INCINERATOR / COMPACTOR FIRES

Transcription

1 FIRES 7 March 15, 1997 INCINERATOR / COMPACTOR FIRES 1 SIZE-UP: INCINERATORS AND COMPACTORS 1.1 New York City Regulations encourage the use of compactors rather than incinerators, and require that incinerators be used only with safeguards. This policy reduces the risk of fire or smoke emergencies occurring, but does not eliminate them. New incinerators can be installed in hospitals and in municipal buildings. In existing buildings, an incinerator must either be converted to a compactor or be updated by adding a scrubber, an auxiliary gas or fuel burning mechanism and oversized fans. New buildings (except hospitals and municipal buildings) are permitted to install only compactors. 1.2 Typical problems. A. Heavy smoke conditions, in which people may be overcome by smoke or may panic. NOTE:Some hallways do not have windows that can be ventilated. B. Extension is unlikely but is much more probable in the case of a compactor than in the case of an incinerator, since compactor chutes are not designed for burning. Therefore the operational priorities are different, viz: 1) Compactor - Put the fire out. 2) Incinerator - Clear the blockage. 1.3 An important factor is to determine if it is a compactor or an incinerator. A compactor fire is a structural fire while an incinerator fire which does not extend or communicate from the shaft is an emergency. If the fire extends from the incinerator shaft it is a structural fire. Some ways of determining what we are dealing with are: A. You may know ahead of time, perhaps through AFID whether the building has an incinerator or a compactor. B. A large number of plastic bags on the sidewalk may indicate a compactor. C. Steel cans filled with ashes may indicate an incinerator. D. In City Housing Projects, the chute door on the first floor may be color coded: RED for incinerator, GRAY for compactor. 1

2 2. INCINERATOR OPERATIONS 2.1 Officer, FE team, and OVM of the ladder company will generally operate inside the building to ventilate, search, and to locate the blockage. A. Examples of ventilation. 1) Vent windows in halls, if there are windows. 2) Chock open doors to stairwells on floors with smoke conditions to allow vertical ventilation up stairwells. NOTE: The roof firefighter (see below) can vent stairways by opening the door of the bulkhead and securing it. B. Search floors above and below the source of the smoke where heavy smoke conditions call for this. 2.2 Locating the blockage. A. If you open a chute door on a floor and smoke comes out, the blockage is generally above that floor. Refer to Reference #2 B. If instead, when you open it, a draft goes inward or there is little smoke, the blockage is generally below that floor or the blockage has freed itself. Refer to Reference #2 NOTE: If smoke is present on the uppermost floor, there may be a clogged or blocked spark arrester or fly ash collector. (See roof firefighter, below) 2.3 Possible ways to free the blockage once it is located. A. Bent reinforcing rod that is about 10 feet long, and bent into an L shape, can be used to push down the blockage from above. B. The blockage can be pushed down with a hook. NOTE: Some hopper frames can be removed to provide easier access to the chute. C. Tie a heavy weight to a rope and drop it from above. NOTE: Don't drop anything which is not secured with a rope, whether it is a brick, a cinder block, or a cement block. 1) It may damage the chute or compound the problem if the blockage is not cleared. 2) More important, it is possible to injure members operating below. D. If the blockage cannot be freed by use of the above methods, consider burning it off. (This is used only on incinerators). NOTE: Caution must be taken to avoid any extension. 2

