Friend's Accident Serves as a Reminder

[Hotfoot]

I attended a holiday function last night and learned that a friend of mine was VERY seriously burnt when his clothing caught fire in his studio. He is a world known metal sculptor, and has large corporate type pieces placed across the country. He is no newbie, and also teaches art welding at the college level. He has books out, etc. He knows his way around a shop.

I tell all this to remind us never to get too casual about safety. He is in his 80's, but still quite feisty and productive, and was apparently toiling away alone in his studio, caught his sleeve on fire, and it got real bad real quick. He is in the Brooks Army Medical Center Hospital Burn Center (best in the country), with 2 nurses assigned to him 24 hours a day, and no visitors allowed yet. They have already done skin grafts.

Let's all be just a touch more careful, OK, guys!?:(

[TEK]

Heres to hoping he gets better soon, foot, and thanks for the 'minder.....

[Rocky D]

You brought up a good point...especially now that it is cooler and you tend to dress warmer...when welding do not wear flannel, wool or any cloth that has a nap to it. Including your socks!

[Sandy]

Hotfoot, I hope the best for your friend.

These things happen fast, even when you're watching yourself.

Carefull every body.

[usmcpop]

I thought natural fabrics like cotton and wool were better than synthetics (aside from specialty fibers like Nomex, etc.) in terms of fire resistance.

[Rocky D]

It's not so much "fire resistance" but when synthetics burn, the melt and do much damage to your skin...it sticks to ya...cotton and wool don't when they burn...I was speaking specifically of the nap on the cloth...those tiny fibers that stem from the surface of the fabric...they will flash on ya...I can remember lifting up my hood, and the whole front of my flannel shirt was a wall of flame! :eek: If I'd had a beard, Ida been toast! :eek:

[whateg0]

I'm not sure about fire resistance. I think that normally comes from special treatment. The big no-no about things like polyester and such is that when they burn, they melt to your skin, so they don't fall away, and just keep burning. When at sea, we had to wear our dungarees, which were treated with something to reduce the likelyhood they'd burn, or our coveralls, which I don't think were treated, but were at least cotton. In fact, I've burned a hole in a pair using a grinder. The sparks were being deflected back at one spot and eventually it burned through. Never flared up or anything, just noticed there was a hole there later.

Sorry, Rocky. I didn't refresh the page after I opened it a while ago.

Dave

[ace4059]

Hotfoot,
Thanks for bringing this up. NO ONE CAN BE TOO CAREFULL.

Today I spent about 3 hours in the ER with a good friend and member of this board, that was working with me in the shop. FatFrank was at my shop cutting a few small pieces of strap (2" x1"). He was grinding off the burrs with the belt sander while holding the piece in his hand and the belt caught the metal pulling his hand into the belt and his finger was wedged in between the metal (that was now pinched in the guard) and the belt. It took off all the skin on the top side of his index finger down to the bone including fingernail. He was just going to "quickly" remove the burrs which is something that he has done hundreds of times without incident. It just takes once and when it happens it is usually on the "small quick jobs that are only going to take a second so I dont need the safety gear".

So what I am saying is that everyone needs to be carefull no matter your age and skill. And be sure to ALWAYS wear your saftey gear.A pair of plires could have maybe prevented it if he was hold the strap with them instead of his fingers.

Hotfoot, I wish a quick and speedy recovery to your friend and to Fatfrank. I just hate to hear of people getting hurt.

Have a safe day,
Ryan

[Hotfoot]

I also remembered that only a couple months ago I caught my pants on fire (just like "Liar, Liar..":p). I have number pair of jeans that I have knicked the thigh areas with grinders and flap discs, and after they get washed a few times the damaged areas open up and get frayed, so they are relegated to "Shop Pants", and I wear them only around the shop.

I felt the heat while welding, and flipped my mask up to see the frayed area on fire, and just beginning to get my skin. I beat it out with my glove, and thankfully had only flash burned my leg. I have a leather apron that I used to wear, and i need to make myself wear that more.

I have made a point to never weld wearing any polyester or nylon Therefore, my snazzy Lime Green and my Burgandy Pants Suits are still intact!!):p

Merry Christmas, all!!

[Rocky D]

I'm sorry to hear Fat Frank got hurt...I was going to mention in my earlier post that accidents are not allocated to newbies....us old timers who are used to doing dangerous jobs, many many times over, do get careless at times too. Tell Fat Frank he's in my prayers.

[lawson]

A few years ago i used to service welding sets i used to visit a company where a welder used to leave a 1 gallon of paint thinners on the work bench with the top removed,every time i used to visit i warned him this was very dangerous and fitted the screw cap and put the tin in a safe place.On day he was welding spark ingnited the fumes he ended up in hospital with 90% burns and died ,so lets be careful out there.

[ace4059]

Hotfoot, Any news on your friend?

FatFrank is doing better, his finger looks bad but I think he is going to eventualy be ok once the skin grows back (might not have a nail, but it is better to not have a nail than lose a finger).

