shop safety???

[ironpig70]

i've been on this board awhile and have read numerous posts about trail safety, about cage design, seats and seat belts and first aid kits. lets face it four wheeler can be dangerous. but what most of us forget including my self is that safety needs to be practiced in the shop as well. lets face it with welding(hot slag), and a gas tank to grinding(hot flying metal) fire is a real issue. so lets see who's prepared and who needs to get some protection.

myself i work in a one car garage and have one extinguisher. at my dads i know we have some but don't recall where so i'm going to find them and if needed replace them. :D

[GJC]

I have two extiguishers.

[SeaBass44]

0

[camo]

i have one at each exit with the proper signs, one on my toolbox and one one my welder and one on my tourch.

not only that i also have them serviced annualy by a service company

[Brandon]

I should get real sized ones, I hear the ones ya buy go pfft and are done in seconds but I have never had to use one before.. I got two - at the main doors

[64Trvlr]

I've got 2 20# CO2, 2 20# ABC and 2 5# Halon extinguishers plus the ones in my rigs.

[PTSchram]

My lease requires me to have fire suppression-that and having spent 19 years in the EH&S field kinda makes me look bad if I don't have such stuff.

So far, I have never failed an inspection on fire extinguishers or exit signs (although the new shop needs some exit signs). In the past month, we've had two fires in the shop, one from an angle grinder and brake fluid on shop towels nearby and once when shopboy dumped the ashtray in the trash can-trust me, he'll never do that again!!!

Oh yeah, one 20# CO2, one pressurized water/bicarb, one 20# dry chemical and the one in the rig. Also, I was taught long ago that one NEVER turns the hose off in the shop as it is the easiest and quickest fire suppression device.

D'Oh, I just realized my NFPA membership is gonna expire soon!

Peace,
PT

[tsm1mt]

I have a couple good sized ones around.. but when I'm welding on something that's likely to catch fire, I also keep my.... SUPER SOAKER handy. ;)

Why waste a fire extinguisher on some old carpet, or a small grease fire, or..

[DarkEternal]

I have a couple good sized ones around.. but when I'm welding on something that's likely to catch fire, I also keep my.... SUPER SOAKER handy. ;)

Why waste a fire extinguisher on some old carpet, or a small grease fire, or..
I used a super soaker when I lit a shock boot on fire with an angle grinder.

Ive got one extinguisher in my 1 shop... err garage....

[AaronC]

I should get real sized ones, I hear the ones ya buy go pfft and are done in seconds but I have never had to use one before.. I got two - at the main doors

Yep, only a couple of seconds for the cheapies. But they go EVERYWHERE, so it still works well. By the way when cutting ubolts off a donor truck for the axle, watch out for the shocks!! :shaking: Fire likes the oil, and the shock just keeps spraying into it!!

[LazyDog]

Just last weekend, I heard someone yell the line I've always dreaded: "you're engine is on fire!". Luckily, it was just a little PS fuild burning and the flames had went out when we flipped up the hood with extingishers in hand.

[K2Orion]

I've got a fridge full of beer, so I can piss on a fire. Or if its too hot and I'm afraid I'll burn my pecker I can just shake up some cans and spray away. :)


I've actually got 3 ext. All the heavy equip I run at work has em on it so when mine gets out of date I just take it to work and swap em out. :evil: I've also got a cool old "no smoking in this area" sign above my torch tanks that I found somewhere. More of a joke than anything, but it scared a guy I sold some parts to enough that he asked before he lit a cig. :smokin:

[rusted]

I have a small ABC, the kind that is done in seconds. I've used them before.

I also have a hose. I wouldn't hesitate to fight A-C fires with water after maybe dousing the flames at a circuit breaker with the short blast of extinguisher I have. Then it's a Class A.

For liquids, honestly I need a new, larger extinguisher. It's on the list...

I should add, I can fight B with water, but it's difficult to suppress it with a mist, just a shot of solid stream will splash the burning liquid then you have disaster. Takes a steady hand. :D

[sceep]

hell i dont know.. gotta be upwards of 15 20# abc's around.

None of the locations are signed.

There are 4 that are right in the center of the shop for quick access, that dont move.

1 at each of the 4 doors

2 in the office

1 on each welder

1 on each torch cart.

and others scattered around.

[DVanVorous]

My homework shop proper has 1 decent sized ABC. When Im messing with the rig I either have that out or the garden hose in close proximity.

That said and with this being a safety thread, how many folks have a 1st aid kit and a respirator available as well?

D.

[Flatfenderman]

I have two extinguishers too. 1 ABC and one H2O.. To be even safer in my welding area I put corigated steel on the walls, it wont burn...I hope. Here is a pic, it was taken before more equipment was put in. There is a steel welding table in the corner now...

