Clearing a Safety Area Around Bench

[ShellyJo1969]

I've asked this before but still looking for a firm answer. Although it would be safer to have just you and an empty room, this is not a possiblity for me.

I have a large shop building that my husband stores old junk in. Mostly it's just scattered from here to there and it can be cleared for a distance around my workbench. I can remove things that use gasoline, but there are some plastic car oil jugs on a shelf across the room as well as some cans of paint and spray stuff and things like that...your typical garage junk. I am especially worried about things that have "fumes" that could catch fire if too close.

I can move the most flammable things across to the other side of a 30 ft room, possibly enclosed inside a closet area, including oil and paint cans and also I can clear a wide swath of junk around my work area also. As a matter of fact there is an old plastic tarp-type curtain that hangs from the ceiling and I could draw that curtain around my whole workbench to keep sparks from popping anywhere...(except it's plasticy tarp maybe that's worse?) to keep flying glass in one spot.

I had different answers on this question also so I don't know.

***HOW far a distance (besides another building or out of state) should i move "flammable" items away from work area?
At least ___________distance away from work bench. Is there a fill in the blank number. Someone said 10ft, someone else said nothing flammable inside building at all?

I realize glass can and will pop...at least it's what I've heard, I've yet to work it yet myself. But keeping all safety precautions in mind, I don't know how far away from an open flame all items should be to not cause a possible problem.

Does anybody know?

[Paul Ewing]

I would say 10 feet around your work area should be clear of flammable items if possible. Also have a clear path to your kiln if it is away from your bench and clear around it for a few feet.

Try to get as many of the fume producing things out of the building as you can. Seal up the rest tight. If you run your vent system for 5 to 10 minutes before you start you should clear out most fumes. Or you said that there is a large exhaust fan in the top of the shop. I would maybe run that for a bit before starting.

Just to make you feel better. I think from all you are asking and planning on doing, you will probably have a safer studio that 75% of lampworkers.

[NLC Beads]

I would also make sure there's a clear path to any water source if you need to get to water quickly to help put out any fires/burns... From personal experience running to a sink after catching hot glass...

[houptdavid]

make sure that all of your ignition sources are at lease 18" off the ground, Gasoline and diesel outside if you can, and oil/paint at least 10' away.

[Paul Ewing]

Forgot to mention fire extinglishers. We have a small one attached to each side of the double bench and two bigger ones behind us. I would also have another on your exit path out.

[ShellyJo1969]

Good Plan. Yes, definately fire extinguishers. Water? Should I keep a bucket of water handy? What do you use that for, or how do you use it?

I cleared the back corner today, about a 15ft by 10 ft square in the back corner. I'm a long way from being able to work. Just starting to eek myself out a spot. My poor husband is going to have to clear up all his lifelong debris collection. Or at least keep it far away from my flames and make me a cleared exit path out! lol. I'm doing my best.

Thanks everyone for your help. Thanks Paul, that does make me feel better!
Michele

[Sue in Maine]

Originally Posted by ShellyJo1969

Good Plan. Yes, definately fire extinguishers. Water? Should I keep a bucket of water handy? What do you use that for, or how do you use it?

I cleared the back corner today, about a 15ft by 10 ft square in the back corner. I'm a long way from being able to work. Just starting to eek myself out a spot. My poor husband is going to have to clear up all his lifelong debris collection. Or at least keep it far away from my flames and make me a cleared exit path out! lol. I'm doing my best.

Thanks everyone for your help. Thanks Paul, that does make me feel better!
Michele

The water bucket is great for dunking ruined beads in.. bits of glass that you need to get rid of, that sort of thing. Course, it's also great to stick your fingers in if you wind up singeing (sp?) one in the flames.

Sue

[houptdavid]

Originally Posted by ShellyJo1969

My poor husband is going to have to clear up all his lifelong debris collection.

ACK!!!!! BUT... BUT it's taken him forever to collect it! And there is good stuff there!

Not like I don't have 30 years of crap piled up I mean saved.

[Otter's Flame]

Also... if you want to do off mandrel pieces in the future...... marbles and other round forms love to jump off the punty onto the floor and roll around like a gingerbread man from hell. Lots of fun when they roll behind your oxycon and start smoldering

Otter

[Paul Ewing]

I have thought about putting a lip on the front of my metal tables that I am setting up in the new shop. This should keep most of the things that fall off on the bench and off the floor.

[Otter's Flame]

When I am really in production mode with marbles, I use the pie tin method of stray marble containment. I have thought about a lip on the front of my work surface but that would require me to actually stop working and do an improvement on my studio. It is a good idea though.

Otter

[Dale M.]

Originally Posted by Paul Ewing

I have thought about putting a lip on the front of my metal tables that I am setting up in the new shop. This should keep most of the things that fall off on the bench and off the floor.

Something like this works well on bench top to contain "stuff"...

http://www.amazon.com/Blitz-11430-Ga.../dp/B000F5XQMO

I had one on my table top till Dune Buggy decided to wanted to drip on new garage floor.... That reminds me I need to get a new one for glass bench....

Dale