Impacts of Fire on Society, Importance of Fire Statistics and Trends in Fire Deaths - Assignment Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2013 Section A The effect of sprinklers on society Sprinklers work by attacking a fire immediately it starts. The destructive nature of fire has lead mankind to the innovation of ways and means to manage and control this phenomenon. Sprinklers are part of this and they have proved to be a big help to society in various ways. The loss of human life due to incidences of fire has occurred severally all over the world. Looking at the trends of the fatalities of fire in the UK since 2000 suggest a drop in the number of fatalities at sites where fire occurred. This is because of increased installation of sprinklers in buildings. The sprinklers attack fires at inception hence keeping it manageable. The sprinklers also act as an alarm hence notifying people of the presence of a fire leading to their safe evacuation of the building. Sprinklers have therefore been fundamental in the saving of human lives. The economic losses caused by fire breakouts are usually significant. In case destruction of industries by fire there, revenue is lost while workers are laid off permanently or temporarily as the industry is renovated. A rubber recycling plant in Newark caught fire destroying 12 engines and stopping its production activities. These types of incidents cause major losses but they can be reduced by the installation of sprinklers. Sprinklers work in such a way that they contain the spread of the fire hence keeping it manageable and reducing the eventual total loss. FM Global an insurance company estimates that sprinklers reduce the cost of fire loss by a factor of six(6) The occurrences of fires receive a lot of media coverage and international scrutiny. This generates a bad image of the country which ends up losing face. Tourists who may have been interested in going to such countries suddenly fear for their lives and cancel their visits. This happened to Spain which was in line to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The Torre Windsor fire acted against its selection and there was a drop in the number of tourists. Had a sprinkler system been in use a lot may have gone differently? (MacGrath, 2008) Loss of premises or buildings due to fire is all too common. As dealing with a raging out of control fire is nearly impossible, fire fighters usually act to prevent the spread of fire to adjacent properties. A document storage room in Arbor Park Middle School was saved due presence of sprinklers. The fire fighters admitted that the whole complex could have burned down but for the sprinklers. Waste water from fire fighting operations are some of the causes of ground water and surface contamination.6 million litres of water are on record to have been used in the fighting of the Torre Windsor fire. With no provisions made for the disposal of this water, large areas were affected. Had sprinklers been installed in the building, they could have kept the fire to controllable levels hence reducing the amount of water needed for the fire fighting efforts thus reducing the pollutant. Therefore it is safe to argue that sprinklers have gone a long way in reducing instances of water pollution by reducing the amount of water used in fire fighting efforts. Positive and Negative impacts of fire on society Fire is among the strange phenomena that has both negative and positive effects on the society. The positive effects of fire include: Fire helps in improving wildlife habitats. Research has shown that well controlled fires have improved the quality of feeds for herbivores. It has also been known to restore, improve and maintain the locale for certain species of animals. This controlled fire is responsible for getting rid of overgrown vegetation and allows the growth and development of new forms of vegetation. Therefore by keeping forests healthy through the consumption of diseases and harmful insects, fire allows society to build a better environment for wildlife that is of immense benefit to society. Fire has also had a large impact on the agricultural sector. Cattle ranches employ the use of fire to clear the tall dead bush and litter that hinders the access to green grass underneath. Fire is also used in the clearance of vegetation for agricultural purposes. To get rid of harmful diseases, fungi and pests, fire is the preferred form of farm clearance. Farmers have been known to use fire as a means to destroy stubble and debris after harvesting of cereal. This is preferred to ploughing back the stubble as it may contain pests and/or diseases that will harm future crops. Fire is also utilised by man in the mining industry. Traditional methods of open cast mining employ fire to break up hard rock thereby exposing the vein. It is also used in the extraction of non-timber plant products. These products include insecticides, latex, resin, syrup and herbal products. Fire therefore makes work easier. The negative impacts of fire on society are also well documented. There have been various cases of catastrophic wildfires that have had severe negative effects on society. Forests have numerous ecological, social and economic benefits. The importance of forests covers hydrological functions, prevention of erosion, and protection of the climate. Employment, ecotourism and aesthetic functions are other benefits of forests. Therefore, severe damage to forests by fire has a huge negative effect on society as it prevents society from obtaining the benefits derived from forests. Destruction of property and resources by fire is a major worry to society. Over the years fires have destroyed