Notes

The fire is the most unmanageable and the biggest danger to the cotton ginning industry (ginneries). Therefore, it is a central issue to the safety of the ginneries. Fires in the ginneries of Khandesh region have been notoriously destructive and caused heavy financial damages. In most these fires, actual cause is never known and difficult to trace even. The objective of the present study was to investigate different causes of fires in the ginneries of Khandesh region. This paper discusses not only commonly understood causes but also examine the subtle and unknown causes because their role in causing fires are not fully understood. The work methodology included the fire safety investigations in the selected ginneries by an expert team followed by a questionnaire survey. The study resulted in the identification and classification of various causes of fire namely electrical, mechanical, vehicular, anthropogenic, spontaneous ignition and other causes that are discussed with detail in the paper. The ginnery owners are suggested to understand all the causes of fires identified and follow the recommendations advanced in the study.