Vehicle carrying kapas

1. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE(SOP) FOR PREVENTIVE & PROACTIVE MEASURES TO STOP/ARREST FIRE INCIDENTS, DISASTERS ETC. • Vehicle carrying kapas • No entry into the yard for vehicles without fire arresters/wet hessian at the silencer • In the market yard • No electrical pole or open wiring • “No Smoking” Display of Boards at public places • Regular announcement for “No Smoking” • Display Fire Brigade’s/Police Station’s Telephone Numbers at public places. • Fire fighting equipments in working/functional condition • Designated trained manpower to use the fire fighting equipments. • Fire extinguishers, water filled drums with pieces of hessian in it/water filled buckets/sand filled buckets etc. in sufficient numbers and in working condition. • Keep Police informed about the auction time etc. for security cover.

2. 3. Heaping Stage • No entry for vehicles without fire arresters at the silencer in the compound where kapas is stored/close to heap. • “No Smoking” posters and regular announcement for “No Smoking” • Visual representation of “No Smoking” • The area should be declared as “Absolute No Smoking Zone” • Heap of kapas should be fully covered with the tarpaulins • Constant watch and patrolling control within the compound • Using mechanical JCB silencer should be covered • Stock should be completely insured against any type of damage (fire, theft, natural disaster etc.) • In constant touch with the Fire Department, Local Police and Local administration Department. • Water hydrant with hoze pipes always attached to it along with its nozzle. • Heap should not be made too near the hydrants as it may not be functional in the event of fire. • Fire extinguisher and sand etc. in adequate quantity. • Restriction on any type of fire work such as, cooking, tea-making stalls, peanuts vendor with angethi etc. • No overhead wire over the heaps

3. 4.At Ginning and Pressing Factory • Water hydrant with hoze pipes always attached to it along with its nozzle. • Electrical wiring should be safe insulated without any loose contact. • Cover the electrical motors with the sheet hood to avert spark spread. • No overhead wiring on heap/ cotton bondries/docras. • Visual representation and regular announcement of “No Smoking” • Proper picking of foreign materials specially stones, pieces of bricks etc. which may cause spark in processing work culminating into fire. • Prompt shifting of pressed bales to godown soon after the pressing. • Maintenance of plan of machinery and electrification should be displayed in the factory by the Factory Owner which should be part of agreement.

4. 5. Transit of bales to the godowns • In the process of shifting of bales care should be taken to cover the bales with tarpaulins to avoid the fire incidents due to accidental contact with overhead fire on the roads. • Adequate transit insurance. • Truck should not be overloaded. • Portable Fire Extinguisher in the Driver’s Cabin having due life intact. • Between stacking of bales insulation of tarpaulins/hessian may be used to avoid friction in iron hoops which may generate spark culminating into fire.

5. 6.At Godown/CWC/SWC/APMC/PVT/GSF • Godown should be worthy to store the stock. • Windows, shutters of the godown should be fully covered. • Stock should be fully insured. • Day and night watch and ward is a mandatory by the Management staff. • CCI staff, BM, Vigilance Officer, Centre-in-Charge etc. should inspect the preparedness and supervision. • Water hydrant with hoze pipes always attached to it along with its nozzle. • Physical and visual inspection by way of stock checking and by sniffing through nose to find out if there were smell of carbon, smoke, fire in the air. • Periodical supervision by various visiting officers in a logical fashion.

6. 8. Composition of various committees • To constitute a Committee to identify the weak spots where the fire fighting equipments were lacking and electrical fittings were not properly insulated. • Suggest measures on the spot to the Management of G&P Factories/Godowns etc. for corrective surgery to avert fire disasters.

7. 9. Constitution of fire wardens in G&P Factories • In order to involve people for fire prevention and fire fighting, the participative vigilance is an effective solution. A group of enthusiastic labour may be teamed up as “fire wardens” to sensitize the public for following discipline which will help in fire prevention.