Time to review your fluorescent light fittings which can overheat causing small localised fires...

1. Health, Safety and Environment
Weekly Safety Review 15 SIMS awaiting First Aid Recordable
Managers Comments
No. injuries ytd 11 2
Injury rate ytd 0 0
No. days worked since last 193 Injury
Performance
Issue Date : 28 / 8 / 2012 OSHA recordable (11/2/12)
No. days worked since last 193 1
INJURIES
First aid injury – Contractor suffered F/B in eye
RIDDOR injury (11/2/12)
THIS
WEEK
Key amongst the events last week was a fluorescent light fitting
which had overheated, causing a small localised fire.
We consider that event to be so important, it is the topic of our
safety communication this week.
The Laws which apply are :
• The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAW Regulations) which
covers the design, construction, operation or maintenance of
electrical systems and equipment
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which identifies
general fire safety precautions
Wilton Site – Lesson from History 1
Event summary
At approximately 0400hrs on the 9th October 1995 the fire alarm
sounded in ICI’s Wilton Site Emergency Services Control Centre,
alerting of a fire in the BASF South Area Stores warehouse which was
used for storing polypropylene finished products. A major emergency on
the site was declared and the full on-site emergency plan initiated.
No direct root causes for the fire was
determined. The results of the investigation
(BASF and Cleveland County Fire Brigade)
suggested the probable cause was a
fluorescent light fitting overheating, causing
the ignition of its Perspex cover which
dropped flaming molten plastic onto stored
product below. The warehouse lighting was
in continuous use.

2. Wilton Site – Lesson from History 2
Event Summary
The LDPE fire in 2009 began in cabins used by contractors building the
plant. No-one was in the cabins when the fire was discovered shortly
after 2am. There was significant damage to the cabin area.
An investigation identified one probable cause was a fluorescent light
fitting overheating, causing the ignition of its Perspex cover which
dropped flaming molten plastic onto stored paper and wooden furniture
below.
Our Emergency Services team have also been involved in putting out
other local fires caused by overheating florescent lights at a customers
Portrack storage location, on ….
04th June 2007 - 06th June 2007 - 29th November 2010
We can therefore also add these events to our corporate memory and
learning.
In order to be able to minimise the potential for future fire safety
concerns, (at work or home) we need to ……..
 Make sure installation and maintenance of electrical items is carried
out by competent personnel
 Report electrical defects immediately and ensure repairs are carried
out promptly
A fluorescent fitting should be reported as faulty if:
• It flashes repeatedly at starting
• The ends of the tube glow red
• There are loose parts or it is dangling from its fixings
• It vibrates or there is a smouldering smell
 Turn off lights and other electrical items which are not in use (also
good for carbon emissions reasons)
 Reduce the quantity of combustible materials we store, particularly in
office environments

3. The key things to report regarding fluorescent lighting fittings are :
A common failure mode of most fluorescent lighting fittings is overheating
of the choke, the plug in starter or the end cap connectors - should these
overheated items fall onto combustible materials a fire can result.
The lighting diffuser material in many cases is acrylic and it burns well .
A fluorescent fitting should be reported as faulty if:
• It flashes repeatedly at starting
• The ends of the tube glow red
• There are loose parts or it is dangling from its fixings
• It vibrates or there is a smouldering smell
Lighting checks
Hazardous area lighting, road lighting and emergency lighting is checked on a
time basis, most standard fittings are checked on a defect basis. Should defects
turn up a common manufacturing issue then all of that type are checked otherwise
regular checks are not done by technicians. There are over 10.000 lights in
Sembcorp and everyone in Sembcorp is under many of them every day, so defect
reporting should be effective.
Caution on High pressure sodium lamps - These lamps contain a bead of
sodium metal in a silica glass tube . if the tube breaks the sodium self combusts in
a flash of intense light and heat. These fittings must not be used in offices or
similar, warehouses where there are combustible materials or in hazardous areas.
Caution on lamp disposals - All fluorescent lamps contain very toxic materials
and care is needed to dispose of tubes safely.
Non lighting devices with fluorescent tubes. Many screen displays have built
in arrays of small fluorescent tubes. The current in these is electronically
controlled and they do not suffer the many overheating concerns of standard
lighting.