In brief
In İnegöl's adjoining furniture workshops, sawdust, varnish and foam create a large fire load under the same roof; fire can spread to the neighbouring workshop through the shared wall, the roof and passageways. As well as good housekeeping inside the workshop, the right extinguishers and a trained team, shared alarm arrangements, an assembly area and drills with neighbours are also needed.
Why does a furniture workshop fire in İnegöl not stay in one workshop?
In İnegöl, a furniture workshop fire is often not confined to that workshop. The district has three active OIZs (organised industrial zones): İnegöl OSB, the İnegöl Furniture and Woodworking Specialised OIZ (İMOSAB) in Hamzabey, and Yenice OSB in Yeniceköy. Besides these zones, furniture production also continues in small industrial estates within the town; there, many workshops share walls, roofs and the passage in front. In these workshops lined up side by side, one workshop's fire load is also its neighbour's risk.
Furniture manufacturing (31.00.01) is in the hazardous class on the hazard class list renewed in 2025. What is decisive for fire, however, is not the class but the material that accumulates in the workshop: sawdust and fine dust from panel sizing and sanding, solvents on the paint and varnish line, and foam and fabric in the upholstery department. This article explains the fire load created by these three materials, how fire spreads to the neighbouring workshop and the precautions workshops can take together. For the general OHS arrangements of a workshop, see our furniture workshop OHS checklist.
Sawdust fires, varnish and foam: three sources of fire load
| Material | Where does it accumulate? | How does it ignite? | Common mistake on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawdust and fine wood dust | Under machines, ceiling beams, on top of light fittings, dust extraction filters and cyclones | Sparks from saws or sanders, overheating motors, hot lamp surfaces | Leaving sawdust until the weekend, cleaning with compressed air |
| Paint, varnish and thinner | Spray booth, mixing table, booth filters, open drums | Solvent vapour ignited by a spark or static discharge; self-heating of oil-soaked rags | Stock far above daily needs, open drums, rags thrown in the bin |
| Foam, fabric and packaging | Upholstery shop, raw material store, packing and dispatch area | Cigarettes, electrical faults, hot work nearby | Foam rolls stacked in front of panels or heaters |
A sawdust fire usually starts as a smoulder; by the time it is noticed, one corner of the workshop is full of smoke. The greater danger is the fine dust that collects on ceiling beams and on top of light fittings. If a small explosion or a strong air current lifts this dust into the air, a secondary dust explosion can occur. For this reason, use extraction instead of compressed air for cleaning, and empty the filters and cyclones of the dust extraction system regularly. For assessing the dust extraction line in terms of explosive atmospheres, see our article on the explosion protection document.
A varnish fire develops faster. Solvent vapour is heavier than air and collects near the floor; a socket outside the booth or a grinding spark can ignite it. An insidious source is rags soaked in drying oils such as linseed oil: rags left in a heap heat up as they oxidise and can ignite spontaneously hours later, often after the workshop has closed.
Foam ignites quickly, makes a fire grow in a very short time and gives off dense, toxic smoke containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. In a fire in the upholstery shop, the time available for evacuation is much shorter than in a sawdust fire.
How does fire spread to the neighbouring workshop?
The routes by which fire spreads in adjoining workshops are usually the same on site:
- Openings in the shared wall: Penetrations drilled for cables, ventilation ducts or doors and windows added later, and never sealed.
- Roof and roof space: In a continuous roof space, smoke and hot gases pass over the wall to the neighbour.
- Stock against the wall: Sacks of sawdust, foam or panels stacked on both sides of the shared wall carry heat along the wall.
- Shared passages and alleys: Sawdust sacks, pallets and waste in front of doors act like a fuse carrying fire from workshop to workshop; they also make it harder for the fire brigade to get close.
- Shared services: A shared dust extraction line, a shared electrical panel or a shared heating arrangement.
As a tenant you may not be able to rebuild the wall, but there are things you can do: seal cable and duct penetrations in the wall with firestop material together with the building owner, keep the foot of the shared wall free of stock, keep nothing in the roof space and clear the area in front of the door every evening.
Prevention inside the workshop: daily and weekly checklist
- Collect sawdust and dust with extraction at the end of every shift. Tie the tops of beams, light fittings and panels to a weekly cleaning plan and write down who does it.
- Empty the dust extraction system regularly. Do not wait for filters, cyclones and bags to fill up; record emptying dates.
- Limit paint and varnish stock. Keep only a day's requirement in the production area and store the rest in a separate ventilated cabinet or store; keep drum lids closed.
- Collect oily rags separately. Collect rags soaked in oil and solvent in metal, lidded waste containers and remove them from the workshop every day.
- Keep track of the spray booth. Record ventilation, earthing and filter changes; the periodic inspection of ventilation installations is carried out at least once a year.
- Keep electrics in order. Keep the area in front of panels clear and panel doors closed; do not power machines permanently through extension leads. The periodic inspection of the internal electrical installation and earthing is also at least once a year.
