Abstract:
A wooden furniture factory runs a high risk of fire due to inappropriate storage and inflammable materials such as paints and thinner. A safety inspection can determine fire hazards. Such information can be used to determine guidelines for fire prevention to save more life and property. The purpose of this research was to study concepts, laws and measures concerning safety inspections and fire prevention and apply these to the inspection of medium-sized and small-sized wooden furniture factories; to investigate the samples' fire preventive measures and propose guidelines for safety inspections and fire prevention to save life in those factories. The research involved a literature review to developed a survey form the would yield data on possible causes of fire and the safety measures taken in sample factories which were divided into 3 groups: large-sized, medium-sized and small-sized wooden furniture factories. The data concerning safety and fire preventive measures obtained from those three groups of factories were analyzed and used to draw up guidelines for safety inspections and fire prevention suitable for each group. It was found there are two main causes of fire: 1. Careless action and 2. Unsafe environment. The guidelines for safety inspections can be classified into 6 categories: 1. Fire safety management, 2. Evacuation and fire escape, 3. Fire prevention, 4. Fire blocking, 5. Fire extinguishing and 6. Fire warning. The level of importance in terms of safety and fire prevention was assigned to each category. There were 2 ways to prevent fire. The first involved safety and prevention management such as providing knowledge about fire prevention, organizing fire prevention training and issuing safety rules for two workplace. The second dealt with physical management and is divided into 2 types: a defensive system and an aggressive system. The former deals with assigning safe fire escape routes, fire prevention and designation of areas in a building to limit the spread of fire, and the latter covers installing fire alarms and fire extinguishers. In addition to imposing safety measures in a factory, the government should provide investors with incentives to strictly follow recommended measures and maintain the safety equipment regularly. A fire prevention program should also be taught in educational institutions.