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Grinding and Cutting: Sparks, Hot Metal and Fire Watch
Control your sparks and never leave a hot work area without a fire watch.
Why this matters
- Grinding and cutting are among the most common causes of site fires. The sparks produced are actually tiny pieces of molten metal that can travel several meters and remain hot enough to start a fire for a long time.
- In our dry and often windy environment, a single spark landing on a rag, wood, or chemical container can quickly turn into a major incident. Protecting the site from fire is as important as the cutting task itself.
Talking points
- Clear all flammable materials like wood, paper, and oily rags from at least ten meters around the work area.
- Always use fire-resistant blankets or metal screens to catch and contain sparks from the grinder.
- Ensure your fire watch has a working fire extinguisher and knows how to use it before you pull the trigger.
- Point the flow of sparks away from other workers, gas cylinders, and electrical cables.
- Wear a full face shield over your safety glasses to protect against flying metal fragments and hot sparks.
- The fire watch must remain at the location for at least thirty minutes after the work is finished to check for smoldering fires.
Ask the crew
- Where is the nearest fire extinguisher to your current grinding task?
- If you are the fire watch, what are you looking for after the cutting stops?
- What should you do if you cannot move a flammable object away from your sparks?
Download the PDF with attendance sheet
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Matching safety poster: Grinding and Cutting Fire Safety
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