SAFETY HINTS FOR HOT WORK ON TANKS & DRUMS
It is assumed that you are already familiar with the correct procedures for welding, brazing or gas cutting. If you are in any doubt, you should obtain training from Occupational Safety & Health Officer on Welding Safety.
Here are the main safety rules to observe in Welding:
CLOTHING
• Always wear industrial overalls and eye protection
during welding and cutting work. Keep overalls fastened up to your neck and round
your wrists.
• Wear safety footwear if you are handling heavy drums or tanks. Wear gloves or gauntlets while arc welding to protect against shock, burns and radiation burns.
EQUIPMENT
• Make sure all equipment is in good
order.
• Make sure flashback arrestors are fitted
to gas welding gear.
• Beware of leaking hoses and connections which
are not gas tight.
• Check insulation of all cables on
electric arc welding gear.
• Do not arc weld in wet conditions.
• Use an isolating transformer with all
portable electrical equipment.
• Make sure welding screens are erected to
protect others from ultraviolet radiation.
VENTILATION
• Make sure your work area is well ventilated. The ultraviolet light from welding converts oxygen in the air around you to ozone, which initiates the lungs. There are also toxic substances in fluxes, filler rods, coatings and cleaning agents. Other poisonous fumes are produced by welding or cutting metal coated with paint, resin or varnish.
BURNS
• Always cool down hot metal or mark it with chalk if there is a chance someone could accidentally touch it.
FIRE PREVENTION
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy,
particularly when working on containers with a coating of flammable material
such as paint.
• Keep the work area free of flammable
liquids and wastes or piles of rubbish in which sparks could smolder.
ADDITIONAL REMINDERS
• Severe explosions and fires may occur
when welding, cutting, brazing or soldering is carried out on fuel tanks, drums
and similar vessels that have previously held flammable materials.
• Many substances not usually thought of
as explosive, or flammable may be dangerous.
• The only way for hot work to be done safely is for the vessel to be thoroughly cleaned by washing, boiling or steaming as appropriate and the interior carefully checked for residual traces of the substance.
• As an additional precaution, the tank
should be inert by filling it with water, steam or an inert gas.
• Hot work has its own set of hazards.
Make sure you know and follow the safety rules at all times.
• Always wear and use the protective clothing and equipment appropriate to the task.
Spot the Hazards | Napo Hunting Dangers
• Avoid hot work on potentially dangerous drums
wherever possible, e.g. by using mechanical tools.
• If one compartment of a two-compartment tank
has to be repaired or cut, both compartments need to be made safe. The common
example is a tractor fuel tank, which contains a main compartment for oil and a
small one for petrol.
• Never use an empty drum, tank or container as a work platform or as a support for hot work. The torch flame or sparks may ignite vapors or solid residues inside it. Either use a proper support or clean the container first as described in this booklet.
• As well as the explosion risks described
here, you should also remember the risk of fires. A sudden spurt of flames from
filler pipes or other openings can obviously be dangerous.
Another danger is
that burning material, e.g. flammable liquids may be sprayed on to the clothing
of people nearby.
• Never enter a tank or vat to carry out cleaning or hot work. Any work in confined spaces is extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by inexperienced people.
