PYROBAN, a global leader in explosion protection solutions has processed and analyzed the 2003-2007 US National Fire Incident Reporting System data concerning fires in which powered industrial equipment was pinpointed as the heat source responsible for igniting the fire.

Based on a NFPA report called “Industrial Loader and Forklift Fires” by Marty Ahrens, Pyroban Corporation decided to map and make accessible in Google earth all fires in which powered industrial equipment was pinpointed and the heat source responsible for igniting a total of 12,476 fires between 2003 and 2007.

Data can be downloaded per state and equipment type at: www.pyroban.us/NFIRS-data.htm

The majority of these fires were caused by hot surfaces found on the powered equipment (56.4%). A distant second source was arcing and sparking electrical components (26.3%) followed by, friction (4.6%), backfiring/over speeding (3.6%), static buildup (0.2%) and misc none equipment related sources (10%). Heat sources were determined for 58.9% of the powered industrial equipment related fires listed in the 2003-2007 NFIRS databases.

More detailed information about ignition sources can be found on our website at: www.pyroban.us/NFIRS-heatsources.htm

Taking into consideration the results of this analysis and comparing these results to the Equipment Protection Levels requirement as specified in UL 583 and UL558 (www.pyroban.us/INformation_EPL.htm) it becomes blatantly obvious that the NFPA 505 and OSHA 1910.178 allowed use of powered industrial equipment for handling Gas, Vapors, Liquids or operating in Dusty applications may need some reconsideration.