Working safely while welding, burning, or shredding doesn’t have to set your business on fire. Follow these simple tips to stay safe and on budget.

I read on the news lately that an apartment building had caught fire due to a fire started by contractors using a torch in the basement. Many people were kicked out of a place to live due to a contractor error who used a torch to cut through part of a floor. According to the story, there was no fire watch and not even a fire extinguisher on hand during hot work.

Like most safety procedures, the ways to be safe with hot work are straightforward. You first realize that cutting, welding, or burning metal will produce hot chunks of metal that will go places you might not want them to go. These hot pieces of metal can set things on fire.

Start by removing anything that can burn from the area. Most permitting systems recommend a clearance of 30 feet.

Next, make sure you have a working fire extinguisher and someone to operate it. Don’t depend on whoever is cutting, burning or welding to be on the lookout for a fire while concentrating on the job.

Both the hot worker and the fire watch should be aware that hot pieces of metal can fly, roll, or bounce away from the workplace. They should pay special attention to cracks or gaps near the workplace. Apparently that is what happened in the aforementioned story; sparks entered the wall and ignited the insulation.

Another easily overlooked cause of fires is the material on the other side of the wall from where the work is being done. I read about a case where a combustible material piled up outside a tank caught fire when welded inside the tank. Heat can also be transmitted by infrared radiation and by conduction. Therefore, workers must be aware of their entire surroundings when doing hot work.

There are some places where no hot work can be done. For example, in nearby areas where flammable liquids and vapors are present, hot work should be avoided. Manufacturers will often have to be creative to get the job done without the usual cuts, welds, or burns. Parts may need to be bolted or clamped in place instead of traditional mounting methods.

Flammable and explosive dust is a hazard in some operations. Combustible dust can be very dangerous if ignited in a confined area. I remember the demonstration at the Factory Mutual training center. They spray a cup of flour into a closed cave and light it with a spark. The impact of the explosion can be felt across the street, several meters away. Paper and wood dust can easily accumulate on structures and be difficult to extinguish if ignited by hot work.

Again, most safe work practices are easy to implement. But workers can often feel compelled to take shortcuts to speed up a job. Supervisors should pay particular attention to jobs that start near the end of a work shift or that my contractors end up working at a bargain price. There may be an incentive to rush work. The most easily overlooked part at the end of a job is the waiting period after a fire watch.

Sparks can take a long time to hatch in fire. A spark that has fallen into a crack or crevice can smolder for a long time before becoming large enough to be visibly seen. The fire watch must remain on the job continuously for at least 30 minutes after the job has been completed. The job site should be checked periodically for the next four hours to make sure no fires have been created.

I have found it difficult to get contractors to work at a bargain price to meet the four hour fire watch. It is best to assign this duty to a security guard or other trusted employee who is paid by the hour to be there.

Contractor safety often begins in the bidding process. Start by choosing contractors with a good safety record and who understand the unique hazards of your facility. Make sure contractors understand the hazards they will be working on before bidding. You don’t want to be in a situation where your ability to make a profit depends on taking unsafe shortcuts.

When making cost estimates for a job that involves hot work, make sure the budget includes man hours for a fire watch during and after the hot work. These may seem like unproductive costs to a contractor unfamiliar with safe work practices, but they are necessary for good work practice. Having a fire watch effectively doubles the man hours required for a job.

When using a torch, care must also be taken with compressed gas cylinders. Compressed gas cylinders have their own unique dangers. Cylinders must be moved with care using proper procedures. If cylinders are to be lifted, they must be properly mounted to reduce shift from falling and damage to a cylinder. Cylinders must be properly secured both while in storage and during hot work use. An appropriate cylinder cart will be sufficient in most cases to adequately support the cylinders and transport them safely to the job site.

Electric welders and grinders present hazards normally associated with electricity. Make sure the machines have a compatible voltage and that the wiring is in good condition and well insulated. Hot work can easily damage the insulation of welding and grinding equipment, so it must be inspected frequently and properly protected during the hot work process.

When welding, grinding or burning vehicles, there are special hazards that apply. Most vehicles will be powered by a flammable fuel. Make sure fuel is completely contained and hot work is done away from fuel tanks and fuel lines. Welding fuel tanks is a specialty best left to the brave souls who specialize in such work.

When doing hot work on a vehicle, it is not practical or possible to remove all combustible material such as wiring harnesses, carpets, siding, and upholstery. Great care must be taken to ensure that heat is not transferred through the car body to the fuels on the other side of where work is being done. I’ve read stories of entire cars lost to under-dash fires or carpets burned due to a simple solder repair igniting material on the other side of the job.

Be aware that the wiring can be damaged by hot work, even if it does not catch fire. The heat from welding on a roll cage or patch panel can easily cause a short circuit by heating the insulation of cables hidden within the body panels.

Cutting, welding and burning are part of any manufacturing process. Just follow a few basic safety steps to make sure the job doesn’t do more harm than good.