The Impact of Plant Layout Dimensions on Fire Load Density in the Rice Milling Industry in Lambayeque-Peru

Fire incidents represent a substantial threat to the sustainability of companies, with their impact predominantly influenced by fire load density. This study aimed to examine the impact of plant layout dimensions on the overall fire load density within the rice milling industry of Lambayeque, Peru. To this end, the study characterized the sizing of four plants, determined the unit fire load of each work area, and employed simulation to analyze the relationship between area size and total fire load density in a rice plant layout. The findings indicated that (i) by increasing the size of the maneuvering yard areas by 4% to 10%, the fire load was reduced by 2% to 3%; and (ii) by increasing the size of the husk rice warehouses (by 10% to 21%), finished product (by 13% to 19%), and empty sacks (by 14% to 22%), the fire load increased by 3% to 8%, 2% to 4%, and 1% to 3% respectively.