buildings, vehicles, buildings, agricultural infrastructure, bridges and machinery. The destruction of these essential facilities hinders societal growth and development. Fire causes death. In the period 2009-2010, 328 people perished as a result of fire in the United Kingdom. This was one and half per cent increase in fatalities compared to 2008-2009 where 323 people lost their lives from fire related incidents. This is a reduction of about 55 percent from the records of 1984-1985 where 726 people lost their lives. Even though the cases of fire fatalities have reduced over time, the pain and suffering caused to society by the fire menace is considerable. These destructive fires also leave a huge scar on the environment. Large wildfires cause erosion by removing vegetation and increasing soil water repellence. This leads to a reduction in infiltration and an increase in water runoff hence increased soil erosion. Fire also burns up the soil organic matter effectively reducing soil fertility. Reduction in soil fertility results in poor plant growth and production which adversely affects the dependants of the affected area. Pollution is another harmful effect of fire. Large fires produce carbon dioxide, smoke and water. Carbon dioxide and smoke are major air pollutants. Increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere leads to global warming while condensation around smoke and soot particles in the clouds causes global dimming. Pollution has considerable negative effects on the society. Importance of fire statistics and the changing trends in fire deaths from 2000-2010 Trends in fatalities caused by fire in Great Britain suggest that the number of deaths have dropped between 2000 and 2010. Statistics obtained from local governments report a drop in 40 percent over this period. In 2001-2004, there were one hundred and forty four reported deaths due to house fires that were as a result of smoking materials. The decline in fatalities is because of improved emergency response system and improved public awareness. Statistics on fire are different in nature. They provide the descriptions of the fire and are provided by the emergency services that are in charge of dealing with cases of fire. They include the victim of the fire, what caused the fire, the source of fire, casualties and the time taken to fight the fire. This information is very useful. It is used by local governments and the emergency providers on the ground to make decisions on their operation procedures, developing policy and promoting awareness of the public about the dangers associated with fire. These policies and procedures developed by the authorities are supposed to help them deal with future occurrences of fire with an improved efficiency The costs of fire are considerable. There is need to reduce these costs which include financial costs and fatalities. The statistics collected during past fire tragedies are analysed for the purpose of getting ways to reduce future costs or completely prevent any destruction by fire. The success of these strategies can only be measured by a reduction in the number of fatalities, a drop in the number of fires, injuries and property. These strategies are revised frequently with the emergence of new statistics. Manufacturing industries and related institution that deal with products related to fire fighting and fire prevention use the statistics to develop market and sales policies. Areas with a higher frequency of fire outbreaks are more likely to have the sales departments of these industries as there will be more market for their equipment. Construction companies and oversight committees of the construction industry will also need the statistics in order to make decisions on the design and material to use in the construction industry. The causes of fire, sources and frequency of fire are of special interest to construction companies as it determines the materials that will be used in the construction. These set of statistics is also important to the fire brigade as they use them to set fire regulation guidelines according to the different architectural design. Apart from construction companies, financial organisations also use these statistics. Risk analysis and sale policies of insurance companies depend on these statistics. When selling their insurance claims, insurance companies research carefully on all aspects of destruction that may occur and fire features heavily among these. In their allocation of capital to different emergency organisations like the fire brigade, local governments make use of fire statistics. These help in the equitable distribution of equipment and resources for fire fighting procedures. Regions with a higher frequency of fire occurrences get priority in the distribution of fire engines and supporting equipment. Trends in fatalities caused by fire in Great Britain suggest that the number of deaths have dropped between 2000 and 2010. Statistics obtained from local governments report a drop in 40 percent over this period. In 2001-2004, there were one hundred and forty four reported deaths due to house fires that were as a result of smoking materials. The decline in fatalities is because of improved emergency response system and improved public awareness. (Flame retardants, 2013) Section B Question one There are three states of matter. These are solids, liquids and gasses. Solids are substances that have a definite volume and shape. Its atoms are packed in a regular repetitive pattern. Solids, generally, can be converted into liquid form by melting while liquids can be changed into solids by freezing. Liquids are substances that take the shape of the container