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Technical Shop safety and organization, Fire extinguishers

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, May 20, 2021.

  1. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    So, what are the sizes? Are the big ones 10#?
     
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  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    yup, I've been wearing them for years. I have to wear safety glasses at the robotics meetings with the kids, and at the competitions, and these glasses let me see little things with my tired old eyes. I've found them at welding stores, and online at places like mcmaster carr, I expect amazon has a bunch of them for cheap if you like to shop there.

    And you can get prescription bifocal safety glasses, too....Walmart can get them for you reasonably priced.
     
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  3. Zax
    Joined: May 21, 2017
    Posts: 623

    Zax
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. 1952-59 Ford Social Group

    When I bought my current house there were about 10 fire extinguishers that came with the house. Most were old and out of date. But in a rare stroke of luck Kidde had a huge recall on their fire extinguishers and most of the ones I had were on the list. So I have the two big ones in the garage. One by the bench and one by the doors. Plus several more spread through the house.

    https://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/support/product-alerts/recall-kidde-fire-extinguisher/
     
  4. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    Man, I feel like a slacker. I think I may have 2 total.
     
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  5. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    I had about six that were on the list, and got new ones free to replace them. I don't think it's a rare stroke of luck to posses a bunch of defective fire extinguishers :)
     
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  6. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Woah woah WOAH! Don't see a sign above each one of them that says "Fire Extinguisher".

    I mean, how else would anybody know that is a fire extinguisher? You're playin' with fire pal!

    Are they ADA compliant? Conform with 1910.157(c)(1) ?

    You have read, and understand 1910.157(c)(1) yes?

    Hm?
     
  7. Grandadeo
    Joined: Dec 24, 2008
    Posts: 1,057

    Grandadeo
    Member

    Going to a local rod event this Saturday where everyone brings door prizes that are given out to the attendees. Think I'll pick up a fire extinguisher.

    Lee
     
  8. I Have a couple of dry powder extinguishers and also a CO2 type, just in case I have something "purdy" catch fire and I don't want to spend the next 2 years cleaning the powder crud off. Also, a fire blanket is handy in case of a garbage can fire, etc. I also have a blanket and dry extinguisher in the kitchen. A sheetmetal barrier on wheels saves sending grinding sparks across the workshop into a pile of flammable stuff, or worse, into the paint on my cars. Safety glasses for low speed stuff, face shield for anything else. My daughter is an Optometrist, and every few days tells me about what she dug out of some lazy slob's eye because they thought their eyes were swarf-proof.
     
  9. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    There's a guy on another forum who has put out a few car fires for folks out on the side of the road with the extinguishers he carries in his car. He said they weren't particularly grateful or seemed to understood that extinguishers cost money. He got tired of that. Charity has its limits, eventually, I guess.

    So he made it his policy and started inquiring whether they would repay him for the cost of the extinguisher while running up to their fire. That seems to work better.

    "YES YES YES HELL YES PLEASE!!!!!"
     
  10. quickfarms
    Joined: Jan 31, 2021
    Posts: 12

    quickfarms

    When the extinguishers are filled at the factory the powder contains no moisture, so if you never open or use the extinguisher there is no need to shake it.

    If you are subject to a jurisdiction that requires the extinguishers to be serviced and they actually open them and don’t just put a new tag on them then there is now moisture in there with the powder and they will now need to be shaken.

    If the gauge is in the green the extinguisher should be good.

    I have used many an old fire extinguishers and never had an issue. The last one was an old rusty one from the 70’s and it worked great, and was empty, no powder or valve, when it was tossed in the scrap metal.
     
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  11. Dedsoto
    Joined: Jan 7, 2014
    Posts: 320

    Dedsoto
    Member
    from Australia
    1. Aussie HAMBers

    I use an old latch style fridge as my flammables cabinet, never been unfortunate enough to find out if it's effective though.
     
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  12. spanners
    Joined: Feb 24, 2009
    Posts: 2,074

    spanners
    Member

    One extinguisher I keep handy is a plain trigger squirt bottle full of water,like you'd put penetrating fluid or glass cleaner in. If something such as a rag or piece of paper or even my shirt sleeve starts smouldering while welding or grinding, a squirt of water quickly douses it without reaching for the big extinguisher.
     
  13. TCATTC
    Joined: Oct 12, 2019
    Posts: 283

    TCATTC
    Member

    Commercially here in Georgia, the Fire Marshal requires us to have a minimum of 5lb ABC's no more than 50ft apart.
    Also they must be mounted no more than 36" above the floor for wheelchair access.
     
  14. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Is that Federal Law?

    A fire extinguisher weighing less than 40 pounds, like the extinguishers found in your home, should be hung so that the top is not more than five feet above the ground, but no lower than four inches above the floor, according to the National Fire Protection Association's Standard for portable fire extinguishers, NFPA-10.

    It makes more sense to require all wheelchairs to carry a fire extingisher. Nome sayin'?
     
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  15. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Why do they need to open them? Maybe Jimmy Hoffa is in there or somethin'?
     
