In the event of a fire or explosion occuring, explain measures that would reduce its consequences. Note:You should support your answer, where applicable, using

relevant information.

The scenario: There is an area for degreasing, near to the roller shutter doors where workers manually wash workpieces with a solvent in preparation for coating. This area has recently become untidy and is littered with packaging remnants and discarded rags. When doing this work for the first time, workers are shown what to do. After this, workers are left to work by themselves. The solvents used have a flammable range of 0.8-6.5%, a flashpoint of around 11C and an autoignition temp of 283C. The degreasing process involves decanting the solvent into smaller containers. It is then applied to the workpiece by hand using rags. Some workers have complained of nausea and dizziness during this process. There is a risk of static discharge during the decanting and application process. In this area of the factory, workers use localised lighting to provide adequate light during the task. A recent spill during decanting led to a small fire that, whilst dramatic, did not cause any damage. Workers on the factory floor saw the fire and did not know which way to go as an iron gate was leaning on the emergency exit door. They then fled towards the roller shutter door to exit the factory. The factory manager activated the fire alarm and extinguished the fire. They used the only available water fire extinguisher, located against a nearby wall on the factory floor.