Flammables in pocket while welding

[beaudry]

I was up on a ladder yesterday, stick welding the cross bars of a large rose trellis when I noticed flames and smoke coming up under my helmet.

Looking down I realized that falling sparks and slag had set fire to a Sharpie marker in the chest pocket of my coveralls . Before I got it out the burning pen burnt all the way through the inside and outside of the pocket and singed my shirt, but luckily not my skin.

I was really  impressed with how incredibly hot and flammable something as common as a felt pen could burn.

I was lucky I was't burned badly , since I was working on a small island where the nearest medical attention was one very expensive medevac flight away.

A good reminder to keep the flammables out of your pockets, even the things we don't think of as dangerous.

 

[Daswulf]

Never heard of sharpies going up. Thanks for the warning and sorry for how you found out. I mainly was warned not to weld with a bic type lighter in my pocket but never heard about the sharpie. 

I have caught clothing on fire, mainly welding upside down. 

Another warning is to double check the area for towels or rags. They go up in flames easily from a spark or weld bead. Happens at work too many times with guys and a few times myself. 

And when grinding watch out where the Sparks are going. They can ignight a fire easier than you might think.

Always quit welding or grinding at least a half hour before you leave the shop as things can smolder then ignite after and that time is at least a bit to possibly catch it in time. More time is better. Always try to be more cautious then you think you need to be. 

Good point to bring up beaudry. 

 

[ThomasPowers]

"Shut down and go in for Dinner, come back out to smell for smoke and lock up after Dinner."

[JHCC]

I had a wire rack shelf above and behind my old JABOD forge as a convenient place to set down things needing normalizing. One day, I left a sharpie sitting there, and the next time I fired up the forge, it melted, ran down the back of the forge, and lit up like a stream of gasoline. I figured it was the combination of melted plastic and solvent in the ink.

[Glenn]

Any time you play with fire, forge, cutting torch, plasma, welding, etc always have some type of fire suppressant device handy. Depending on the situation, this can be a bucket of water, sand, or a proper class fire extinguisher. Anything to put out a fire, or control a fire while help arrives.

Always check to be sure the fire extinguisher is charged and fully operational before you start. Pulling the trigger on a fire extinguisher and having it just go hiss is not good.

[JustAnotherViking]

I managed to melt a hole through my flame retardant overalls and set fire to my jumper when grinding. Was an awkward angle and the only place for the sparks to go was into my chest. 

Have worn a leather apron when grinding since that incident. 

Have also burned a hole in the crotch of a pair of jeans with a grinder under similar circumstances. Luckily it just smouldered and didn't go up in flames!!! 

Motorcycles aren't the easiest to work on 

[Jackdawg]

Bloke at work lit the BBQ and left the disposable lighter to close. He was flipping sausages about 10 minutes later when he lost his eyebrows. luckily most of the fireball went the other way deflected by the side if the BBQ.

[Daswulf]

15 hours ago, Glenn said:

Pulling the trigger on a fire extinguisher and having it just go hiss is not good.

Been there, done that. It was not good and a frightening realization. Thankfully I was able to contain the fire and get it out with other methods. 

Good idea to have a monthly ( or more often) check of fire extinguishers and look around areas for possible fire hazards in the shop or work area. And deffinately before working or forging where sparks can be made. 

Just thinking... A pump water sprayer would be good to have as a backup. Doesn't need pressurized unless you Need it. 

[Jackdawg]

Hiss is good, I have CO2 extinguishers in my shed!

Used a powder one once years ago. Never quite managed to get rid of the powder crap, it was coming out of nooks and crannies for years. Never again.

 

[JHCC]

I picked up two ABC dry-chem extinguishers from the industrial supply place a couple of months ago, and within 48 hours my (ASD with no impulse control) son decided that the driveway would look good in pale yellow.

[JustAnotherViking]

Sounds about right. My son (asd + learning difficulties) loves toothpaste and similarly textured things. We've had at least four tubes of it plastered all over the bathroom, doors, floors, etc in the past month. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

On the dry chemical extinguishers, while checking the gauge, I was advised by our fire extinguisher company technician to turn them upside down and bump them with a rubber mallet. Prevents the powder from caking which is a cause of a lot of failures.

[Kozzy]

On 5/3/2018 at 7:32 PM, Daswulf said:

Always quit welding or grinding at least a half hour before you leave the shop as things can smolder then ignite after and that time is at least a bit to possibly catch it in time. More time is better. Always try to be more cautious then you think you need to be. 

The very large factories I work with now require someone to watch the area (without leaving) for 2 full hours after any "hot work"--grinding, welding or anything that generates heat.  Additionally, you can't do "hot work" alone:  A second person is required to watch the general area while you are working.  And of course you have to file a "hot work" permit and get it signed before you even proceed so they have a record in the main office of where it is going on.

Total pain in the neck for maintenance crews.  I understand but it sure does increase maintenance costs...and worse, much maintenance is hodgepodged to avoid making something like a 10 second weld to do the job right.

On a side note, these are food production plants and they've all absolutely positively completely on pain of being fired that very second banned ANY wire brushes of any kind.  Apparently the metal detectors don't hit on the tiny broken brush wires well.  Makes weld cleaning a bit more of a chore---but you can still grind to your heart's content (with that hot work permit).