Acetylene Torches

Acetylene Torches

A shop mechanic decided to cut the head from an empty 55 gallon drum with a burning torch. As the flame burned through the top the drum exploded. The drum contained just enough alcohol so that the vapor-air mixture in the drum was explosive.

A pipe fitter didn’t need a scaffold because he was able to stand on the pile of burlap bags full of cocoa while he cut the pipe with a torch. It was just a smoldering fire but it spoiled the taste of $100,000 worth of cocoa.

The tunnel workers only spent five minutes welding a bracket onto the heading shield. They never noticed the spark that fell down between the oak timber sets into the straw packing. The timbers burned for two days and when the fire had burned itself out, six months’ work were undone and a half mile of tunnel caved in.

A few simple precautions in burning or welding with oxygen and acetylene would have prevented these accidents. These precautions are:

• Never burn into a drum, tank or pipe unless you are absolutely sure it is clean of any flammable materials.

• Use the minimum oxygen pressure needed for burning in order to reduce slag and sparks.

• Use protective material to catch slag or sparks where they may fall onto materials that may catch fire.

• Have a fire extinguisher nearby.