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  16. MeanGene427
    Joined: Dec 15, 2010
    Posts: 2,307

    MeanGene427
    Member
    from Napa

    In doing a lot of construction and demolition, I have been fortunate enough to "inherit" a lot of safety stuff, and most is very good quality. School demo/ refit is always good, they just toss everything (your tax dollars at work again). Many times at the end of a project, the job trailer gets cleaned out, and everything tossed. Many times stuff get tossed because a spec has changed, or a company changes suppliers. I have several NIB eye wash stations, big first aid station, and at least a dozen extinguishers, small and large, at the front and rear doors, easy to grab one and have it close. Got one of those rollaround truck inspection stairs that the gubmint left behind at an interstate scales we did a few yeas ago- works for my shelves. I haven't welded inside in years, my nice welding table on wheels has become a workbench- I have 50 amp outlets at the front and back doors with long extension cords, and another welding table by the back door. In front I just pull my dump trailer or tiltbed equipment trailer close to the door, they make great prep/welding tables. I would imagine that the requirement for refill and recert on extinguishers is directly related to the compaction of the powder- keep them loosened up and they seem to work fine
     
  17. I got an oily rag barrel after I came back into my garage after lunch and there was a half-consumed shop rag smouldering just inside the doorway. I'd been grinding before I left for lunch and didn't notice that I managed to shoot sparks from about 15 feet away.
     
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  18. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,594

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    One of those pump up sprayers with water could help with cost in some fire cases.
     
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  19. Almostdone
    Joined: Dec 19, 2019
    Posts: 892

    Almostdone
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Lots of good info posted already. Here is my $0.02:

    Typically advisable to have an extinguisher for Class A (paper, wood combustibles. A.k.a things that leave an ash), B (petroleum products), and C (electrical) fires. They work on the most common fires.

    Dry chemical is the most common type to cover classes A, B, and C. They work well, but they do make a mess. Most of the time when there is a fire nobody cares about the mess, but you can come up with exceptions.

    Extinguishers are rated by the size of fire they can put out (in the proper hands). Larger extinguishers of course have more product in them and a higher rating for a given type (dry chemical, foam, or whatever), but they also have a greater application rate……. they squirt more for longer. You’ll like that if you need to use one.

    Common sizes of dry chemical extinguishers are 2.5, 5, and 10 lb. A 2.5 fits in the car nicely, a 5 lb might fit in a Lincoln, but not so much in a Model A, and a 10 lb is way too big for you car, unless you really want one. In a shop the 5 or 10 lb ones would be good.

    Your local fire department can help you with sizing and number if you want. The OSHA website probably has thatstuff too.

    Keep them near exits and perhaps near the areas you might logically have a fire.


    John

    69FCBE43-F69F-46CF-875A-B278BCB8D569.jpeg
     
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  20. Yep - fire extinguishers get an annual certification every year.....the larger type - also good to put one in your - show car or not !
     
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  21. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Just upped our service contract to include two Class D extinguishers, one at each end of the shop.

    We already have the legally required other ones, as well as sprinklers.
     
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  22. Poverty cap
    Joined: Mar 11, 2017
    Posts: 68

    Poverty cap
    Member

    I rented a old Body Shop in Minneapolis in the 1980’s eventually the fire Marshall came around and wanted to look at my paint storage area. I had gutted a old bathroom and used a paint room, the fire Marshall wanted me to vent it which was cost prohibitive. I explained to him that I was a renter and couldn’t afford it, he brought me plans for a paint storage cabinet made of plywood. The cabinet needed to be 1” thick plywood ( two 1/2” pieces of plywood screwed together ) not press board, it needed to be painted 2 coats in and out with fire proof paint, it had to have a 4” lip on the bottom, the doors needed to be self closing and have a exterior latch but not a lock.
    A few years later when it was pretty full the inspector asked me to build another. In today’s commercial world this cabinet probably wouldn’t fly. I still use a cabinet like this for flammable things in a storage garage.
    I had a semi retired painter work for me part time and I noticed when I came in in the morning after he had closed up that all the extension cords in the shop were unplugged. I asked him about it, he shrugged and said it’s always seemed like a good idea. I do it every night, it’s just a habit.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2021
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  23. TCATTC
    Joined: Oct 12, 2019
    Posts: 283

    TCATTC
    Member

    I assume it's a state thing, I like them chest high, they made me lower mine.
     
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  24. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Reminds me I've seen shops disconnect the battery in the customer cars left inside the shop overnight. Defective wiring, rodents chewing on wires ... Better safe than sorry I guess.
     
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  25. Elcohaulic
    Joined: Dec 27, 2017
    Posts: 2,212

    Elcohaulic

    Spraying a water on some fires fuels them, H2O..
     
  26. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    Glad this came back up, I thought about something the other day.
    What do you guys do with your oily rags, once your bin is full? How do you dispose of them?
     
  27. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    When I used cloth rags, they went back to the uniform company they came from, and clean ones replaced them.

    I use paper shop towels now, they go in the garbage with the other garbage. I don't let them pile up much.
     
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  28. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    When I was on the floor, I used to have access to shop rags and laundering service. They would look at me funny if I brought in a bag of rags to be laundered now. Plus mine are red and the ones we have at work are white.

    I do use a lot of the industrial paper towels now. They go in the same bin.
     
  29. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    Letting oily rags or towels accumulate together is not a good thing...
     
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  30. Truckedup
    Joined: Jul 25, 2006
    Posts: 4,661

    Truckedup
    Member

    in commercial garages any potential spark producing device like wall outlets, switches, furnaces, electric motors etc, must be a minimum of 18 inches above the floor...A good rule for you home garage..
     

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