Dangers of Hot Work

Figure 7.6 This image is sparks showering a tank containing flammables is within Dangers of Hot Work a 14 min video on hot work safety. The video is available at the CSB website. Courtesy of Chemical Safety Board [11].

The U.S. CSB gathered a series of sad preventable case histories occurring in facilities in Florida, Delaware, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Ohio as a backdrop to the 14 min safety video entitled Dangers of Hot Work. The video clearly warns of the hazards of welding and other hot work activities in and around storage tanks containing flammable materials. And one of those case histories is the Motiva Enterprises refinery in Delaware City, Delaware incident that was just discussed. 

CSB s Dangers of Hot Work. This is an excellent 14 min video about maintenance related accidental fires and explosions occurring in five different states. It was published in Jime 2010. 

US Chemical Safety Board. Dangers of hot work a 14 minute video produced and distributed, June 2010. 

Permits to work can be of differing formats. Therefore, it is essential that when a permit to work has been issued it should be read carefully and understood and all possible measures taken to reduce or eliminate the known danger. Permits can be issued for a variety of work tasks (e.g. work on high-voltage electrical systems, steam boilers, hot work, confined spaces, etc.). The permit below is an example of differing types of work tasks. 

T/F) The function of the hot work permit is to protect personnel and equipment from the danger of a fire or explosion when hot work is performed. 

A drawback of the liquid-type collectors is the danger of leakage and freezing. The former can be averted by appropriate junctions that permit dilatation, the latter by using antifreeze liquids as working media, for example, by integration into the hot water system of the farm for year-round performance. 

Falling objects create a major hazard for feet. There are hazards also from slipping. There are hazards from stepping on protruding nails or objects and from hot materials, wet materials, and contact with chemicals. There are also cutting hazards of tools, such as axes and chainsaws. There are dangers from cold exposures and from hot work. 

Protection from Cold or Hot For those who work in the cold, there are insulating insoles and electrically heated insoles. For those who walk on hot surfaces or face the danger of splattered molten metal from welding or... 

Dangers of nsing drugs, including therapeutic ones, and alcohol in hot work environments... 

Never become overconfident when felling, and never cut down a tree when you are hampered by wind or bad weather. Stay away from alcohol and drugs, and don t work when you are tired. Fatigue can cause you to work dangerously—a hot chainsaw muffler can cause a serious burn a slip of a wrench and you could cut your hand on the chain. Also, try not to work alone, but if you must, at least tell someone when and where you re going and when you will return. Always keep a well-equipped first-aid kit nearby. If you have assistants, never assume they understand work dangers It s up to you to insist upon safety. 

Certain conditions may overwhelm the processes that help to maintain the body temperature so that dangerously low or high internal temperatures result. For example, an unclothed body in a cold windy environment is likely to lose heat more rapidly than it can be generated by metabolism. Hence, people living in such environments need protective clothing, shelter, and fuel to keep warm. On the other hand, the dissipation of body heat can occur only to a limited extent in hot humid environments. Therefore, these circumstances limit the amount of physical work which can be done in the tropics because increased muscle activity results in increased heat production. 

Hot work hazards are associated with many types of construction, maintenance, repair and demolition work. The main sources of danger appear to be obvious, but experience shows that some are not, and those which are recognised are often treated as traditional hazards of the industry. 

Hot work involves the use of flame-producing equipment, such as welding or cutting torches, or the use of equipment that can create sparks, such as can occur when metal is being cut or hammered. Hot work is potentially dangerous for the following reasons ... 

Description of hazards. Working in extreme weather or conditions—hot or cold-can be dangerous. People who work outdoors must be aware of the dangers, the signs of injury, and fhe way weafher hazards can be controlled. 

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