Chapter 5 Safety Requirements for Intelligent Medical Laboratories
Section 2 Fire Safety Requirements for Medical Laboratories
I. Fire Safety Guidelines
1. Building Requirements
1.1 The fire resistance rating of laboratory buildings should not be lower than Grade 2, and fire-resistant construction shall be adopted. Building requirements shall be determined according to the fire risk factors present in the laboratory. Corresponding fire-rated walls and fire doors shall be employed according to the quantity of flammable liquids stored.
Laboratories housed in independent buildings shall be classified and graded as buildings for institutional use.
1.2 Safety Exits
Laboratories with an area exceeding 100 square meters shall be provided with safety exits, at least one of which shall lead directly to an exit passageway to the outside.
The following laboratories must be provided with a backup safety exit:
- Laboratories with an explosion hazard;
- Rooms storing oxygen cylinders or cylinders of combustible gases.
Laboratory exits and passageways shall be kept clear and must not be used for stacking articles.
1.3 Smoke Detectors and Alarm Systems
Automatic smoke detectors and alarm systems shall be installed in places where flammable liquids are stored and in large laboratories where a fire may not be discovered in time. Every detection and alarm device shall be connected to the master alarm system. The alarm shall be audible at every location in the laboratory, including storerooms, washrooms, and darkrooms. The public address system may be used as the automatic alarm system.
1.4 All fire protection arrangements relating to the building shall be reviewed and approved by the local fire protection department.
2. Fire Prevention
2.1 Assessment and Study of Hazards
Fire hazards shall be studied before clinical laboratory work commences, and fire hazards shall be studied regularly while laboratory work is in operation. The study shall cover:
2.1.1 The quantities and properties of the chemicals used, the chemical reactions that may occur, and the hazards posed by electrical equipment.
2.1.2 Which operating procedures have been changed, which new chemicals have been introduced, and which new staff members have been added since the last fire safety training session.
2.1.3 Automated laboratory operations that run unattended.
2.2 Flammable and Explosive Materials
2.2.1 The supply of flammable liquids shall be controlled to the minimum quantity required for effective and safe conduct of experiments. Used combustible liquids awaiting disposal shall also be included in the count. The supply of bottled oxygen and combustible gases shall be kept to the minimum required quantity, normally not exceeding one cylinder or a two-day supply.
2.2.2 Flammable liquids shall be stored in fire-resistant safety cabinets or safety cans. Safety cabinets of a designated type shall be used, and their design capacity shall exceed the volume of the articles stored. Containers of flammable liquids inside the safety cabinet shall be properly arranged, taking account of container expansion caused by a fire. If a safety cabinet is fitted with an exhaust duct, the duct material shall have the same thermal insulation performance as the cabinet body. The safety cabinet must not communicate with the indoor air.
The capacity of a safety can shall not exceed 19 liters, and it shall be fitted with a spring-loaded closing lid, a spout cap, and a pressure relief valve. A flame arrester shall be installed at the spout.
2.2.3 The use of refrigerators to store flammable liquids is prohibited. If storage is genuinely necessary, flammable liquids shall be kept in a purpose-made explosion-proof refrigerator. Refrigerators shall be kept away from ignition sources.
2.2.4 Decanting flammable liquids from storage tanks shall be carried out in a dedicated storeroom or inside a fume hood. When flammable liquids are transported, their metal containers shall be provided with grounding devices.
2.2.5 Heating flammable and explosive liquids (with a flash point below 94 ℃) must be carried out inside a fume hood, and open flames must not be used for heating. Containers for flammable and explosive materials shall be reviewed and approved by the relevant local fire protection department.
2.3 Ignition Source Hazards
2.3.1 Common ignition sources are open flames, heating devices, and electric sparks (light switches, electric motors, friction, and static electricity).
2.3.2 Places where flammable gases are stored shall be fitted with explosion-proof lamps and switches, and electrical equipment of specially explosion-proof design shall be used.
2.3.3 The grounding and current leakage of electrical equipment and the grounding and polarity of wall sockets shall be inspected annually.
2.3.4 Every kind of ignition source hazard shall be eliminated as far as possible.
3. Fire Suppression
The laboratory shall be equipped with corresponding fire protection equipment sufficient to extinguish fires of all kinds and to assist all personnel in evacuating from the fire scene and its vicinity.
3.1 Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers shall be provided and placed in accordance with the provisions of the higher-level fire protection department, and shall undergo periodic inspection and maintenance as required.