but have a constant volume. Solids, liquids and gases are made up of molecules. The molecules in solids are closed packed together as they have a stronger molecular attraction hence giving them the definite shape. Liquids have reduced forces of attraction holding the molecules together causing them to slip around each. They take the shape of the container because the molecules shift to fill the room left in the container. Water is a type of liquid. Its molecular formula is H20 H2O 2H+ + O- Gases on the other hand have very little molecular attraction and are loosely packed causing constant movement of its molecules hence the lack of definite shape. they take the shape and volume of the container. Question two i. 127.5°C =400.65k ii. 274°F=407.59k iii. 465°C=738.15k iv. 109°F=315.93k Question three v. 2LiNO3 + CaBr2 → Ca(NO3)2 +2 LiBr vi. AgNO3 + Li → LiNO3 + Ag vii. Si(OH)4 +4 NaBr → SiBr4 + 4NaOH viii. 2NaCN + CuCO3 → Na2CO3 + Cu(CN)2 Question four C2H5OH(l) + 3O2(g) → 2CO2(g) + 3H2O(l) Mass C2H5OH Moles C2H5OH moles CO2 Volume of CO2 at STP =80.37l CO2 Question five Molecular weight = 78 g/mol Atomic weight of Carbon(C) =12.011g/mol, Hydrogen (H) =1.008g/mol 12.011+1.008=13.019 g/mol ≈13g/mol Molecular weight of compound/molecular weight of empirical formula=(78g/mol)/(13g/mol) =6 Therefore the molecular formula for benzene = (CH)6=C6H6 Question six Different forms of fire extinction or suppression are available. They include Heat extraction: It is the cooling of the flame. A fire is extinguished when its adiabatic flame temperature is decreased to the lower temperature point. This leads to the ending of the combustion reaction and extinguishing the flame. When the fuel is cooled below its fire point, the fire is extinguished. Isolation of oxygen/Oxygen displacement. This is a fire extinction mechanism where the concentrations of the oxidizer, in this case oxygen, are reduced to below certain levels that cause the suppression of the fire. It therefore works by preventing oxygen from reaching the combustion zone. Reduction/isolation of fuel. This type of fire extinction takes advantage of the fact that there can be no fire without the presence of a fuel. When fuel is diluted to below its lower flammable limit, the fire is extinguished. Radiant heat reduction/attenuation. Occurs when the extinguishing agent operates like a thermal barrier that prevents additional heating caused by radiation of the burning fuel. The extinguisher also blocks radiant heat hence stopping the spread of the fire to the un-ignited fuel (Liu and Kim, 2006). Question seven Smouldering is a slow form of combustion which burns at low temperature and without the presence of a flame. Smouldering combustion occurs in materials that form considerable char during thermal decomposition. Materials that undergo smouldering combustion include cigarettes, upholstery and bedding (Babrauskas, 2013). Question eight a) Boyle’s law states that at constant temperature, the volume of a given amount of gas varies inversely to its pressure. This is to say when at a constant temperature (T), the product of pressure (P) and volume (V) for a certain amount of gas is constant. P1VI=constant or P1V1=P2V2 Ideal gas law PV=nRT Where R is the gas constant given by 8.3145(L.kPa/K.mol) or 0.082058(L.atm/K.mol) and n is the number of moles The combined gas law states that for a given amount of gas, its volume varies proportionally with the ratio of its temperature in Kelvin and its pressure P.V/T=constant or (P1VI/T1) = (P2V2/T2) For a. PV=nRT (5.1atm ×15l)/(6mol×0.082058[l.atm/k.mol])=155.38Kelvin b. PV=nRT 87degrees Celsius = 360 Kelvin n=PV/RT=(1.2atm×26l)/(0.082058[l.atm/k.mol]×360k)=1.056 mols Question nine Incomplete combustion is as a result of insufficient amounts of oxygen in the process or in cases when the burning process is quenched by a hit-sink. When there is incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon water (OH) is more likely to be found because as there is a chance for the hydrocarbon to form either carbon monoxide (CO) or simply carbon©, it is compulsory that there is formation of water. CH4 +O2=C +2H2O Or CH4 +2O2=CO2+2H20 Question ten Flames are divided into four categories. These categories include: a) Laminar premixed flames laminar means that the flow streamlines are smooth and do not jump around a lot while premixed means that the oxidizer and the fuel are mixed before combustion process takes place. An example of laminar premixed flame is a burnsen burner flame b. Laminar diffusion flames are candle flames. The fuel is from the wax vapour whilst the oxidizer is air which is introduced by diffusion into the flame zone. They do not mix before combustion. They burn up to a peak of 1400 degrees Celsius. Therefore, an example of laminar diffusion flame is luminous, candle flames. c. Turbulent premixed flames are those flames in which the fuel and air are premixed in a burner. The flow streamlines bounce around and is the complete opposite of a laminar flame. They include boiler flames. d. Turbulent diffusion flames are those where no burner exist for mixing the oxidizer and the fuel (Babrauskas, 2013). An example of turbulent diffusion flame is gas turbine. References MacGrath B, 2008, The societal impact of fire sprinklers. Available at Liu, L and Kim A, 2006, A review of water mist fire suppression systems. Available at < http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire00/PDF/f00180.pdf > Babrauskas V, 2013, Fire science and technology Inc. Available at Flame retardants, 2013, fire statistics in Great Britain: number of fire victims has been declining due to strict fire regulations. Available on Read More