Every tank welder knows to put dry ice into the tank they are welding on.Mig welding took the trade out of welding.If you can write your name you can run a bead with a mig welder but that doesn't make you a welder.
Heating the metal will release fumes, as usual BC is so far behind they think they are first. Has been common knowledge for probable as long as there has been metal drums. We all know you cant fix stupid tho.
Thing is more often than not there is no reason to "hot work" a metal drum. The additional cost of a commercialy produced productthat will do the same job is an inexpensive short term insurance policy
I've welded, brazed or torched fuel tanks many of times, without incident… You need to flush the container, then fill it with water. And most of all, if you don't know how to correctly adjust a welder, then you shouldn't be playing MacGyver. Lesson learned!
Rolled seams on drums hold much more fluid than you would imagine and unfortunately sometimes there is enough to cause fatal explosions. I believe the seams are the main contributor to these, so called prewashed tanks explosions. Ive seen " cleaned and washed" diesal tanks go off like a bomb. White misty vapour means its too late with diesel tanks and most other elements still in the rolled seams of tanks. Very dangerous and not very well know with lack of education about this subject. Be safe and well. Bob.Australia
any of them can be CUT with a torch- even empty propane & natural gas tanks- you just have to know how to do it. Problem is people are LAZY and do not want to take the time or work it takes to do it. I have cut open with a torch MANY MANY propane and natural gas tanks with ZERO problems. You fill the tank ALL the way up with water– then start cutting- the water forces all the fumes and liquids out& the torch cuts right thru it- once thats done just cut away
When I was a kid my dad would repair automobile gas tanks. He would have me hold the opening of the tank up to the tail pipe of a running car to dry it out and evaporate anything remaining inside before he would weld on it. I'm not sure how safe it was but we never had an incident.
To eliminate any danger of a drum exploding while cutting off the lid, I purchased an anti-spark drum head cutter from Mc Masters,which in effect is a large can opener.
My father owned a small sanitation company in the 70's. It picked up a dumpster from a chemical plant. Though the plant had a different way of disposing of their drums the occasional drum ended up in the dumpster and went to my father's landfill. A couple of guys went to the landfill, brought away a drum and took it to a trailer park. They were cutting on it with a torch when it exploded and a piece of it flew over and cut off the foot of a little boy who was playing nearby. My father was named in the lawsuit.
That is why you backpurge with inert gases people or pack with with several pounds of dry ice or just quit being cheap cause most time its not worth the risk to save a couple bucks.
Welding and cutting on anything with flammables in it is dangerous you have to keep oxygen away from it you fill it up with water or you hook up a system where you put carbon dioxide in it
Many suggestions about using car exhaust to purge tanks… I have seen at night a car exhaust pipe that emitted small sparks that weren't visible in the daylight. Theoretically that would seem a concern as the exhaust itself, on rare occasion, might ignite the tank. My thought anyway.
I always run a hose from a gas engine vehicle's exhaust into the container making sure there is an exit for the expelled gases, the carbon monoxide from the gasoline engine's exhaust will expell any oxygen from the container which robs any fuel's oxygen preventing it from igniting.
I am so glad I watched this video because I do consider myself a safety conscious person yet preparing the drum by rinsing it out like they did is probably what I would do. Except I can see myself rinsing but also washing first with something like Dawn or Awesome cleaner before rinsing. Still, who knows if that would be enough to avoid an explosion such at this. The obvious answer is not to take any chances and not even consider using the drum unless someone who knows more than me about the subject could confirm it would be ok to weld on. But even then after watching this video … I’m gonna n shock that such a small amount of acetone could create an explosion like that. Amazing and very unfortunate.
50 Comments
I am so sorry for the family….I am a welding expert, stuff still happens…
Never weld drums because you don't know what it once contained & you cannot realise on the second person account period.
Don't fuck with equipment you don't have experience with & always keep your face away from explosions ?
use a box of baking soda to neutralize acetone.
Burn the drum first,
Every tank welder knows to put dry ice into the tank they are welding on.Mig welding took the trade out of welding.If you can write your name you can run a bead with a mig welder but that doesn't make you a welder.
This was a terrible idea from the start
Heating the metal will release fumes, as usual BC is so far behind they think they are first. Has been common knowledge for probable as long as there has been metal drums. We all know you cant fix stupid tho.
This same thing happened to one of the men I worked with at Wiley Post Airport in OKC… he survived but only because he was very lucky.
Thinning the gene pool…..
Seen a cars fuel tank do the same thing. Fortunately the guy wasn't killed although blew him into the parking lot. A real bad day at work.
