In this case study, you will analyze two distinct real-life fire incidents. You must identify and then research two separate building or structure fires that:
occurred in the last 10 years, and
involved any two of the following three types of construction: noncombustible, ordinary, or green construction.
Be sure to review all requirements below to help you select your fire incidents. You may base this case study on fire incidents from your own personal experience, your department’s history, or incidents located through your own research. (Tip: Searching the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program webpage by keyword may help you identify relevant incidents. Note: incidents do not need to involve a fatality.)
You must accomplish the following requirements in your case study.
First, briefly summarize each incident. Be sure to clearly identify the type of construction involved.
Summarize the hazards and risks unique to each building or structure’s design or construction and how they affected firefighting strategy or safety.
Identify design or construction elements that contributed to the structural integrity or potential for collapse of each building or structure. Which, if any, were compromised, and why?
Summarize each incident by concluding how the building design or construction specifically contributed to the firefighting strategy employed, life safety factors, and overall outcome.
Provide at least one recommendation based on tactical considerations offered in your eTextbook that could have affected the outcome of each incident.
Your case study must be at least three pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. You must use a minimum of three sources to support your case study, one of which must come from the CSU Online Library. All sources used must be properly formatted in APA Style.
Take a look at our top 10 list of the past decade’s craziest fire-related incidents. There’s no doubt that these events did unforgettable damage. But, read closely. Learn what equipment and steps were missing from these workers’ operations. Think about what you would and should do in case of emergency. Then, take action. Elevate your protection and safety procedures to the next level.
During a gas blow procedure, in which contract workers at the Kleen Energy plant were using natural gas at high pressure to clean pipes, the gas was met by an ignition source. The result was an enormous explosion that killed six workers and caused injury to 30 others. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigated the incident.They concluded that the natural gas blowing process was an inherently unsafe practice. This led to the prohibition of the procedure.
The Upper Big Branch mine explosion has been deemed the worst US mining disaster since 1970 with a fatality count of 29 workers. At the time of this event, the owner of the mine, Massey Energy, had a longstanding history of safety violations, including those involving methane gas. According to the investigation, it didn’t appear as though the last four fallen miners attempted to find emergency equipment. Laura Walter of EHS Today summed it up best – during this calamity, “rescuers, family members, and the Montcoal, WV community had their worst fears confirmed.”
Not only did this explosion and subsequent fire kill 11 workers and injure 17 others— they also resulted in the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Even worse, they led to a huge offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. We can’t sugarcoat the impact of this explosion. The oil spill that it caused was considered the biggest marine oil spill in the world, as well as the biggest environmental disaster in the history of the US. According to reports, The rig’s management knew that important safety equipment had been previously compromised. But, they ignored this fact to continue operations.