3 E. If all else fails, a hoseline can be used from the floor above to extinguish the fire. NOTE: Whenever fire is put out by flooding the shaft with water, the auxiliary gas or fuel burner must be shut down. If possible shut it down before flooding. This will mitigate the danger of explosive gases in shaft. F. The roof firefighter of the ladder company proceeds to roof to ventilate stairways and to check spark arrester for blockage. As stated above, the bulkhead door can be opened and secured in order to vent stairways. NOTE: It is very important that, before the roof firefighter leaves the lobby he chocks open the stairwell door at the ground floor level. This will provide for maximum draft and vertical ventilation when the roof bulkhead door is opened. G. If there is a spark arrester, it should be checked for blockage. If there is blockage, the roof firefighter should notify the officer and attempt to clear it. Be cautious of fly ash collector. Refer to Reference #1. H. If there is a fly ash collector, there may be blockage inside the incinerator chute, at the top. If there is, the roof firefighter should notify his officer for assistance and start to force entry into the collector and clear the blockage. Refer to Reference #1. NOTE: A fly ash collector is an area near top of the incinerator vent shaft for collecting fly ash that results from incomplete combustion of the waste material. It can be as small as an enlarged area in the shaft or as large as a small room. It is always equipped with a means of access cleaning (generally a steel door). Use caution in the larger collectors because there may be an open hole in the floor large enough to fall into. Also, if the area is small, hot ash may come down on member when opening door. 2.4 The duties of the chauffeur of the ladder company will vary dependent upon conditions. The chauffeurs duties may be: A. To locate and check out the incinerator room. NOTE: The chauffeur may have to operate the fans to improve ventilation. B. If the blockage is between the incinerator and the first floor, a hook may have to be used to pull it down from below. (Shut off the auxiliary burner before commencing operations!) C. It may be necessary for the chauffeur to assist in search and ventilation of the building as ordered by the officer. 3

4 3 INCINERATOR SAFETY 3.1. Pay special attention to safety whenever you open a chute door. When chute doors are opened, dust explosions, exploding aerosol cans, and the eruption of fire are real possibilities. 3.2 Take the following precautions when opening a chute door: A. Be sure you are wearing full firefighting gear, including gloves and eye shields down. Consider using a mask if necessary. B. Stand to the side of the hopper door. If the door is hinged, stand on the hinged side. C. Eyes should be below the opening, and face turned away. D. Always stay clear of the opening, in case there should be an explosion or an eruption of fire. E. Shining a flashlight up or down the chute may aid in locating the blockage or observing smoke movement. Refer to Reference #2 3.3 Members attempting to clear a blockage from the base of the incinerator should shut off the auxiliary burner before commencing operations. Gas explosions of some consequence involving the auxiliary gas burners, while infrequent events, have occurred. 4 ENGINE COMPANY OPERATIONS 4.1. Engine companies shall be guided by the following: A. Generally, the engine company will stand-fast in the lobby with masks, rolled ups and standpipe kit. 1) Some members may be used to assist the ladder company in search, vent, etc. However, generally the officer and at least 2 men shall remain in the lobby. B. If it is determined that the chute is to be flooded, a line is stretched to the floor above the fire and operated into the chute. 4.2 Additional considerations: A. There are buildings with incinerators and compactors that do not have standpipes. This will necessitate a hand stretch if a line is needed. B. If after investigation, it is determined that the fire is in the basement incinerator room, entry may have to be made via an outside entrance. Use S.O.P. for basement fire. 4

5 5. COMPACTOR OPERATIONS 5.1 The air quality standards for New York City were revised by Local Laws 14 of 1966 and 49 of 1971 to improve the air pollution situation. In compliance with these laws, new buildings were equipped with compactors and many existing incinerators were converted to compactors. 6. COMPACTOR DESCRIPTION 6.1 There are several shapes, sizes and manufacturers of compactors. 6.2 A compactor is designed to reduce the volume of raw refuse. The refuse is dropped down a chute from the floors above, and guided by a shaped hopper into the compactor chamber. When the chamber is full, a photo electric beam is broken, initiating a ram that forces the refuse through a nozzle leading to a bag or container. This photo electric mechanism operates on a delayed time principle. An object must block the beam for four seconds before the compactor starts. The time factor may be either consecutive or accumulative. 6.3 Diagram of Typical Compactor 5

6 6.4 Cutaway view of operation cycle of a compactor Chute Door One located every floor No. 1 Refuse is dropped down the chute from floors above. It is guided by the shaped hopper into the compactor chamber. The refuse is in a closed system from the time it is dropped down the chute until it goes into the bag. Bag Sleeve Ram Retracted Position No. 2 When the chamber is full, a photo electric beam is broken which starts the compactor. The ram moves forward shearing any refuse not fully in the chamber. The ram forces the refuse through the compactor nozzle and into the bag sleeve or container. Ram Extended Position 6

