2010 Hotwork/Welding Accidents
thru 1/31/10
HOTWORK FIRE Fire at Marriott Hotel & Marina (a fire at a high-rise hotel threatened to put a damper on New Year’s Eve celebrations – fire started in a kitchen at the Hotel – when fire crews arrived, it appeared the smoke was coming from the roof – it turns out, the fire started in a kitchen that’s being re-modeled – welding work on a stove exhaust vent caught some grease on fire – lobby was filled with the smoke, and fire crews called for a second alarm response – crews were able to contain the fire to a small area in the kitchen)
HOTWORK FIRE TRAIN FIRE: Firefighters say a box car full of paper caught fire overnight in … (a fire in a train yard could be burning for days – the fire started at the rail yard around 11:00 p.m. when a rail yard employee was welding a ladder to the box car when the sparks caught the paper inside it on fire – fire crews left the area once to only be called back two additional times when the fire re-ignited)
HOTWORK FIRE Boat Catches Fire in Houston Ship Channel (investigators say a welding accident may be to blame for a cargo boat fire – firefighters arrived at approximately 1 a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from a large cargo ship that was anchored in the water – some workers were on board welding and somehow several unused crates, boxes and other debris caught fire near the welding equipment – the ship did not have serious damage and remains seaworthy, but the fire was expansive enough that a Fire Department boat was used to fight the ship fire – no one was injured in the fire and no chemicals were released in the water since no hazardous materials were used)
HOTWORK New Details on Mill Accident (worker, 63, is suffering from severe second and third degree burns on his arms, chest, neck and face – he is a contract worker – a witness says that the worker was cutting a metal pipe with a saw that produces a large amount of sparks – one of the sparks caught his shirt on fire – a chemical extinguisher was used to put the fire out – he was treated there and then transported by air to another facility)
HOTWORK Fire hits steering wheel production at Autoliv (automotive safety systems supplier says it will rebuild a steering wheel manufacturing plant that was destroyed by fire during the Christmas holiday break – the fire is believed to have been started by welding work that was being carried out during the shutdown – much of the production equipment at the site was destroyed in the fire but employees extracted around 100 moulds)
FATAL EXPLOSION DURING HOTWORK Seminole truck explosion (work was killed as he was attempting to thaw a valve on an 80 barrel tank truck and some how it ignited causing an explosion and took his life – the blast could be felt and heard from about 4 miles away – the tankers are used to transport salt water and crude oil)
HOTWORK Fire injures two at Funsi (two people were injured when a water tank they were working on caught fire – one of them who sustained severe wounds was rushed to the regional hospital while the other was responding to treatment at a Health Centre – the victims were welders putting finishing touches to the tank which would have served as a water reservoir, when sparks from their welding instruments ignited dry leaves and empty cement bags on the ground – timber boards and pieces of wood used in propping up the tank, plastic pipes and a shed were all burnt by the fire)
HOTWORK FIRE Fire ignites at new Cinespace location (the initial call brought crews out shortly after 10 p.m. to find a fire involving an interior wall and the roof – fire was likely caused by equipment being used in recent renovation work to transform the plant into a film studio – cutting or welding equipment were noted as the likely ignition site – there were no injuries reported at the three-alarm fire – only a small area of the roof was primarily affected)
HOTWORK Investigators: Produce plant fire caused by accident (a demolition crew’s torch sparked the blaze that ripped through a small, unused warehouse at a prominent food processing plant about 5:30 p.m. – the uninsured building was set to be demolished, and crews cutting metal inside apparently ignited a flammable material inside – much of the building’s roof collapsed during the blaze, but no injuries were reported)
HOTWORK Welders ignite fire in West Loop high-rise (a fire at a high-rise started by some welding work has been extinguished and no injuries have been reported – while there was no evacuation of the building, about 100 people who were in the lobby when firefighters arrived were temporarily directed to nearby Union Station by fire personnel – the fire was started by welders doing work at the building, which “got the insulation going” in the building)
Two hurt in ‘mini explosion’ (fumes from the gasoline were ignited by the cutting torch, causing a quick flash of fire – both of the employees were injured)