Fire Safety


Health effects of breathing welding fumes include eye, nose, and throat irritation; possible lung damage; various types of cancer; kidney and nervous system damage; and suffocation when oxygen-displacing gases are involved in welding in confined or enclosed spaces.

Welding Safety Best Practices

Welders must be protected from electric shock, welding fumes, fire, and injuries that can be caused by insufficient PPE.

Dust Fire at Pencil Company Causes Minor Damage

The cause of the March 20 fire is believed to be a spark from a machine used during the pencil manufacturing process.

Study Recommends Revamping Special Education Facilities' Fire Alarm Systems

The findings identified three specific areas of concerns for special needs evacuations: strobe color and frequency, audible notification, and unpredictability for the students when the alarm would sound, as well as a lack of evacuation practice.

2017 Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award Winner Announced

Dolly Hulin from the Thomasville Fire Department in North Carolina has been named the winner.

NFPA 80

Maintaining Fire Compliant Openings

While most people using institutional and commercial buildings worry most about security issues these days, fires strike far more often than those types of emergencies.

Is there anything we can do to get the correct responses from the workers and save more lives?

Fire Alarm or Test?

Let's work on designing and conducting tests and drills so that alarms are for emergencies and the employees respond in a safe and proper manner.

NFPA Issues Fire Hose Safety Bulletin

"Research shows that flashover occurs eight times faster today, putting firefighters and their equipment at increased risk," said Ed Conlin, Public Fire Protection division manager. "It's important that fire departments follow fire hose codes and make tactical changes to keep first responders safe during fast-moving fires."

FDNY Adds 171 EMTs to Its Ranks

Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro presided over the Feb. 8 ceremony. "A sick call, a fire, a patient in cardiac arrest, an injured child or a woman in labor – no matter the situation, FDNY members work together, side by side, to care for their patients," he said.



EASA Updates Samsung Galaxy Note7 Guidelines

After monitoring the recall of Galaxy Note7, the agency has updated its guidelines.

NFPA Bulletin Highlights Risks of Protective Hoods

"Given the increase in occupational cancer incidents in the fire service, we feel it is best to err on the side of caution as we await additional scientific research on PPE and learn more about the absorption of carcinogens near the forehead, jaw, neck, and throat," said Ed Conlin, the NFPA Public Fire Protection division's manager.

CSB Releases Video Detailing 2013 Geismar Explosion

The explosion killed two workers and injured an additional 167. CSB identified a number of failed safety management processes.

Dallas Receives Reaccreditation as a Safe Community

The city was considered the nation’s first by the NSC 20 years ago.

Fire, Traffic Deaths Hit Record Lows in NYC Last Year

The mayor and fire commissioner said response times to fires and life-threatening medical emergencies improved by 5 seconds for fires and 21 seconds for medical calls in 2016, and they announced the early completion of the nation's largest smoke alarm giveaway/installation program.

Michigan OSHA Cites Exhaust Equipment Manufacturer

The agency reported its General Industry Safety and Health Division conducted an inspection at the Ypsilanti facility in response to an employee complaint alleging safety and health hazards. Citations were issued for eight serious, six repeat serious, three other-than-serious, and two repeat other-than-serious violations.

Tennessee Fire Marshal Honors Four Departments

The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office has recognized four fire departments in the state that collectively installed more than 400 smoke alarms in their communities as part of the SFMO's "100 for 100" initiative.

Community Risk Reduction is defined in NFPA 1035 as "programs, actions, and services used by a community, which prevent or mitigate the loss of life, property, and resources associated with life safety, fire, and other disasters within a community."

2015 Saw Third-Lowest Firefighter Injury Rate Since 1981: NFPA

The association's report showed there were an estimated 16,600 collisions involving fire department emergency vehicles responding to or returning from incidents during 2015 -- the highest number of collisions since NFPA began collecting data on collisions in 1990.

NTSB Closes Natural Gas Service Line Recommendation

The agency had recommended that PHMSA require that excess flow valves be installed in all new and renewed gas service lines, regardless of a customer's classification, when operating conditions are compatible with readily available valves, and a 2016 final rule has accomplished that.

NFPA Offers Tips for Fire Safety in Public Buildings

NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley delivered the association's tips, saying people need to practice them and not become complacent. Most people don't consider fire a significant risk, and complacency is one of the greatest dangers when it comes to fire safety, he explained.

The November 2016 letter says first responders "are particularly concerned about the health effects posed by the continued use" of certain flame retardant chemicals in consumer products.

Vermont Congressmen Seeks EPA Review of Three Flame Retardant Classes

EPA must select the first 10 "Work Plan" chemicals for this risk assessment by the end of 2016, and it has planned to publish the list in mid-December.

More U.S. home fires occur on Thanksgiving on average than on any other day, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Holiday, Needs Survey Put Added Emphasis on Fire Safety

NFPA said its latest survey of U.S. fire departments found there are extensive needs by departments of all sizes and in every area. USFA reminds us that home fires double on Thanksgiving.

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