7 6.4 (Continued) No. 3 The ram returns to the starting position and the machine is automatically shut off. The compactor chamber is again ready to receive refuse. No. 4 The cycle is repeated. Each cycle fills a segment of the bag sleeve making it look like a sausage. The custodian separates the bag sleeve into Individual bags by simply pushing down on the pleated section and tying the ends of the bag. Most compactors do not reduce the volume of refuse significantly. They do package it for a more orderly removal. Note: A container may be utilized in lieu of the multiple bag system 7

8 6.5 The type of compactor that FDNY units most frequently encounter is the incinerator conversion, installed at the base of the original incinerator chute. It is usually located in a separate room, accessible from the rear of the building. 7. FIRE PROTECTION 7.1 The compactor room should be fire resistive, protected by a fire door and supplied with an automatic sprinkler. 7.2 A water outlet and a hose are required in the compactor room. 7.3 According to Department of Buildings Rules for Construction and Maintenance of Refuse Chutes and Refuse Rooms, sprinkler heads shall be provided in compactor units. The sprinkler heads shall be arranged so that they may be readily replaced, unless the heads are electrically operated and are approved by the Board of Standards and Appeals. The electrically operated head is thermostatically controlled to operate at approximately 135 F. Once activated, it will flow until temperature falls below 135 F., when it will shut off. This is an open sprinkler head, designed not to be replaced after activation. It is a permanent feature of the compactor unit. Many times the head will not operate because it is clogged with refuse. 7.4 A small O. S. & Y. valve, controlling both the automatic head within the compactor and any heads within the compactor room, is usually found on the water line in or near the compactor room. OS&Y for sprinkler is located in the supply line. It can be either inside or outside of compactor room. Sprinkler heads are not only in the compactor room but also in the compactor unit and in the chute. If they are not operating, they may have been previously shut down by maintenance or the heads may be insulated from heat by the garbage. NOTE: The FDNY does not replace sprinkler heads. 7.5 In refuse chutes constructed in new construction, sprinklers shall be provided spaced not more than two stories apart for the height of the chute. They shall be recessed and so arranged that fused sprinkler heads may be readily replaced unless electrically operated. 8

9 8. COMPACTOR FIRE OPERATIONS 8.1 The operations at compactor fires will be governed by the location of the fire. There are three categories of compactor fires: in the chute, in the unit, or in the compactor room. 8.2 Chute fire (operations). A. The first engine company to arrive will proceed to one level above the burning material, stretch a line and operate into the chute to extinguish the fire. Freeing the blockage, as you would in an incinerator fire, could result in a more serious situation in the compactor unit, because it is not designed for burning refuse. The possibility of extension is greater in the unit than in the chute. 1) OV of the ladder company operates with engine company to provide access to the chute and check for extension. B. The officer and forcible entry team of the ladder company will operate in the compactor room. 1) The officer and forcible entry team must first, locate the electrical shut off and shut power to the unit before operations commence. NOTE: The shut off will generally be on the wall in the compactor room. The compactor unit can be operated if there is a need, to help clear the unit; however, extreme caution must be exercised. Refer to Reference #3. 2) After the engine company has extinguished the fire, the ladder company may begin overhauling. Before opening the compactor unit access door be sure the hoseline is shut down and sprinkler OS&Y is closed. If the engine is still using the line or the sprinkler is still operating, glass and other debris may be driven out of the compactor unit. 3) Open door to unit and pull garbage to reach fire. 4) Most rooms have a hook up for a garden hose. Use it to wet down debris as it is pulled from chute. 5) Check for extension. C. The roof firefighter of the ladder company will generally proceed to the roof to vent. 1) After venting roof, this member will search and vent stairways floors, etc., as needed. D. The chauffeur's duties will vary and will generally be as directed by the officer to: 1) Provide special tools in the compactor room or assist in search and venting, etc. 9