Thing is more often than not there is no reason to "hot work" a metal drum. The additional cost of a commercialy produced productthat will do the same job is an inexpensive short term insurance policy
I've welded, brazed or torched fuel tanks many of times, without incident…
You need to flush the container, then fill it with water.
And most of all, if you don't know how to correctly adjust a welder, then you shouldn't be playing MacGyver.
Lesson learned!
Rolled seams on drums hold much more fluid than you would imagine and unfortunately sometimes there is enough to cause fatal explosions. I believe the seams are the main contributor to these, so called prewashed tanks explosions. Ive seen " cleaned and washed" diesal tanks go off like a bomb. White misty vapour means its too late with diesel tanks and most other elements still in the rolled seams of tanks. Very dangerous and not very well know with lack of education about this subject. Be safe and well.
Bob.Australia
My thoughts lean towards filling the tank with sand, but I don't know.
Just fill it with water and leave a one inch gap between water and the surface for welding.
It’s sad to hear stories like this
Darwin award. You never weld sealed containers without filling with enert gas first.
any of them can be CUT with a torch- even empty propane & natural gas tanks- you just have to know how to do it. Problem is people are LAZY and do not want to take the time or work it takes to do it. I have cut open with a torch MANY MANY propane and natural gas tanks with ZERO problems. You fill the tank ALL the way up with water– then start cutting- the water forces all the fumes and liquids out& the torch cuts right thru it- once thats done just cut away
Another unnecessary death…
RIP
Supervisor should be sued and criminal charges press, so tired of stupid ignorant supervisors, seek more lawsuits have less workers injured or worst.
JB Weld would've been better…
This Health and Safety trainer is so soporific that all workers would be asleep. At least no accidents.
Did it happen even the drum cap was opened?
Naw Mikey no good
Poor man…..
I used an air compressor to cycle air through inside so fumes could not build up to a flammable level.
When I was a kid my dad would repair automobile gas tanks. He would have me hold the opening of the tank up to the tail pipe of a running car to dry it out and evaporate anything remaining inside before he would weld on it. I'm not sure how safe it was but we never had an incident.
Drum dolly
I fill these with water, then start my welds !
This guy was not a welder he could not set the welding plant.Had he been a tradesman he would know about safety.Very sad story.
RIP
To eliminate any danger of a drum exploding while cutting off the lid, I purchased an anti-spark drum head cutter from Mc Masters,which in effect is a large can opener.
My father owned a small sanitation company in the 70's. It picked up a dumpster from a chemical plant. Though the plant had a different way of disposing of their drums the occasional drum ended up in the dumpster and went to my father's landfill. A couple of guys went to the landfill, brought away a drum and took it to a trailer park. They were cutting on it with a torch when it exploded and a piece of it flew over and cut off the foot of a little boy who was playing nearby. My father was named in the lawsuit.
That is why you backpurge with inert gases people or pack with with several pounds of dry ice or just quit being cheap cause most time its not worth the risk to save a couple bucks.
Welding and cutting on anything with flammables in it is dangerous you have to keep oxygen away from it you fill it up with water or you hook up a system where you put carbon dioxide in it
Best to avoid a drum that was formally holding flammables.
Only a really stupid worker would not fill it first with water .
Stop talking in a future tense about the past. It sounds silly.
Many suggestions about using car exhaust to purge tanks… I have seen at night a car exhaust pipe that emitted small sparks that weren't visible in the daylight. Theoretically that would seem a concern as the exhaust itself, on rare occasion, might ignite the tank. My thought anyway.
Fill it with water fully to expell all gases.
Should of never put the bung back on!!!
I always run a hose from a gas engine vehicle's exhaust into the container making sure there is an exit for the expelled gases, the carbon monoxide from the gasoline engine's exhaust will expell any oxygen from the container which robs any fuel's oxygen preventing it from igniting.
should of just bought a shop bin you cheap bastard,
Cartoon.
I am so glad I watched this video because I do consider myself a safety conscious person yet preparing the drum by rinsing it out like they did is probably what I would do. Except I can see myself rinsing but also washing first with something like Dawn or Awesome cleaner before rinsing. Still, who knows if that would be enough to avoid an explosion such at this.
The obvious answer is not to take any chances and not even consider using the drum unless someone who knows more than me about the subject could confirm it would be ok to weld on. But even then after watching this video … I’m gonna n shock that such a small amount of acetone could create an explosion like that. Amazing and very unfortunate.
Well, I bet he never does that again!
Thanks for this.(Don't weld galvanized metal, either)
Is this the Canadian version of OSHA?
Well you live and learn. I thought flushing it with water would do, but clearly not. Good job I am not a welder!