Fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility. And to be reminded consistently, companies are required to hold trainings on how to manage when fire is to strike. It is mostly important in industries which operate with construction and heavy equipment materials. Still, when responsibility is to be considered, there is one person to turn to: the technician. Nobody knows the condition of the machine better than him.
On a second thought, there are a lot of sole equipment owners and operators who do not have the resources to join company trainings or hire technicians. For this, Axis Capital Group, company which sells and rents heavy equipment operating in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, along with a handful of engineers whose job it is to investigate heavy equipment and industrial fires, finds out the most common sources of fire and what you can do to prevent them:
Reviewing the basic components of heavy equipment, there are two likely possible sources of fire: ignition and source of fuel. However, because of the complexities of the make of today’s machines, sources of fire can come from anywhere:
1. Overheated Components
There are other sources that we are unaware of. On heavy equipment overheated exhaust manifolds, seized bearings or locked brakes can generate enough heat to ignite many different sources of fuel.
2. Frayed Wirings
A single taut wire can cause the system to defect. A damaged wire can produce even greater damage. A lot of accidents involving wires are caused by the increasing number of supplies in the gray market. Fraudulent ones can get mixed with the good ones and can be bought by an unsuspecting client. It is best to check your wires for any damaged ones as well to prevent further damage.
3. Tires
Tires, when overly used, can wear out. Or in some instances, tires which are substandard cannot withstand the friction on the road nor the weight of the truck that it can burst in the middle of the road. This is why it is important to change tires every now and then and make sure to purchase sturdy and high-quality tires.
4. Batteries
Batteries can also overheat, although seldom. A defected battery can cause concurrent insulation on wires to burn. Batteries can also go wrong when not charged properly. When you are in a shop, make sure the coding system is followed before charging.