Fire is one of the most frightening and dangerous risks in any commercial environment, and every organisation needs to prepare and plan for such a devastating event. This is why businesses around the country nominate a person to be responsible in this area, to understand the risks, help to prepare accordingly, monitor the situation and act if necessary. Typically, this person is the fire warden, and there are always opportunities for those who would like to fulfil the position. If you're interested, what do you need to know about fire and, specifically, the way that it behaves?

Fire Behaviour

Once a fire has broken out, its behaviour will depend on many different factors. It will need continuous access to oxygen so that it can breathe, but it will seek out sources of fuel so that it can spread. Indeed, experts suggest that there are three different ways for a fire to spread through a commercial facility. They are as follows. 

Conduct

If the temperature of the fire is high enough, then this heat can be conducted through certain materials to trigger an eruption elsewhere. This can be the case where the fire is next to a steel beam, an excellent conductor of heat. This beam may heat up to such a degree that combustible elements can spontaneously ignite in a remote location. Certainly, this can make it very difficult to contain the spread.

Convect

More often than not, convection is a serious issue. When the heat from the fire rises, it may hit the ceiling and move horizontally to spread flames far and wide. This is one of the biggest threats during an outbreak.

Radiate

If the temperature of the fire reaches a certain level, then it can radiate through an electromagnetic wave until it reaches another source of fuel. In this situation, if I may spread to an adjacent building simply due to the scale of the outbreak.

Responsibility

As a fire warden, it will be your job to understand this type of behaviour and, where possible, to take steps to mitigate any risk. Combustible materials should be removed if at all possible, and you should make sure that the occupants of the building behave accordingly. If they have a tendency to pile boxes or other such fuel in one part of the building, you will need to point out the risk and ensure that action is taken.

Training Class

This is just one of the roles associated with an effective fire warden. You will need to enrol in a training class to make sure that you understand all of the other obligations involved. Look for places that offer fire warden training near you.