets shall be filled with clean, dry and fine sand.(h)All other extinguishers shall be charged appropriately in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer.(i)Each first-aid fire fighting equipment shall be allotted a serial number by which it shall be referred to in the records. The following details shall be painted with white paint on the body of each equipment, -(1)Serial number;(2)Date of last refilling; and(3)Date of last inspection.(j)First-aid fire fighting equipment shall be placed on platforms or in cabinets in such a way that their bottom is seven hundred and fifty milimetres above the floor level. Fire buckets shall be placed on hooks attached to a suitable stand or wall in such a way that their bottom is seven hundred and fifty milimetres above the floor level. Such equipment if placed outside the building, shall be under sheds or covers.(k)All extinguishers shall be thoroughly cleaned and re-charged immediately after discharge. Sufficient refill material shall be kept readily available for this purpose at all times.(l)All first-aid fire fighting equipment shall be subjected to routine maintenance, inspection, and resting to be carried out by properly trained persons. Periodicity of the routine maintenance, inspection and test shall conform to Indian standards.(11)Other fire fighting arrangements. - (a) In every factory adequate provision of water supply for fire fighting shall be made and where the amount of water required in litres per minute, as calculated from the formula A+B+C+D divided by 20, is 550 or more, power driven trailer pumps of adequate capacity to meet the requirements of water as calculated above shall be provided and maintained. In the above formula -A - the total area in square metres of all floors including galleries in all buildings of the factory;B - the total area in square metres of all floors and galleries including open spaces in which combustible materials are handled or stored;C - the total area in square metres of all floors over fifteen metres above ground level; andD - the total area in square metres of all floors of all buildings other than those of fire resisting construction;Provided that in area where the fire risk involved does not require use of water, such areas under B, C or D may, for the purpose of calculation be halved:Provided further that where the areas under B, C or D are protected by permanent automatic fire fighting installation approved by any fire association or fire insurance company, such areas may, for the purpose of calculation, be halved:Provided further that where the factory is situated at not more than three kilometres from an established city or town fire service, the pumping capacity based on the amount of water arrived at by the formula above, may be reduced by twenty-five per cent but no account shall be taken of this reduction in calculating water supply required under this clause.(b)Each trailer pump shall be provided with equipment as per Schedule II appended to this rule. Such equipment shall conform to the relevant Indian Standards.(c)Trailer pumps shall be housed in a separate shed or sheds which shall be sited close to a principal sources of water supplies in the vicinity of the main risks of the factory.(d)In factories where the area is such as cannot be reached by man hauling of trailer pumps within reasonable time, vehicles with towing attachment shall be provided at the scale of one for every four trailer pumps with a minimum of one such vehicle kept available at all times.(e)Water supply shall be provided to give flow of water as required under clause (a) for at least one hundred minutes. At least fifty per cent of this water supply or four lac and fifty thousand litres whichever is less, shall be in the form of static tanks of adequate capacities (not less than four lac and fifty thousand litres each) distributed round the factory with due regard to the potential fire risks in the factory. Where piped supply is provided, the size of the main shall not be less than fifteen centimetres diameter and it shall be capable of supplying a minimum of four thousand five hundred litres per minute at a pressure of not less than seven kilograms per square centimetre.(12)Personnel in charge of equipment and for fire fighting, fire drills, etc. - (a) The first-aid and other fire fighting equipment to be provided as required in sub-rules (10) and (11) shall be in the charge of a trained responsible person.(b)Sufficient number of persons shall be trained in the proper handling of fire fighting equipment as referred to in clause (a) and their use against the types of fire for which they are intended to ensure that adequate number of persons are available for fire fighting both by means of first-aid fire fighting equipment and by other means. Such persons shall be provided with clothing and equipment including helmets, belts and boots, preferably gum- boots. Wherever vehicles with towing attachment are to be provided as required in clause (d) of sub-rule (11), sufficient number of persons shall be trained in driving these vehicles to ensure that trained persons are available for driving them whenever the need arises.(c)Fire fighting drills shall be held as often as necessary and at least once in every period of two months.