Flatty

[64Trvlr]

That said and with this being a safety thread, how many folks have a 1st aid kit and a respirator available as well?

I do..

[Firefyter_Emt]

Yep, I have 1 on the wall right behind my workbench. Other side of the shop has a charged 25' hose line. (ok, it is really a garden hose... humor me.) Below my work bench on the shelf right above my drawers I have a fully stocked hard case EMT jump kit. I do have a paint resporator, safety goggles, and headphones & heavy leather gloves all in a cabinet where they belong. I even have a smoke detector in the shop above the door! What I am missing is a good full face shield..

[hoehand]

All I have is an old carbonated drink dispenser that i fill with water and then pressurize. works great, I use a kit out of a safety supply catalog that uses the tank and turns it into an eye wash station. I do have an scba in the shop though. But It would be faster to just walk the twelve feet out the garage door if something went that wrong.

[JeepinDoug]

I have 8. My garage is 26' x 30'. One is an antique gravity st.st. can for looks. One is hanging on the wall in the middle of the garage and 6 brand new ones still in the boxes on a shelf. Never used any of them.

[Gen. Nonsense]

I have two extinguishers too. 1 ABC and one H2O.. To be even safer in my welding area I put corigated steel on the walls, it wont burn...I hope. Here is a pic, it was taken before more equipment was put in. There is a steel welding table in the corner now...

FlattyI like the steel idea. I was gonna use FRP or something to that effect. Easier to clean than paint too, just hose it off.
BTW, I have 2 FEs in the garage and a first aid kit.

[beerisgood]

I have 4 fire extinguishers, one on each wall of the shop, fully stocked first aid kit, paint resperator.

[randii]

<waking thread from the dead>

I had a couple of small dry-chemical bottles in the shop, and a couple in the rig (which mostly slumbers in the shop).... and I just hooked up a few from Craigslist -- you locals might wanna give this guy a shout: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/592316640.html (he was a decent fella and a good CL-er).

I spent some time talking to the fella -- he collected a bunch of old and cool stuff, and is now clearing some of it to make room. These are all fully charged, second-hand ex-industrial extinguishers -- and he has a range of dry and C02 cans. These are ready for use in home or home-shop situations, but if you want an extinguisher for a business or public building to meet fire codes, then you'd have to recertify most of these and it may be simpler to go another direction.

These are perfect for my hobbyist usage and by each exterior door, I now have a 15-pound C02 can and a small 5-pound ABS dry bottle, as well, with a 30-pound ABC dry bottle hanging centrally next to where the inside hose will eventually mount. I'm still looking for a couple of pressurized water cans as a cheap first-run for the next time I set myself on fire welding. :laughing:

Randii (avoidin' the flames)

[PTSchram]

LOL, I saw the post and started counting the extinguishers in the new shop! I just put one at each door and have several around the toolbox/welder/machine shop. I figure I have at least six or seven.

Industrial first aid kit, half and full face respirators, nuisance masks and two SCBAs :grin:

[ROXROES]

That said and with this being a safety thread, how many folks have a 1st aid kit and a respirator available as well?
D.

Shop towels and electrical tape count? :laughing: Should have one in all seriousness...........

One extinguisher and haven't used it yet, I also have a sink 10 feet from where I'm welding, cutting etc.

The fab shop I worked in in NY had corrugated steel all over the walls and ceiling as was probably 5-7K sq ft. I would like to redo my 2 far left bays where I do the fab work in that possibly.

[DSW]

I find it amazing how few people have extinguishers or think to use them.

I watched my bosses suburban burn to the ground snow plowing last year. The driver who took over for my boss, who was sick, ran to get the fire extinguisher form the mack dump truck while the one next to him on the pass side burned in the truck. Said he never thought to look for it. BTW this was his 2nd fire of the nite! He'd already had an exhast fire in his own truck.

Watched the house one street back from mine burn from a grill fire 2 years ago. Poeple stood and watched their house burn while they dialed 911. Never thought to try and move the grill away from the house, either before or after the leaves under the grill lit up from some burning grease. Guess they should have kept the grill clean and racked up the leaves. They didn't try to use a hose or water. just dialed 911. A volunteer 1/2 block away heard the call go out, grabed his fire extinguisher and ran to the house. Too late, by the time he got there he just used his phone to let dispatch know to put out a second alarm as a fully engulfed house fire. House gone due to stupidity.

[gilraine]

6. one on either side of my big doors, one by the people door in the back, one in the center on a shelf and a small one on my welding cart.. also have 1 in each vehicle..

