Case Study: In November of 2012, a 35-year-old temporary employee was working at a construction site. The employee was attempting to remove and replace a broken tooth on the digging bucket at the maintenance yard. He was performing the repair with using an air arc to cut off old metal so he could attach a new pocket. Before attempting this repair, the employee had previously been working on a hydraulic valve at a different location. The employee failed to put the flammable brake parts cleaning solvent away before starting the arc cutting. Instead, the employee stored the plastic bucket full of solvent and some dirty rags approximately 10 feet away from the cutting area on a work bench. As he was cutting, sparks landed on the rags, which caught on fire. The employee then attempted to move the solvent bucket and extinguish the rags simultaneously. The solvent spilled on his upper body, and the victim caught fire. He suffered second and third degree burns to 40 percent of his upper body. The victim was hospitalized for nearly a month.
Key Takeaway: Before conducting hot work, always move all sources of combustible materials at least 35 feet from the area of operation. If the objects cannot be moved, a fire watch must be on duty during hot work operations and for at least a half hour after operations cease.
