I just finished watching a bunch of your videos. I would like to express my appreciation to all of the people responsible for providing this great safety resource. I sent your channel link to my supervisor and I am going to strongly suggest using your videos in our safety meetings. Even when the hazards shown are not applicable to our work there is a benefit to watching because they serve to make you think about working and living safely. Thank you all so much.
An empty fuel tank is more explosive than a full one! When welding or cutting, fill with water, sand, or inerting gas. When I braze a nut on a stripped oil drain plug, I run the MIG welder's CO2/Argon hose into the crankcase to displace oxygen.
How about now? 3 years later? You doing ok? Hope so. How was your Christmas? Mine was good. Mother in law came down from Merritt, wife's uncle came in from Vancouver. Had a ham. Kids got some nice presents. All in all it was good.
Fred, did you not listen to the worksafe BC report? Inadequate instructions, inadequate supervision, inadequate training, No young worker training, Doesnt that say it all?
You should never use a torch on ANY drum. Even if it is labeled, you really have no idea what residual liquid or chemical is in it if any. And you always assume it was the worst chemical possible. So, how do you cut the top off? Well, there are tools available specifically for that job. If you have no such tool, then use a chisel and a hammer, or some metal shears, or like I saw one time: a large pipe wrench and a hammer. Anyway, it is very tragic that some one was injured. It's always needless, too. Every accident is totally preventable.
How many more times am I going to have to hear of this exact type of accident !! Just a few weeks ago a local news reported some (twit) guy in a yard was very seriously injured while cutting open a drum. Seems a lot of people are lacking basic knowledge, or they're just cant be bothered to stop a moment to asses what their doing, they just rush on head long without thinking. Where the heck was the supervisor for the young worker? He was lucky he wasn't impaled by flying shrapnel.
If I was ever to cut with a torch a drum that previosly had flamable liquids in it I would first pour a high concentrate of liquid soap in the drum, fill about a quarter full of hot water, shake the heck out of it and drain. I would do this twice and then set the drum outside for at least a week open to dry out. Before cutting I would smell the inside of the drum. Flamable vapors will always give a tell tale smell. If it smells like flamable vapors dont go yet.
That’s okay but you really should NOT rely on your sense of smell. There’s tools available to mechanically dehead drums. 50years experience in the Chemical Industry
well take all of this a grain of salt. From personal experience Worksafe isn't going to protect you if you refuse. Maybe if you work for a small mom and pop shop, but worksafe doesn't have the balls to go after multinational companies.
