DIY lesson learned
 

I had a horrible experience last night and I thought I would share it. It seems that the more you do something the greater the chance you become complacent as I was last night while changing my A arm bushings. I was using a propane torch to heat up the bushings to ease their removal. As the bushing got hot it melted and a small piece fell onto the ground smoldering. It happened to land on a rag that had some highly flammable brake cleaner on it and poof - it catches fire.

I was in pretty close quarters so I started stepping on the rag to put it put and didn't realize that I dropped the propane torch and knocked over a can of brake cleaner (highly flammable) onto the rag and they both caught fire - along with the hairs on my right leg! Luckily I keep a fire extinguisher on the wall of my garage but it was thirty feet away. I got the extinguisher and managed to put out the fire before it spread and caused some real damage.

Aside from a bruised ego and burnt hair on my leg I got lucky but the experience taught me a few lessons:

1) Never get complacent when palying with fire and don't take things for granted. I assumed everything was okay but didn't take a good look around to make sure there was nothing flammable close to were I was working.

2) Although I am lucky I had a fire extinguisher there was no excuse for not having it close by when using a torch - I am going to get two for my garage now. One to replace what I used and another to keep close to my work bench.

3) I have always heard that it is a good idea to throw rags that have solvent or oil into a metal waste container to prevent things like this but never got one - i will get one today!

Anyhow, even though I feel like an idiot I thought I would share; it does not hurt to be reminded of safety every once in a while.

Same thing happend to me last week with the same culprit, I had been cleaning some parts with brake cleaner on a rag. I left the rag at the back of my car then went onto the next job on my list finnishing off some welding on my torsion tube as soon as I started welding the rag went stright up in flames right at the side of my head. Easy done when you got alot on your mind.

Steve

I'm glad no one was hurt, except for a damaged ego.

It does help the rest of us to hear about what can go wrong in the garage.

We all go for years without an incident, and get a little careless. Hearing about what happens to others makes me more careful next time I jack up the car, or use flammable stuff.

At least you didn't work on the wiring on Fiat X1/9 in 1981........with the battery still connected. DUH! F i i i i re.

I ALWAYS keep a fire extinguisher at arm's reach when working on the car, I've been in a house fire and it still scares me to see how fast a fire can spread and become deadly. I'm glad you weren't seriously injured (or worse)! Stay safe!

Make sure that you check the extinguishers before you start to make sure they are filled. Also you should always have a spare. Mybrother in law burned down his parents garage when the extinguisher was empty and had a broken gage which read full.

An old school welder told me that they always kept a large 5+ gal bucket of water in close proximity while doing any sort of welding.
He said it was most often used to cool parts, but in the case of a fire it works wonders on the garage or yourself if necessary. I never forgot that and always have a full pail near by. I've used it a couple times and never malfuctions. Also the clean-up is much easier, just let it dry out. FYI

When I was in charge of maintenance years ago, the rule was at least one extinguisher out and ready whenever the Acetylene torch or Arc welder was being used. Violate the rule and get a few unpaid days off.
Any dry chemical extinguisher must be replaced every two years. You can't trust the gauge at all. And once you give it just a little squirt, it's done and must be replaced.

Yep, stuff burns, including you. And usually at the worst moment.
Glad it was just a false alarm - or was it a wake-up call? As my old foundry boss used to say, "safety doesn't punch a clock." Make a habit of taking a break and cleaning up between tasks and especially dispose of flammable rags, put caps on solvents, move things you might trip on, switch to a flourescent trouble light and disconnect that battery ground when working down underneath! We really have to be vigilant and point these things out, even if others think we're just nit-picking.

Lucky no hurt. Pressure can can explode. Fire could get greater. etc.

This is why supervisors walk around and yell at mechs & other workers.

w/o one you have to build a little separate nagging voice inside your head - the same thing you'd complain about if it was a real supervisor....

always back off once you are setup to start work - don't plunge in - walk away come back and look around w/ that voice going "what can go wrong here?" -- this is important for lots of people - mtn. climbers, kayakers, lawyers, doctors, etc.

good of you two to post the mistakes - hope it helps others.

Lots of good advice and definately a good reminder of being careful and using good safety practices.

I keep two extinguishers in my garage. They are in opposite corners from each other.

I just picked up two extinguishers for the garage but I can't seem to find a metal wastebasket with a lid.