A fume extraction system needs to be safely installed in order to prevent fire accidents. A fume extraction ensures safety to the company’s workers its owner as well. However, even for the instalment of this fume extraction, one needs to take a number of precautions.
Precautions a person should take during Fume Extraction:
- Spark Arrestors: The first method of precaution during fume extraction is through spark arrestors. We all know the phrase that a single spark can cause a fire and it's important to take precaution in order to prevent loss of life and property The spark arrestor stops the fire at its most primary level, that is, a spark. In metalworking and fabrication industries, sparks are the most common cause of the fire.
A spark generally arises from the friction between the various metal surfaces of the machines and their lever joints. When a fume extraction system is installed without a spark arrestor that can result in a risk for the dust and sparks reaching the combustible filter cartridge. This is very dangerous and can cause a major fire in the factory. The centrifugal acceleration of spark arrestors removes the sparks from the continuous airflow in the pipes of the fume extractor. Then a dustbin is used to collect all the sparks and take them away from the main airflow source. Thus, the first precaution that one should take during fume extraction is using a spark arrestor. - Limestone Feeders: Limestone feeders are devices that prevent chemical fires during fume extraction. This is the second line of fire safety after spark arrestors. This is mainly used by factories which deal with welding of parts covered with rust preventive oils. These oils are generally inflammable in nature. Limestone feeders add an extra layer of security in this kind of environments. Limestone is a kind of element that reduces oil’s combustibility through absorbing the oily particulates and other substances. The limestone feeder unit injects limestone into the ductwork in a continuous manner to reduce the concentration of particulates in the air which is exhausted. Through the addition of limestone, the oil in the fume extraction system is converted into dry matter.
- Fire Detection: Apart from the above-mentioned precautionary methods, it is also necessary to have a good fire detection system during fume extraction. A good and efficient fire detection system ensures that a fire is detected at the earliest stage before it can do any considerable damage. It is a necessary precaution that one must take during fire prevention. A fire detection system recognizes the sparks, smoke and high temperatures that are created due to a fire. After this, it sends the necessary alarms of fire. Early detection of this kind of fire ensures that there is no damage to the filter system.
It also helps reduce the risks of a serious blaze. A fire detector is also designed to detect fire both when the system is in operation and when it is off. The fire detector must be installed in the ductwork opposite the filter, and in the filter housing in order to prevent a fire during fume extraction. A fire detection system performs multiple precautionary actions upon detecting a fire like, switching off the fan which supplies fresh air, closing of the pneumatic valves to isolate the fire, shutting down of the compressed air supply which is used for the cleaning of filter cartridges, and it also activates the system’s fire extinguishing feature.
Thus, we see that a serious fire during fume extraction can be easily prevented if one takes some necessary and required precautions. These precautions ensure the safe functioning of a workplace.