Fire at under-construction solar plant store room in Madhya Pradesh

What happened

According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, a fire broke out at about 3:30 pm on a Friday afternoon in a store room at the under-construction Gautam Solar Power Private Limited plant in the Ghirongi industrial area of Malanpur, Bhind district, Madhya Pradesh. The report says flammable materials stored there, including thinner and distemper, caught fire. The Malanpur Nagar Parishad fire brigade attended, and a second fire engine arrived later. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after about half an hour and stopped it spreading to other parts of the site.

The report says no employee was injured. The economic loss is being assessed and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The report says the thinner stored in the room could have made the fire far more serious.

Contributing factors

According to the report, flammable materials including thinner and distemper were stored in the store room and caught fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Lessons learned

1. Store flammable solvents, thinners and paints in a dedicated, ventilated and fire-rated area, separate from other stores and work areas.
2. Limit the quantity of flammable material kept at any one location on construction sites, and keep a current register of what is stored where.
3. Keep fire extinguishing equipment, a site emergency plan and clear access routes for fire engines in place from the start of construction.
4. Make sure the local fire service can be called and reach the site quickly, since the report credits timely attendance with preventing a larger incident.

More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Source

bhaskar.com