{"id":6598,"date":"2021-01-20T06:44:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T12:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zters.com\/?p=6598"},"modified":"2021-01-20T06:44:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T12:44:00","slug":"ask-angela-what-should-we-do-if-theres-a-dumpster-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zters.com\/blog\/ask-angela-what-should-we-do-if-theres-a-dumpster-fire","title":{"rendered":"Ask Angela: What should we do if there&#8217;s a dumpster fire?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Angela Phillips is a Senior Account Manager III at ZTERS. She helps customers with some of their most challenging site service issues, and she answers your questions here on our website.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Angela, this question isn\u2019t meant to be funny, but what if we have a dumpster fire?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for asking this question \u2013 dumpster fires can and do happen. We had a customer not too long ago who had a major fire in a dumpster. Luckily, no one was hurt. But dumpster fires can be deadly, and they can definitely cause a lot of damage. In fact, <em>Fire Engineering Magazine<\/em> reported on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fireengineering.com\/2011\/08\/11\/213716\/dumpster-trash-fires\/\">dumpster fire that caused an explosion<\/a> at a manufacturing plant. Several firefighters were injured, and unfortunately one person died of their injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start, let\u2019s talk about <a href=\"https:\/\/www1.villanova.edu\/content\/dam\/villanova\/fmo\/documents\/EHSAssets\/ToolboxTalks\/Workplace\/Dumpster%20Safety.pdf\">dumpster safety<\/a>. Here are some basic tips for reducing dumpster fire hazard risks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Never dispose of hazardous or flammable materials in a dumpster. There are better, more secure ways to dispose of these items, and we\u2019re working on a guide for that. In the meantime, here are some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zters.com\/blog\/what-cant-be-thrown-in-a-dumpster\/\">items you shouldn\u2019t throw in dumpsters<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the area clear around the dumpster. If a fire starts outside the dumpster, you don\u2019t want nearby materials igniting and spreading into the dumpster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post no smoking signs near the dumpster and make sure any employees or building tenants know not to throw lit cigarette butts in or near the dumpster. It only takes one carelessly tossed cigarette to start a fire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do have a dumpster fire, don\u2019t try to extinguish it yourself \u2013 call 911. If your dumpster has a hinged lid and you\u2019re able to safely close it, go ahead and close it to help prevent the fire from spreading. Don\u2019t endanger yourself or others, though. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the lid is already closed, but you know a fire is burning inside, do not open the lid! Leave it closed and wait for firefighters. Opening the lid could create a backdraft, which would be far more dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dumpster fires almost always <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zters.com\/blog\/3-ways-to-destroy-a-dumpster\">destroy the dumpster<\/a> \u2013 the lid may melt off if it\u2019s plastic, and any paint or decals will likely be destroyed. The dumpster itself may warp. If any of these things happen, and it\u2019s a rental, contact the rental company after the fire is safely extinguished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Safety is the first priority during a dumpster fire. After that, there will more than likely be a fire investigation and depending on the circumstances, you may end up owing damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best advice \u2013 and this is true for all aspects of life \u2013 is to avoid dumpster fires to begin with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever had a dumpster fire, or do you have tips for preventing them? We&#8217;d love to hear from you. Reach out to us via social media so we can all learn from each other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Angela Phillips is a Senior Account Manager III at ZTERS. She helps customers with some of their most challenging site service issues, and she answers your questions here on our website. Angela, this question isn\u2019t meant to be funny, but what if we have a dumpster fire? Thanks for asking this question \u2013 dumpster fires [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6694,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[49,52,53,54,61],"class_list":["post-6598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightz","tag-ask-angela","tag-construction","tag-dumpsters","tag-events","tag-residential"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ask Angela: What should we do if there&#039;s a dumpster fire? - The Site Savvy Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A dumpster fire can be deadly, making dumpster safety life-saving. 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