October 16, 2024 – If you’re like me, you’ve been putting off some outdoor welding projects for cooler fall weather. With little rain in the past few weeks, and none forecast in the near future, outdoor welding can be hazardous to your property and to your neighbor’s as well.
Here are a few tips to keep everyone safe.
Have a fire watcher nearby. Small fires can be put out quickly by an assistant before you even realize there is a problem.
Avoid parking vehicles in dry grass tall enough to touch the catalytic converter on the underside of your vehicle.
Even something as simple as a round nose shovel can be very effective in fighting a small grass fire.
Remove vegetation from the work area.
Use a sprayer to wet down the work area prior to starting welding operations. Even a cheap two gallon hand sprayer will come in handy. A drop of detergent will greatly increase the water’s ability to smother a fire.
Keep a fire watch on site for at least 30 minutes after welding to monitor for smoldering fires. The fire watch should have fire fighting equipment know how to sound an alarm.
If it’s windy, considering waiting till the things calm down. Wind can accelerate a small fire into something uncontrollable in a matter of seconds.
