It’s Fire Prevention Week and it began having a cautionary tale in Texas.
More than a dozen firefighters worked to put out flames towering in the JM Bodyshop in Odessa on Monday afternoon, based on Nexstar Media.
Shop workers tried to combat the flames with a fire extinguisher before Odessa Fire Rescue could respond, however the flames quickly became uncontrollable and unbearable.
“Nothing was working,” an unidentified JM Bodyshop technician told Nexstar. “We just had to get out of there as quickly as we could.”
That appears like an essential warning for others.
According to Nexstar and Odessa Fire Rescue, the fire was sparked by a welding mishap in the shop and flames quickly spread from that, reinforcing the need for welding caution and to separate and show extra care toward materials ripe for escalating a fireplace.
“He was welding inside and I guess some fumes from maybe some paint or something like that caught burning,” said Ronnie Lewis, the building owner.
Lewis has leased JM Bodyshop its home for nearly ten years, and said this was a first at the business. He also said that by the time he quickly arrived on scene, the street off Andrews Highway was blocked off, firetrucks clogged the road along with a host of firemen were animatedly battling the blaze.
JM Bodyshop workers told Nexstar the vehicles that previously appeared to be repaired or waiting their turns were “unrecognizable” following the fire finally was extinguished. Additionally they said the business would are in possession of to build itself back up “from scratch.”
Under “Fire prevention housekeeping” , OSHA’s standard requires the control of accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials.
“It is the intent of this standard to make sure that hazardous accumulations of combustible squander are controlled to ensure that a quick developing fire, rapid spread of toxic smoke, or perhaps an explosion won't occur,” OSHA states. “This doesn't suggest that each room has to be swept each day. Employers and employees should know the hazardous properties of materials within their workplaces, and the amount of hazard each poses.
“Certainly oil soaked rags have to be treated differently than general paper trash in office areas. However, large accumulations of waste paper or corrugated boxes, etc., can cause a substantial fire hazard. Accumulations of materials which could cause large fires or generate dense smoke which are easily ignited or may start from spontaneous combustion, are of materials that this standard is worried. Such combustible materials may be easily ignited by matches, welder’s sparks, cigarettes and similar low-level energy ignition sources.”
The Lincoln Utility company has some useful warnings and information on its site:
“The welding arc creates extreme temperatures, and could pose a substantial fire and explosions hazard if safeguards aren't followed. While the welding arc may reach temperatures of over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the real danger isn't from the arc itself, but rather the intense near the arc heat, [and] sparks and spatter created by the arc. The spatter can are as long as 35 feet from the welding space.
“To avoid fires, prior to starting to weld, inspect the job position for any flammable materials and take away them from the area. Flammable materials are comprised of three categories: liquid, such as gasoline, oil and paint; solid, such as wood, cardboard and paper; gas, including acetylene, propane and hydrogen.”
On Tuesday, Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, the SEMA Show will show How to Survive an OSHA Visit & Avoiding Common Accidents, which could help shop owners avoid penalties and accidents such as the one in Odessa. KPA — which supplies environment, safety and health, human resources management and finance and insurance software and services to mid-sized companies — will provide the messages.
“They’re rampant and hidden in plain sight, and they've potentially dire consequences for your people as well as your main point here,” SEMA states in the preview of the presentation. “Is your organization doing enough to prevent the most common OSHA citations? How do you think your organization would fare if the OSHA inspector turned up tomorrow?
“From OSHA penalties to workers comp states legal, operational, and reputational costs, business pay a substantial toll,” and this session will illustrate how to dodge big trouble.
If your shop has suffered from a large fire — like the one in Odessa for which the place owner said repairs to the shop alone would be almost $30,000 — the Collision Industry Foundation could help.
A 501 ) charitable arm from the collision repair industry, CIF provides emergency relief by securing and distributing donations to collision repair professionals who have experienced significant losses because of natural disasters or any other catastrophic events.
