Grinding sparks ...... fires?

S

supermalc

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 Dec 2003
Messages
539
Location
Lincolnshire.
Visit site
I've recently read somewhere (not sure if on here) of a boat fire caused by grinding sparks. If my poor memory serves me correctly, the sparks ignited petrol, or some other flammable liquid.

Now the person must have been very very unlucky, as in the past I have tried to light a fire using the sparks from a grinder onto a piece of rag, due to having no matches......failed miserably.

On a bench grinder I have seen the sparks form a small heap, and briefly glow red, and have known a cloth start smouldering, which was left underneath.

Has anyone ever had a fire caused by a hand angle grinder, or know of one?
 
I've had to dob a bit of water on an area I was cutting studs from with an angle grinder. But normal grinding as opposed to cutting shouldn't be a prob. As you say, having flamable liquids around is a bit risky. Perhaps if there's any kitchen roll about you may start a little fire. I always hang around for 15-20 minutes after grinding or welding to check.
 
Certainly the sparks will ignite the fumes coming off any flammable liquid- petrol, some paints and thinners, and LPG,also hydrogen present in battery compartments,in short anything highly volatile. Some fabrics are quite hard to light,but any cloth or material used as `tinder` seems to `take` better if its torn up into shreds first,get a pile of sparks on it and then blow on it till it flames. Fine shavings of wood are apparently good.
Watching Ray Mears survival stuff on tv, or reading the books is an education.........
The biggest problem with sparks from your grinder working on or near your boat is that they burn into your gel coat or paint,then rust, leaving a peppering of marks that have to be ground or sanded out.
Cheers
Pete
 
I was cutting steel rods when we were having some building work done last year and I burnt a hole straight through my jeans. 2 inches higher and it would have been 'great balls of fire'!
 
I always use a welding leather apron whenever I am grinding (or welding)
I now find that I have fewer holes in my jeans and that my jumpers last a lot longer.

Iain
 
Thanks for your replies. This was not a 'tongue in cheek' post as some of mine are, but as I've not heard of a fire caused by grinding before, I thought it a good idea to mention.

I'm sure many boaters past, present and future would like to know how safe they are when having to grind something insitu on their boat.
 
SAS survival manual recommends striking a flint spark into a ball of cotton wool to start a fire easily. Try roughing up the nap of the rag next time. Also probably needs to be cotton rather than synthetic cloth.
 
Btw - part of the rag was soaked in diesel. Probably stopped it from getting hot enough.

Have you ever tried to light a fire with a flint? Try with your lighter when it is out of gas. I won't say it's impossible but......still to see it done......same with a pointed stick. Blisters have only just healed <grin>.

We weren't defeated either. Shorted a welding rod across a battery, had the rag ablaze in moments.
 
We had a recent report (inland waterways) of a flash burn fire related to sparks from an angle grinder igniting hydrogen, which was being produced by batteries under charge from a shore hook-up.

Regards
Rob @ BSS Office
 
very easy done, ive caught my trousers alight and also on another occasion my mate caught kerosene fumes alight that was lying in a gully.but its the same old story if you wanted to do it you couldnot do it.

Aslo beware grinding near glass thehot sparks impinge and stick to the surface turning a nice windscreen into sandpaper.
 
Last week we set off from mainland Spain to Ibiza.
10 minutes later fancied a cup of tea
Guess what no ignition on cooker! No matches or lighter!
We thought of shorting a battery, no go on a dry cell
Thought the better of trying ships battery!!!
Funny thing is no one wanted a beer, just a cup of tea for 10 hours!
Wish I had taken my survival pack spark igniter.

Regards Briani
 
grinders are hot work hazards as laid down in hse and code of safe working practices ......
so yes - they are a hazard
how much of one is probably the debate
 
Re: Grinding sparks ...... fires? EXPLOSIONS???

Had some exitement with this a while back. Grinding some stainless in the garage & as you do, noticed, too late, that sparks were going in the general direction of the boat battery, at that moment on trickle charge for the winter. Turning off the grinder & simultaneously watching the sparks get about 18" from the battery before there was a bloody great bang & the battery exploded! I & a lot of the garage was covered in liberal splashes of acid, not to mention sundry bits of plastic & lead from the battery materials! By the grace of him up there I wear specs, which furtunately protected my eyes, but for months afterwards SWMBO kept asking about those funny little holes in that nice shirt! Condsidering that I have spent my entire working life, either at sea or ashore, being responsible for safety in one way or t'other, I cannot for the life of me think why I did it. Familiarity breeding contempt possibly, or just a brain fade moment. Either way I count myself extremely lucky & now do any grinding in the great outdoors!
 
Re: Grinding sparks ...... fires? EXPLOSIONS???

mm - lucky escape ....... have you told the memshaib yet ?
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
hse and code of safe working practices ......


[/ QUOTE ] Empire building toe rags with lots of theoretcial experience and not a grain of common sense.
Just an opinion.
 
Being in the happy? position of internal fit out on a moderate sized steel bath tub, can inform you that if you are using a H.D. angle grinder to cut 35/5mm steel angle it is quite possible to set oneself on fire! Fortunately offset from the nether regions by some 3"......Now have the Tshirt...and the jeans...but wouldnt say i wrote the song!!!! but havn.t any hairs on my R/H chest! Take care!
 
Blew up a battery earlier this year in a workshop.

Thought as it was on charge that I should take care and disconnected it. Worked with hand tools for a couple of hours and then needed an angle grinder. Fortunately no-one was anywhere near it at the time.

Acid splashed things nearby and made the concrete fizz.

Plastic battery case was small pieces.

For a fire the tool to use is really a welder or still better a cutting torch. After years of experience I try to do it ouit of doors as much as possible now.
 
fair comment

but have you read them, they are a very good guidline as to how one can do most jobs safely and survive. they also indicate what tools ones needs and how for one should go about checking for known hazards before exposing oneself to unwarranted risk.

I refer to them to protect my crew all the time

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Just noticed the post from MIKE_MCKIE

Duplicates my experience.

My batteries on the boat are in a box under the saloon seats. Not much likelihood of sparks save from possible loose connections but the previous experience makes me wonder how safe it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top