ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF FIRES IN CHEMICAL WAREHOUSES

This paper discusses the project Guidelines for Management of Fires in Chemical Warehouses (TOXFIRE) which was funded by the CEC (Commission of the European Communities) Environment Programme during the period 1993-1996. It was a multi-national co-operation between partners from the UK, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. The project consisted of three ma jor parts: (1) a comparison of the performance of four fire testing me thods to assess the toxicity of the fire products, (2) a risk assessme nt of the impact on human health resulting from the release of unburne d pesticides and their pyrolysis products from a fire, and (3) establi shment of a basis for guidelines for safety engineers and the fire bri gades. Further, a quick decision system to be used in emergency situat ions was developed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .