We have another tragic example of how dangerous hot work is on used (even new) containers when proper precautions are not taken. This event seriously injured the three (3) workers in Ankara, Turkey, in February 2024. Members can download the video from the video library.
There are very few instances where OSHA uses such clear language, but in 1910.252(a) they use the phrase “absolutely certain” and for good reason! This explosion occurred at a wastewater treatment plant in the city of Gumi, South Korea, on October 19, 2016. 1910.252(a)(3)(i) Used containers.No welding, cutting, or other hot work shall be performed
A fire broke out at a multi-story automated parking structure within BYD’s Pingshan Park in Shenzhen, China, at approximately 2:48 a.m. on April 14, 2026. Preliminary investigations by local authorities and BYD indicated that the fire was caused by an outside contractor’s improper handling of dismantling/welding equipment, which ignited insulation cotton and other combustible materials
This video demonstrates the lengths some will go to “get it done”. We can see two workers with fire extinguishers, positioning themselves on both sides of the pipeline as if they know what’s going to happen. These are NOT Hot Work “fire watches”; these workers are there to do just what they expected: put the
Way too many have a serious lack of respect for the hazards a “Fire Watch” may face. I say this, because in my years of experience, I almost always find the “fire watch” role is assigned to the youngest, least experienced, and lowest paid person on the job. In many situations, these workers are NOT
At 2:45 p.m. on April 17, 2023, an employee and a manager, 49, were attempting to drain a stillage tank so that repairs could be made to its internal agitator. They needed to verify the quantity level of stillage, so they attempted to remove a manway access cover on top of the tank. They encountered
At 12:30 p.m. on September 27, 2017, Employee #1 was welding on the exterior wall of a wastewater storage tank. The tank became over-pressurized, causing an explosion. Employee #1 fell to the concrete floor below and was killed.
On March 28, 2014, Employee #1, working at a construction company’s job site, was engaged in exterior carpentry. He was using a cutting torch. A spark from the torch fell into the worker’s front pocket. The worker had a butane lighter in his pocket. The spark caused the lighter to explode, and the worker sustained