10 8.3 Fire in Compactor Unit (no extension to the chute). A. If the fire has not extended into the room, the engine company stretches a line to first floor, and operates into chute to extinguish the fire. B. OV operates with engine to provide access to the chute and to check for extension. C. The roof firefighter of the ladder company will generally proceed to the roof to vent. 1) After venting roof, this member will search and vent stairways floors, etc., as needed. D. The chauffeur's duties will vary and will generally be as directed by the officer to: 1) Provide special tools in the compactor room or assist in search and venting, etc. E. The officer and forcible entry team of the ladder company will operate in the compactor room. 1) The officer and forcible entry team must first locate the electrical shut off and shut power to the unit before operations commence. NOTE: The shut off will generally be on the wall in the compactor room. The compactor unit can be operated if there is a need, to help clear the unit; however, extreme caution must be exercised. Refer to Reference #3. 2) After the engine company has extinguished the fire, the ladder company may begin overhauling. Before opening the compactor unit access door be sure the hoseline is shut down and sprinkler OS&Y is closed. If the engine is still using the line or the sprinkler is still operating, glass and other debris may be driven out of the compactor unit. 3) Open door to unit and pull garbage to reach fire. 4) Most rooms have a hook up for a garden hose. Use it to wet down debris as it is pulled from chute. 5) Check for extension. 8.4 Fire Extended from Compactor into Room. Fire fighting tactics same as a cellar fire. 10

11 9. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 9.1 Members working in area of compactor unit should make sure they have gloves on, eye shields down, and keep arms and hands out of unit. Bottles, spray cans and other potentially dangerous debris may be falling down chute. 9.2 Electrical Compactors are powered by high voltage electrical lines (approximately 210 Volts). To eliminate the potential hazard, disconnect power at electrical shut off. 9.3 Mechanical Compactor ram has a packing force of approximately 50,000 pounds, depending on size of the unit and the manufacturer. It is triggered by a photo electric circuit. When the electric power is shut off, the hydraulic ram is also deactivated, eliminating the danger of injury from the ram. 9.4 Hydraulic If the hydraulic lines rupture, the escaping flammable fluid adds to the potential of the fire. This would also create a slippery condition for members operating in the area. BY ORDERS OF THE FIRE COMMISSIONER AND CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT 11

12 Fly ash collector: REFERENCE #1 An enlarged area near the top of the incinerator shaft, at or above the roof level. It can be as small as 4 ft. x 4 ft. or as large as a small room. It is equipped with a steel plate door which is the access for cleaning. CAUTION: With the larger fly ash rooms, there may be no safeguards around the incinerator shaft. Other than an inordinate amount of ash on the floor there would be no indication of the extreme hazard. One can fall into the shaft, via the fly ash room, and terminate in the basement. The smaller fly ash collectors are frequently chest high and upon opening the cleanout door hot ash and debris will cascade down on member. 12

13 REFERENCE # 2 13

14 REFERENCE #3 Compactor Safety Hazards Electrical. Of necessity, compactor machinery makes use of high voltage. Whenever high voltage is present at an operation, there is always the potential for electrical shock injuries. An electric shut-off for the compactor equipment is provided in the refuse room. Generally, this shut-off should be used to deactivate the equipment before beginning operations. Moving parts present a potential crushing injury; another reason for deactivating the equipment. However, it is recognized that in a specific situation, it might be advantageous to operate portions of the equipment in order to facilitate extinguishment. When this is necessary, try to obtain the assistance of qualified building personnel. Make certain that members and tools are clear of all operating parts. Sprinkler Head Replacement. If the head inside the compactor has been activated, and is of the replaceable type, members should not attempt replacement. The head is frequently difficult to reach, and members should not be exposed to possible injury at this task. It is the responsibility of the building maintenance personnel to put the system back in service. 14

15 REFERENCE # 4 FORMERLY SAFETY MESSAGE # 30 Topic: Particulars: Failure of ladder leading to incinerator screen on roof of housing project. While operating at a clogged incinerator, member determined that the blockage was in the spark arrestor at the top of the shaft, access to the top of the shaft was via a metal ladder. Member gave ladder a shake to check for secureness. He then proceeded to climb the ladder and as he got to the top, the ladder pulled loose from the brickwork causing him to fall approximately 12 feet to the roof. If the Ladder had tilted to either side, he could have fallen 25 stories to the street below. The member sustained the following injuries as a result of this fall Multiple lacerations Abrasions Fracture of the left elbow Stitches in the right ear Stitches in the left leg Swelling in left ankle Swelling in right cheek bone Soreness in neck Soreness to back Corrective Action: Conclusion: All ladders attached to buildings must be vigorously shaken before ascending. While ascending be aware that it still may fail or have weakened rung. Degree of maintenance on many of these ladders is poor at best. They are to be treated with caution. 15