Fire awareness in the office and laboratory.

Three elements are needed for a fire to start and flourish: heat, fuel, and oxygen. These elements form the three sides of the 'fire triangle', and the removal or isolation of any one will extinguish a fire. Such action forms the basis of fire fighting techniques currently in use by the fire authorities. Two sides of the fire triangle, fuel and oxygen, are always present in the workplace. This article looks at the common causes of fire in the workplace, and the precautions and control measures needed to prevent it.