An Overview about the Fire Risk Management Culture in the Brazilian Utilities

Abstract

Professional fire safety practice today in the Brazilian electric sector is dominated by traditional regulatory codes, standards and insurance considerations that are based on our past experience, i.e. failures. These methods should be suffice in a simple workplace producing simple and unchanging products or services. However, today´s substations are rarely simple and unchanging. Their complexities require a more effective approach to fire safety. A new way of thinking is essential. It should enable us to use the wisdom of past experience and state-of-the-art knowledge in foreseeing fire hazard interactions. The analysis present in this paper focus on the difficulties that transmission sector (i.e. transmission lines and substation) in Brazil has in tackling fire protection. It is hoped that analysis carried out will help designer and engineers shift from a prescriptive fire safety approach to a performance-based one. The intention is also remind the engineers of some idiosyncrasies of fire safety so that they can better plan for them in design.
Key words: Fire; Explosion; Substation; Performance