WorkSafe QLD issues warning after ‘hot work’ incidents

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has issued a safety alert to workplaces following a spate of fires and explosions believed to have been caused by “hot work” near flammable or combustible substances. Tragically one worker lost their life and others have suffered serious injuries as a result of these incidents.

The term “hot work” describes any activity which generates heat or sparks such as grinding, welding, oxycutting etc. When hot work is undertaken in the vicinity of flammable or combustible chemicals there’s a significant risk of fire or explosion.

WHSQ advises that

conducting hot work on containers such as drums, tanks and pipes that have not been properly decontaminated is a common cause of serious incidents. Even if a drum or container is considered to be empty, and has been empty for a long time, flammable vapours can still remain and be a risk of explosion when heat is applied. Simply rinsing drums or containers is not a fail-safe way to remove oily residues or flammable vapours.

It’s critical if you’re storing and handling hazardous chemicals that you have a robust system of work to manage the fire and explosion risks associated with ignition sources and hot work activities. Your safety management system should include a hot work permit system designed to control when and how hot work is undertaken.

You can read more about the incidents and possible control measures to prevent similar incidents on the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website here.

If you manufacture, store, transfer, use, handle, sell and/or dispose of hazardous chemicals (dangerous goods), MicroRisk Group can assist you to understand your obligations under the regulations and ensure that your business is managing its risks to people, property and the environment. See our Services for more information.