Skin temperatures of a pre-cooled wet person exposed to engulfing flames

Log, Torgrim

doi:10.1016/j.firesaf.2017.02.001

Cited by 8 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…A person exposed to the emerging flame would most likely have had their hard hat blown off and possibly lost their glasses. Naked skin would most likely have developed severe burns due to the high radiation heat flux as well as the flame-to-skin convective heat transfer [18,19]. It should be noted that burns in the facial region are known to particularly represent a severe handicap for a person and may significantly reduce their, and their next of kin's, quality of life [20,21].…”

Section: Analysis Of Potential Personnel Risk Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of a High-Voltage Room Quasi-Smoke Gas Explosion

2020

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During an air separation unit shut-down in a methanol production plant, a stop signal was sent to the control cabinet of a synchronous motor for a booster compressor. The control cabinet stopped magnetizing the rotor, while the system logic ensured that the power circuit breakers for the start reactor coils were opened, in order to be ready for the next start-up. Unintentionally, the circuit breaker was still connected (i.e., power was let through the reactors for a prolonged time period), which led to extensive overheating. Subsequently, the central control room received an unaddressed sub-station smoke alarm, and plant operators were sent out to locate the possible source of smoke. The accessible rooms were searched, and traces of smoke were confirmed. The Emergency Response Organization (ERO) was mustered and, through inspection, the Emergency Response Team (ERT) realized that the smoke originated from a ground floor high-voltage room. Fire hoses were arranged for fire extinguishing, and the ERT withdrew to wait for the room to be electrically isolated. About one minute after briefly opening the only set of doors to the high-voltage room, flames were observed, and a quasi-smoke gas explosion violently forced both door blades open and released a substantial fire ball. Personnel had been in the risk zone shortly before the explosion, but luckily no personnel were hit by the slamming door blades or the emerging flames. The incident revealed several learning points related to improper maintenance, ambiguous smoke alarm, lack of flame detectors in the high-voltage room, insufficient risk understanding and training regarding electrically related fire incidents, and the absence of an automatic fire suppression system. In plants processing hydrocarbons, the safety focus regarding hydrocarbon fire and explosion risk is paramount. However, risks related to electrical accidents and compartment fire dynamics (e.g., backdraft and smoke gas explosion) should also be given proper attention.

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Section: Analysis Of Potential Personnel Risk Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of a High-Voltage Room Quasi-Smoke Gas Explosion

2020

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“…The skin damage is a function of temperature and time above this threshold temperature and the damage develops exponentially with excess temperature [ 15 ]. Flames therefore represent a significant threat also for very short exposure periods [ 16 ]. In 2004 fires resulted in 11 million burn injuries hospitalizations [ 17 ] and in high income countries there were 0.14 burn injuries hospitalizations per 100,000 persons [ 18 ].…”

Section: The Dangers Of Fire To the Human Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, global warming results in the wildland being exposed to warmer weather, i.e., faster drying, and more exposure to drying due to declining snow pack. When exposed to adiabatically heated (dry) subzero temperature air, without the protective snow layer, winter time wildfires may become an increasing challenge [ 16 ].…”

Section: Air Relative Humidity (Rh) and Drying Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Impacts of Climate Change-Induced Subzero Temperature Fires

Metallinou

Log

2017

IJERPH

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General fire risk and the special risk related to cold climate cellulosic drying processes are outlined. Four recent subzero temperatures fires are studied with respect to health impacts: a wooden village fire, a single wood structure fire, a wildland urban interface (WUI) fire and a huge wildland fire. The health impacts range from stress related to loss of jobs, psychological effects of lost possessions, exposure to smoke and heat as well as immediate, or delayed, loss of lives. These four fires resulted in 32 fatalities, 385 persons hospitalized for shorter or longer periods, 104 structures lost and 1015 km2 of wildland burned north of, and just south of, the Arctic Circle. It is shown that the combination of subzero temperature dry weather, strong winds, changing agricultural activities and declining snowpack may lead to previously anticipated threats to people and the environment. There are reasons to believe that these fires are a result of the ongoing climate changes. Risk impacts are discussed. Rural districts and/or vulnerable populations seem to be most affected. Training methods to identify and better monitor critical fire risk parameters are suggested to mitigate the health impacts of a possibly increasing number of such fires.

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“…The concept of pre-cooling is actually used to prevent burns prior to laser dermatology [ 21 ]. The only research identified regarding pre-cooled wet human skin exposed to flames is the work by Log [ 22 ] where analytical solutions were used to discuss the case studied in the present work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on such modelling a very simple scald injury map was developed by Abraham et al [ 26 ] demonstrating the quality of the Fourier-type modelling. In the present work, parameters for the modelling were collected from the TV host, the support crew, and from video footage and the previous study [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Burns for Pre-Cooled Skin Flame Exposure

Log

2017

IJERPH

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On a television show, a pre-cooled bare-skinned person (TV host) passed through engulfing kerosene flames. The assumption was that a water film should protect him during 0.74 s flame exposure in an environment of 86 kW/m2 heat flux. The TV host got light burn inflammation on the back, arms and legs. The present work studies skin temperatures and burn damage integral of such dangerous flame exposure. The skin temperature distribution during water spray pre-cooling, transport to the flames, flame exposure, transport to the water pool, and final water pool cooling is modelled numerically. Details of the temperature development of the skin layers are presented, as well as the associated damage integral. It is shown that 5 °C water spray applied for a 30 s period pre-cooled the skin sufficiently to prevent severe skin injury. Soot marks indicate that the water layer evaporated completely in some areas resulting in skin flame contact. This exposed dry skin directly to the flames contributing significantly to the damage integral. It is further analyzed how higher water temperature, shorter pre-cooling period or longer flame exposure influence the damage integral. It is evident that minor changes in conditions could lead to severe burns and that high heat flux levels at the end of the exposure period are especially dangerous. This flame stunt should never be repeated.

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Skin temperatures of a pre-cooled wet person exposed to engulfing flames

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

Analysis of a High-Voltage Room Quasi-Smoke Gas Explosion

Analysis of a High-Voltage Room Quasi-Smoke Gas Explosion

Health Impacts of Climate Change-Induced Subzero Temperature Fires

Modeling Burns for Pre-Cooled Skin Flame Exposure

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