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Class A extinguishers are suitable for fires involving solid combustibles (such as paper, wood, and plastics). Most Class A extinguishers are fire hydrants.
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Class B extinguishers are suitable for fires caused by gasoline and solvents. Most Class B extinguishers use carbon dioxide or dry chemical powder, such as sodium bicarbonate.
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Class C extinguishers are suitable for fires of electrical origin. All staff shall know the location of the electrical switches and the method of cutting off the power supply to electrical equipment on fire.
Laboratories equipped with valuable precision detection equipment shall be provided with an automatically controlled gaseous fire extinguishing system (such as heptafluoropropane).
3.2 An annual safety inspection system, together with a system for repair and maintenance at any time, shall be established for automatic fire extinguishing systems.
3.3 If a fire reaches the gas supply piping system, the remote valve shall be closed immediately to cut off the gas source. If this cannot be done, or if the gas comes from a storage cylinder, personnel shall evacuate the room immediately.
3.4 A fire blanket may be used when clothing catches fire, although a fire blanket is not an essential fire-fighting tool. Users shall be trained to understand that a fire blanket must not be used while standing, and that upon using a fire blanket after clothing catches fire they shall immediately perform the "stop, drop, and roll" action. When evacuating from a severe fire area, a fire blanket may be used as personal protective equipment. In laboratories equipped with fire blankets, the blankets shall be placed away from exit passageways.
4. Fire Protection Training
4.1 Laboratory personnel shall receive fire safety training.
4.2 All staff must learn how to raise a fire alarm and what to do in the event of a fire:
4.2.1 Dial the emergency number "119".
4.2.2 Raise the fire alarm to summon help and begin evacuation from the fire area or building.
4.2.3 If possible, immediately use a portable fire extinguisher to put out the fire.
4.2.4 If the fire cannot be extinguished, close tightly all doors leading to the fire and block the door gaps underneath with wet towels or bed sheets to prevent the fire from spreading.
4.2.5 All personnel in the room shall be evacuated.
4.3 Trained personnel shall demonstrate the skill of using portable fire extinguishers to fight fires. Training shall be conducted in a "hands-on" manner and shall also include knowledge of selecting different extinguishers for different types of fires.
4.4 Drills for evacuating personnel from the fire scene shall be held frequently, several times a year. All personnel shall participate in at least one drill per year (including personnel on night shifts and working overtime on weekends). Drills shall include assisting patients and other personnel to evacuate. Isolated areas, such as darkrooms and other laboratories where the alarm cannot be heard, shall be included in the evacuation routes. During evacuation, all doors and windows shall be closed.
II. Fire Safety Requirements
Laboratories storing flammable and explosive materials must comply with the fire safety codes and strictly control the storage quantity of flammable and explosive materials. Contact between flammable materials and combustion-supporting materials shall be avoided. Containers of flammable materials shall be inspected frequently to ensure that flammable materials are stored in sealed condition and to prevent leakage and dispersion. Attention shall be paid to preventing the formation and accumulation of explosive and ignition-supporting mixtures.
III. Fire Safety Rules
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Various fire protection facilities shall be configured in accordance with fire protection codes, placed at fixed locations, and kept readily accessible for use.
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Designated personnel shall be responsible for the routine management and maintenance of fire protection facilities.
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All laboratory personnel shall be familiar with the methods of using common fire-fighting equipment.
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When using flammable liquids, ignition sources must be removed and the liquids kept away from fire.
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When heating or distilling combustible liquids, a water bath or steam bath shall be used; direct heating over an open flame is prohibited.
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Ether shall be prevented from excessive contact with air so as to avoid the formation of peroxides.
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It is prohibited to grind oxidizers together with combustible materials, and peroxides and strong oxidizers shall not be weighed on paper.
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When using explosive substances such as picric acid (trinitrophenol), perchloric acid and its salts, and hydrogen peroxide, impact, strong agitation, and friction shall be avoided.
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When perchloric acid vapor is generated during an experiment, the simultaneous presence of combustible gases or flammable liquids shall be avoided.
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Experiments in which an explosion may occur must be conducted in a specially designed explosion-proof location, and care shall be taken to prevent explosive materials from flying out and injuring people or reaching places containing dangerous goods in the event of an explosion.
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Spilled flammable and explosive materials must be cleaned up promptly. Waste liquids and waste residues containing combustible or explosive materials shall be disposed of properly and must not be discarded at will.
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After an experiment involving instruments containing combustible substances internally is completed, the combustible substances shall be thoroughly removed.
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Do not use substances of unknown composition.