The company mentions in this article what are the main fire risks in the pharmaceutical industry and how to prevent them.
The pharmaceutical industry is exposed to different types of fire hazard. Some adequate prevention measures include the selection and installation of a detection system that adapts to the particular conditions of this type of industry.
When you think regarding the interior of a plant dedicated to the manufacture of medicines, you may come to imagine intrinsically safe environments where you work with very few hazardous materials and have constant and rigorous hygiene and control protocols that make the probability of have a fire is much less than that of other industrial applications. However, one cannot fall into the error of neglecting the risk factors that can be found there.
How does the drug manufacturing process work?
This process is usually divided into two phases: the synthesis of the active element (known as API in English) which is the ingredient that generates the direct effect on the patient and the mixture with the excipient (or inert substance) which is what allows to form the medicine and give it its shape, consistency or flavor to facilitate its administration (tablets, pills, etc.).
The API is usually obtained by chemical or biological reactions that may involve the handling of high temperatures or pressures. Then, when mixed with the excipients, there are also drying, filtering and pulverizing processes to later move on to the packaging phase where once more pressure and temperature are protagonists.
Where can fire hazards be identified?
The development of the processes described is usually carried out in different areas where the risk factors tend to be equally diverse. Here some:
Laboratories
Here the main risk lies in the storage of flammable and combustible liquids. There are also exothermic and high pressure chemical processes
clean areas
These are areas such as the drying, grinding and mixing plants, or the tablet forming and packaging plants where the products are usually exposed to the environment. Here even the smallest fire can be catastrophic as it can completely contaminate the production line.
machinery rooms
Spaces filled with equipment responsible for ventilation, water treatment, steam generation, electrical backup, etc. Although they are usually separated from the product area, the effects of a fire there are not unrelated to the operation.
What are the main fire risks?
Considering the criticality of its facilities, it is very important to know and measure the possible fire risks to which the pharmaceutical industry is exposed. Here some:
material hazard
The storage of solid fuels or flammable liquids brings an implicit risk to the industrial process. A small outbreak of fire can quickly escalate and spread to other areas, making quick identification critical
Chemical reactions
As already mentioned, in certain synthesizing processes there are usually exothermic chemical reactions (that is, they release heat) that can get out of control due to an incorrect composition of the formulas, stirring or pressurization actions, among others. This generated heat can in turn trigger other reactions or can promote dangerous environments following the vaporization of materials.
explosive atmospheres
Many of the elements that work with in this industry are particulate materials (dusts) that are particularly susceptible to ignition. These dusts can accumulate on surfaces or in ducts or simply be released into the environment during transfer work where a small spark or a hot surface may be enough to start an emergency.
Fire protection for a challenging industry
Bosch offers modular fire detection systems that meet both general and very specific needs for flame, smoke and gas detection, even in potentially explosive areas. The ideal combination of solutions can be adapted to any application. Within its portfolio of solutions it has alternatives for the protection of spaces such as:
- Offices and administrative spaces
- Formulation facilities
- electromagnetic disturbance
- Laboratories, machinery and sterile production materials
- Pallets of drugs in semi-open warehouses
- High risk explosive atmospheres
- Specialized production processes
find it out in this article the details of how the protection of each of these spaces is achieved.
