Let's Be Careful Out There!

[PHPaul]

Neighbor/Acquaintance/Sorta Friend has a garage just up the road from me. Wheeler-Dealer Horse Trader and Shade Tree Mechanic. Always has a couple of projects going on, old cars and trucks (30's to 60's) etc.

He was grinding on something a couple-three weeks ago and the sparks got into a pile of greasy/oily rags and POOF! He tried to put it out and wound up with 2nd degree burns over 25% of his body, spent a couple weeks in the hospital.

Garage and two vehicles are a total loss. He just called me and asked me to go through the remains and see if any of his tools are salvageable.

I understand the urge to try and save your stuff, but stuff is replaceable. You...not so much.

I have a covered metal can my rags go in and it gets emptied every week on trash pick up day.

 

[brino]

Wow! I hope he will be alright.

Thanks for posting this. It can be surprising how quickly things can go bad.
We need to be safety minded _before_ things go wrong, so we are less likely to have a situation go bad, and also more aware/prepared if they do.

A reminder like this is something we should try to learn from.

I should go check the access to and pressure of my fire extinguishers.

-brino

 

[markba633csi]

I'm guessing this person didn't have a fire extinguisher on hand- ?
Foolish not to, considering how cheap they are
Expensive lesson
-Mark

 

[Nogoingback]

And perhaps a bit foolish to be using a grinder in the vicinity of the rags in the first place.

 

[Jake P]

An accident is a chain of events, and this chain has numerous links.

That’s an analogy that was pounded into our heads in the military (aviation in my case).

Break any link in the chain and avoid the accident.

 

[PHPaul]

An accident is a chain of events, and this chain has numerous links.

That’s an analogy that was pounded into our heads in the military (aviation in my case).

Break any link in the chain and avoid the accident.

Exactamundo.

His "shop" was always a disaster area. I absolutely could NOT work in the mess he did. He is absolutely the most disorganized individual I've ever met. It'd take me a week to find a 9/16ths socket in his shop. Uh...ex-shop...

 

[C-Bag]

Yup, and another military saying I really like is “situational awareness “. That is basically impossible in a mess. But my mess is always from a present project. Not an accumulation. And I’ve quit using cloth rags just because of that. They are too dangerous. And my HD paper towels even though they kill me environmentally go in the trash every week. And the ones in use are kept track of. Like away from grinding and welding.

 

[sycle1]

Yes these incidents usually happen so fast.
I did some welding the other day and was wondering what the stink was, turns out I had been on fire, my cosy fleecy winter vest touched the freshly welded part and caught alight.
I was totally unaware until I took the welding helmet off and looked for the source of the smell and saw the hole in my vest, it could have been much worse, I was lucky. ( I didn't have the fainest hint I was on fire)
Keep your nylon or polyester clothes out of the workshop they are dangerous.
Yes ..... I should know better.

 

[C-Bag]

An accident is a chain of events, and this chain has numerous links.

It’s funny how things like this are demonstrated. I think I was in junior hi when I read this short story of how a fighter pilot was going through his whole process he’d gone through hundreds of times but all these detail like how hot was that day made the air so thin, added to the altitude which he wasn’t used to. Along with all these other details like maintenance things added up to him not clearing the end of the runway and dying. That really stuck with me.

That’s why they say the devil is in the details. If I catch myself not paying attention and just don’t have my rhythm and focus right I go find something else to do. I’m lucky I don’t have a boss on my tail and I can do that. For decades I had to be hyper aware of what i was doing along with the goofs around me. Now I’m the only goof

 

[zuhnc]

Recently I was using a cut-off wheel in the 4-1/2" grinder, and felt my side getting warmer! Found out I was on fire - cotton shirt. Done this a couple of times.