- Separate hot work. Carry out work such as grinding and welding away from sawdust and varnish, and where necessary under a hot work permit.
- Keep heaters away. Position stoves and heaters used in winter away from foam, sawdust and varnish; check they are switched off at closing. For the carbon monoxide risk of these devices, see our heater article.
- Do the closing round in writing. The last person out should check and sign that machines, circuit breakers and heaters are off, the rag container is empty and the area in front of the door is clear.
For a more comprehensive list, see our workplace fire prevention checklist.
Fire fighting in a furniture workshop: the right extinguisher and a trained team
Most fires in a workshop are solid combustible (class A) and flammable liquid (class B) fires. Art. 99 of the Regulation on the Fire Protection of Buildings requires the type of extinguisher to be chosen according to the conditions and risks of the space:
| Fire class | Example in the workshop | Preferred extinguisher (Art. 99) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sawdust, wood, foam, fabric, cardboard | Multi-purpose dry chemical powder or water |
| B | Varnish, thinner, paint, glue solvent | Dry chemical powder, carbon dioxide or foam |
Extinguishers are clearly signposted, not placed behind doors, and the distance to reach an extinguisher is no more than 25 metres. In practice a carbon dioxide extinguisher is preferred near electrical panels. For calculating the number, see our articles on how many fire extinguishers a workplace needs, and for types see types of fire extinguisher.
Do not tackle a fire that starts in a dust extraction unit or closed cyclone by opening the hatch. Incoming air can make the fire grow, and dust stirred up can catch fire. Stop the fan and machines, clear the area and call the fire brigade. Do not spray accumulated dust with a strong jet either; you will lift the dust into the air.
The person who will use the extinguisher must be designated. In the hazardous class, at least one support person is appointed for every 40 employees for each of the fire fighting, rescue and protection teams; in a workshop with fewer than 10 employees, one suitably equipped and specially trained person is sufficient for these three teams. For the calculation and setting up the teams, see our emergency plan guide. This person having used an extinguisher on a real fire before makes a difference in the first minute of a fire.
Shared precautions with neighbours
Art. 23 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety requires employers sharing the same working area to cooperate on measures and inform one another of risks. In places with more than one workplace, such as industrial zones and estates, coordination belongs to the management; the management warns employers about hazards that would affect other workplaces and reports those who do not comply to the Ministry.
The arrangements adjoining workshops can set up together are:
- Shared contact list: Each workshop's person in charge, their phone number and who to contact outside working hours.
- Hearing the alarm: An alarm sounding in one workshop should also be heard next door; if this is not possible, a telephone call chain.
- Clear passage: The alley the fire brigade will use and the area in front of hydrants and fire hose cabinets are kept clear; sawdust sacks and packaging waste are collected at a designated point away from the buildings.
- Isolation points: Everyone knows the location of the main electricity and gas isolation points and who holds the key.
- Shared assembly area and drill: A drill is held at least once a year; a drill held with neighbouring workshops on the same day with the same scenario reveals congestion in the shared passage and gaps in communication.
Plan, training and follow-up
Furniture fire precautions in İnegöl should not remain on paper; they should be carried onto the shop floor through the plan, training and drills. In a furniture workshop in the hazardous class, the emergency plan is renewed at least every 4 years and whenever there are significant changes; a drill is held at least once a year. The 2026 basic administrative fine for breaching emergency obligations is 22,194 TL for each obligation, and the same amount is applied every month the breach continues. Details: OHS administrative fines.
In the emergency plan service of Bursa Sistemer OSGB, we also write the neighbouring workshop scenario into the plan as a separate heading. The theoretical and practical fire training we provide ensures that your fire fighting team does not have to use an extinguisher for the first time during an actual fire. For region-specific notes see our İnegöl and İnegöl OSB pages, and for other risks in the sector see our furniture page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Six people work in our workshop; how many support personnel are needed?
In workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, one suitably equipped and specially trained support person is sufficient for all of the fire fighting, rescue and protection teams. A first aider is designated separately: in the hazardous class one first aider is needed for every 15 employees, which means one person in a six-person workshop.
Can water be used on a sawdust fire?
Sawdust and wood are class A combustibles; a water or multi-purpose dry chemical powder extinguisher can be used. Do not use water near machines and panels whose power has not been isolated. Do not spray accumulated fine dust with a strong jet; the dust can become airborne and make the fire grow.
Do varnish-soaked rags really catch fire by themselves?
Rags soaked in products containing drying oils such as linseed oil heat up as they oxidise when left in a heap and can ignite spontaneously. Collect these rags in metal, lidded containers and remove them from the workshop every day.
What can we do if the neighbouring workshop takes no precautions?
In industrial zones and estates, OHS coordination belongs to the management. Report the risk you see in writing to the estate or zone management; the management warns the employer concerned and reports those who ignore the warning to the Ministry. In the meantime, add a scenario of a fire originating next door to your own plan.
Fire classes, choosing the right extinguisher, hands-on extinguishing in a safe open area and an evacuation drill, all in one training.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.