Answer

Fire Prevention and Protection Report

            Fire safety is paramount for any manufacturing company. Sources of fire are unlimited but for ACNE manufacturing Co., the welding shop and the molding shop with flammable acetone and an open fire pose an obvious safety hazard. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken in each of the shops to prevent the occurrence of fire and assure employees of their safety. This paper seeks to evaluate the level of hazard at ACNE manufacturing and offer appropriate recommendations.

Report Details

Welding Shop

            One portable 2A:10B:C fire extinguisher is sufficient for the shop. According to section 906 of the international fire code, the minimum rating for a welding apparatus is 2A:10B:C and should be portable and availed during any cutting and welding operations, even when conducted outside the workshop (International Code Council (ICC), 2015). Besides, the specific ratings allow that a single extinguisher serves 11,250 square feet of the floor area and the workshop area is established to be 10,000 square feet.

Molding Shop

            Ceiling temperature is used to measure the thermal stability of polymers. At its ceiling temperature, the rate at which a polymer undergoes undergoes polymerization and depolymerization are equal. When effects of a fire are detected, which implies that the temperature exceeds ceiling temperatures, a water is discharged from the sprinkler head. The maximum ceiling temperature for the site where the sprinkler head is green is 191 ⁰C. This implies that the sprinkler will discharge between 204 ⁰C and 250 ⁰C (Till & Coon, 2018). The lower explosive limit (LEL) and the upper explosive limits (UEL) for acetone are 2.6 and 12.8% by volume of air respectively (Gooch, 2011). the workshop has an open flame. Likewise, acetone is highly flammable and dangerous to health. Therefore, a non-sparking ventilation system should be installed and subjected to regular cleaning and inspection to keep it in good working condition and help prevent explosion.  Also, all work equipment should be protected from overheating and catching fire and maintenance programs planned to safeguard flammable materials that come into contact with hot surfaces and heat areas. The amount of air entering the workshop should be controlled to minimize oxygen.

Conclusions and Recommendations

            In conclusion, fire prevention is better than dealing with the outcome of its possible occurrence. Thus, ACNE manufacturing should utilize the recommended safety guidelines and follow the international standards to ensure safety is prioritized in both workshops.