[stssts]

I've got a buddy that got me two of the commercial fire extinguisher boxes that mount in the wall with the proper markings. I mounted 1 by the walk through door and one by the work bench. Keeps them easily accessible, and clean ready to use. No hunting.

[PhantomEB]

1 but I want to end up with 3.

[positrack@earthlink.]

I've got 1 on my welding cart, 1 on my torch cart, 1 on the end of my bench right by the toolbox and vice (prime shop real estate), and 1 in my truck. All are rated at least 10 BC, and at least the one on my bench is ABC (nasty dry chem.).

I also have a small but decent 1st aid kit (heavy on gauze, tape, and those HD cloth band-aids). I have disposable dust masks (mainly for sand-blasting), but no charcoal respirator or anything. I don't do any painting other than rattle-can.

I've used the bench extinguisher twice in the 12 years I've had the shop. Neither was serious, but one would have had potential if I hadn't had a FE handy. I got a bunch of oily/greasy shop rags going while welding and it took me a while to notice it (they were 3/4 the way across the shop; it's amazing how far sparks will fly). I very seldom use the 1st aid kit. I usually don't bother with band-aids; they just come off fingers anyway and are usually more aggravation than they're worth.

[nissancrawler]

I have 3 extinguishers in my 20x24 garage, plus a hose that stays hooked up. I also have a respirator, full face shield, several pairs of goggles, 4-5 pairs of different gloves (welding, plain leather, cut resistant, etc.). I also keep a box of ear plugs, I've had welding splatter in my ears twice, so now I wear ear plugs when I weld in funny positions.

[adampfisters]

x2 on the ear plugs.

3 fire extinguishers, one full pint of beer and my friend that would happily piss on me. I know this as I started my pants on fire the other day while under my rig cutting with a torch, I shut off the torch as fast as I could and patted the fire out as I was jumping out from under my rig. Well my buddy was running toward me undoing his pants (he had to set a full beer down to perform this action) :shaking::laughing:

[Pt_Ranger_V8]

don't light your face on fire after dousing it with gas... it really fawkin' hurts...


fire extinguishers are available in my shop now.

[7.62FMJ]

No extinguishers for me. If I'm using the torch or welder, I'll drag the garden hose over, and of course, move anything flammable far away.

[Todd W]

Shop towels and electrical tape count? :laughing: Should have one in all seriousness...........

One extinguisher and haven't used it yet, I also have a sink 10 feet from where I'm welding, cutting etc.

The fab shop I worked in in NY had corrugated steel all over the walls and ceiling as was probably 5-7K sq ft. I would like to redo my 2 far left bays where I do the fab work in that possibly.


I've set shop towels on fire more times than I can count... sometimes it smokes up entire garage until I realize it (since I`m welding) :shaking:

I have ~5 EXT. and a larger wal-mount.
My hose is 2ft outside the garage and always pressurized.

I've never put out a large fire only shop towels and my sweat shirt on fire (directly in middle).

[ROXROES]

I've never put out a large fire only shop towels and my sweat shirt on fire (directly in middle).

Yah, I did that a few times then I bought a welding jacket. Get's expensive ruining sweatshirts. Even if they are work ones! :D

[Pt_Ranger_V8]

I seem to be going through my hoodies front pockets... not from catching them on fire, just the grinder sprays onto my sweatshirt, and the debris wears the fabric out really fast... 2 or 3 of my hoodies have fist sized holes from the grinder spray...

[SPEEDCRAVIN]

This is a great topic... I have 4000 sq ft and only 2 extinguishers. I am in the market to buy about 5 of 6 more. Just have not dropped the hammer yet but I need to.

JOSH

[Todd W]

Yah, I did that a few times then I bought a welding jacket. Get's expensive ruining sweatshirts. Even if they are work ones! :D

My welding jacket is once again one of those tools that's amazing once you have it and before you did I was like `meh` a welding jacket pffft.

Protects me from burns, catching on fire, covers my neck, prevents flash to my eyes, and lets me rest against hot shit until its to hot and then instantly burns my side ;)

Great 50 buck investment.

[cj5 kid]

I have two. One is on the welding cart, one is at the door.
Whenever possible i weld, cut ,burn... outside the garage.
If unable to take it outside, I go on a clean up before to make sure there are no flamables in the area. Will also wet down the area when possible.

[Lars915]

I have four. One at the small entrance door, one at eye level between the overhead doors, one sits by the door just inside the house, and the one in my rig. All of them except the one in the rig are professional Kidde 10 pounders. The rig extinguisher is a 5 pound Kidde marine unit.

[4x4not]

Do those red cans next to the lawn mower count? :flipoff2:

Really, I only have one that is CHARGED. I need to consider buying more since I just went from ~200ft² to over 1000ft².