-Ryan

[cope]

I'm sorry to hear Fat Frank got hurt...I was going to mention in my earlier post that accidents are not allocated to newbies....us old timers who are used to doing dangerous jobs, many many times over, do get careless at times too. Tell Fat Frank he's in my prayers.

Rocky, I read once that the majority of serious accidents in the woodworking field are to pros and not amateurs. The same might be true in welding since the exposure is greater.

[Little]

Rocky, I read once that the majority of serious accidents in the woodworking field are to pros and not amateurs. The same might be true in welding since the exposure is greater.

I had a doc who did some sewing up ask if I had been doing woodbutchering for less than ten days or more than ten years. It struck me as odd, but about ten years later, I was back for more sewing up.:eek:

Little

[Rocky D]

Rocky, I read once that the majority of serious accidents in the woodworking field are to pros and not amateurs. The same might be true in welding since the exposure is greater.
Yeah, Alan definitely true...I think it's because you get so familiar with the operation, you forget basic things, like not wearing gloves when working with a disk sander or bench grinder, and then there's the "pick it up while it's still red hot" thing...:D

One of our production TIG weldors nemesis, was throwing the TIG torch over your leg, while you re-position the part, and stab your self with a white hot tungsten....I remember one guy got it right in the scrote...:eek: :eek:

[vicegrip]

@ 51 + :
I have noticed over & over again .....In all feilds of work.
That it isn't when you are taking chances......that the worst happens.

Useing machinery or equipment past it's limits etc.

It's the mid-day thursday-afternoon ...I've allready done this 1278 times,
type event, when due to the "deed" haveing long ago shifted into
the involuntary side of the brain, just from shear repition, that the terrible happens.

No longer in the voluntary funtion of thought, a little distraction or fatigue,
and we arn't in the brain comprehensive mode, .......

I have had a few close ones in recent years, that I would have never had
when I was young / ignorant / and perhaps careless.

Ya got to recognize that, as you age you actually become a slightly different individual,
better than a young person could ever hope to be in some ways,
and yet potencially deadly in other ways, due to diminished sensory inputs
/ or reduced consentration abillity .....or the worst !!!

When a task has become involuntary!!!!!!!!
the mind may as well be on vacation !

Phil

[FusionKing]

Rocky, I read once that the majority of serious accidents in the woodworking field are to pros and not amateurs. The same might be true in welding since the exposure is greater.

My goodness this statement couldn't be any truer...I do and get away with crap everyday that would make any newby cringe and a lot of dudes run for cover.

@ 51 + :
I have noticed over & over again .....In all feilds of work.
That it isn't when you are taking chances......that the worst happens.

Useing machinery or equipment past it's limits etc.

It's the mid-day thursday-afternoon ...I've allready done this 1278 times,
type event, when due to the "deed" haveing long ago shifted into
the involuntary side of the brain, just from shear repition, that the terrible happens.

No longer in the voluntary funtion of thought, a little distraction or fatigue,
and we arn't in the brain comprehensive mode, .......

I have had a few close ones in recent years, that I would have never had
when I was young / ignorant / and perhaps careless.

Ya got to recognize that, as you age you actually become a slightly different individual,
better than a young person could ever hope to be in some ways,
and yet potencially deadly in other ways, due to diminished sensory inputs
/ or reduced consentration abillity .....or the worst !!!

When a task has become involuntary!!!!!!!!
the mind may as well be on vacation !

Phil

This statement is just to true to even stand:eek: I'm 49 and planning to do my craft till I keel over. I will have to say that many things I do have become like breathing and is prolly only off-set by the fact that I have spent plenty of buck$ in the emergency room:(

[terryzx]

I have found that it works better for me if I wear my lightweight Torchwear gloves ALL the time. Occasionally a reflex action caused me to touch things that were HOT when I was not thinking about it, so now I wear them constantly and have not had an incident since.

http://store.cyberweld.com/towetiwegl.html

[seamutt]

There is an old formula that used Borax soap powder for making Fire Retardent ... anything, clothes, Christmas trees etc.
Anyway I looked around the internet and here it is. If you want an in depth explanation as to why this works just plug "Borax fire retardant" into a search engine.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2086884_make-clothing-flame-retardant.html

All these accident stories are making my skin crawl.
Guys: think safe/be safe, burns are the least fun thing I know about. (including mother-in-laws)

[Rocky D]

Back in the old days we used 20 Mule Team Borax for brazing flux...but I don't think it's the same now...like they changed the formula or something...anybody know for sure?

[enlpck]

Back in the old days we used 20 Mule Team Borax for brazing flux...but I don't think it's the same now...like they changed the formula or something...anybody know for sure?

The straight borax is still the same. Near the laundry detergent, usually. There are several other '20 mule team' products, though. Read the box to be sure.

[3 weelin geezer]

OUCH!! I remember when I was in school and caught my pants leg on fire from a stray spark. Felt kinda warm and everyone was yelling but I didn't understand why. Hard to hear so many people talking at once. I finally looked at what they were pointing at and discovered why I felt so nice and warm. Needless to say, those pants were ruined. So whats the moral? Wear high boots and check your pants often.