Practical MIG Welding: Fire Risks

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Fire Risks

05.32

00:00	Unfortunately fire risks are a major concern with any form of welding.
00:03	Accidents most definitely do happen and while we should always aim for the best, we have to be prepared for the worst.
00:09	Fires can start from the heat emitted from the weld torch, sparks from the welding process or combustible liquids within the parts we're welding.
00:17	The best form of fire prevention is preparation so before welding, we need to make sure that our workpiece and the work area are free from flammable items like rags, sawdust, paperwork, fuel and any other flammable liquids.
00:31	The MIG welding process can sometimes emit a large amount of molten weld spatter and if those spatter droplets are large enough, they tend to hit the ground and spray along the floor.
00:41	Many workshop fires are the result of these sparks smouldering within something before catching a light.
00:46	It's important to assess the workshop and work area to make sure that we're not putting ourselves and our garage or workshop at unnecessary risk.
00:54	The number one rule in setting up our weld area is to maintain a clean, uncluttered workspace.
00:59	Make sure flammable items are stored away and make sure the floor is free of things like sawdust, carpets and rags.
01:06	When working on vehicles, it's just not practical to remove the interior or the entire fuel system to perform a simple fabrication job so we need to take great care in isolating the risk by ensuring that the main hazards are sealed and protected against the fabrication process.
01:22	This means that breather tubes, fillinex, fuel lines and leaks need to be cleaned, sealed and isolated before starting work.
01:29	The simplest way to isolate is to use weld blankets to cover up any flammable items that we can't remove from the vehicle to protect from weld spatter, heat and burns.
01:38	These weld blankets are large fire retardant sheets that have traditionally been constructed from heavy leather, but more recently made from woven fibreglass blends.
01:48	These blankets can withstand upwards of 1000°C and are a great form of protection.
01:53	As an example, a molten ball of weld will simply sit on top of the blanket without burning through.
01:58	If we didn't have this protection and we had this same molten ball land on a seat, then it would burn through multiple layers of the seat's construction and be at real risk of catching fire.
02:08	These weld blankets can also be a valuable addition to the protection of the windscreens and other glass in a car since weld spatter, if it contacts the glass, will damage the surface.
02:19	We can also use other products such as cardboard or aluminium foil, but we still run the risk of pitting windows if these have unnoticed tears or holes in them.
02:28	Mobile welding screens also play an important part in our fabrication workshop.
02:33	You may have seen these in large industrial workshops where they're used to separate one weld operator from another.
02:38	Not only do they protect onlookers eyes from the ultraviolet light, they also offer a barrier to protect our surroundings from weld spatter and grinding dust.
02:47	If you have a dedicated welding bench, it may be a good idea to permanently attach a few of these screens to a curtain rail for a quick setup.
02:55	Even with these precautions in place, we still need to prepare for the risk of fire by making sure we have adequate fire extinguishing equipment on hand and when choosing a fire extinguisher, we need to consider which will be the most suited to our workshop requirements.
03:10	There are 5 different categories of fires, classed according to the type of fuel source.
03:15	Class A fires include wood, cloth, paper, plastic and rubber, while Class B fires are flammable and combustible liquids such as petrol, ethanol blends, diesel and oil.
03:26	Water must never be used on a Class B fire.
03:29	Class C fires are combustible gases such as LPG, CNG and propane.
03:35	And in this case, isolation of the fire is the only safe way to extinguish it.
03:40	Class D fires are combustible metals such as magnesium, aluminium and sodium.
03:45	E class fires are electrical equipment fires.
03:49	And it's important to remember that water must never be used on electrical fires as water is conductive and there's a high risk of electrocution.
03:56	Lastly, Class F specifically covers oil fires and blankets are most effective in these situations and are recommended in conjunction with extinguishers.
04:06	Every fire extinguisher is classified by the class of fire it can be used on and this will clearly be displayed on the outside of the extinguisher.
04:14	The most commonly used fire extinguisher is an ABE type and these can be used for Class A, B, C and E fires.
04:22	It's essential to have at least one of these that can be easily accessed inside your workshop or garage.
04:28	There are a lot of different sizes when it comes to choosing a fire extinguisher and the size is defined by weight.
04:34	It might be tempting to choose a smaller extinguisher in the 1-2kg range, but these are very limited in what size of fire they can actually put out.
04:42	It's best in our opinion to aim for something like a 9kg fire extinguisher which should be sufficient to deal with most workshop emergencies.
04:50	Before moving on, let's summarise what we've covered here.
04:53	To prevent workshop fires during MIG welding, preparation is crucial.
04:58	We need to ensure the work area is free from flammable items like rags, sawdust and liquids.
05:03	Molten weld spatter can also pose a fire risk so maintain a clean workspace and isolate potential hazards on vehicles by sealing and covering flammable items with fire retardant weld blankets.
05:15	Mobile welding screens offer additional protection from spatter and UV light.
05:19	However, it's essential to have adequate fire extinguishing equipment on hand with various options tailored to the type of fire fuel source.