fire safety weld matting or sheeting

[meadow street]

I'm worried about fire risk whilst welding outdoors at this time of year.

are there any fire resistant / spatter proof fabrics or materials available for this activity?

ideally portable/ foldable.

i initially thought of rubber conveyer belting but looking for other options too.

is there a fire resistant sarking or similar on the market.

what have you used in the past .

chris

[BobL]

Fire retardant PVC is used as curtains either sheets or strips
Check out ebay.

[bsrlee]

What Bob said. If you don't want to deal with Ebay, most welding shops will happily sell you plastic 'welding screens' that look like new motor oil in a sheet. They have reinforced holes around the edges so you can fit them to a frame or hang them from a wire with cable ties or rings. I think they are compulsory in industry - at least if the WorkCover inspectors are around. They both stop sparks from travelling and protect the eyes of curious passers by.

[Gavin Newman]

Welding shops will also have fibreglass and leather welding blankets for that very purpose. Also useful for wrapping aluminium parts in after welding to slow the rate of cooling.

[BobL]

. . . . ideally portable/ foldable.

For a situation inside the one shed, good old corrugated iron or similar on a wheeled stand is a cheap option.

[Grahame Collins]

I'm worried about fire risk whilst welding outdoors at this time of year.

are there any fire resistant / spatter proof fabrics or materials available for this activity?

ideally portable/ foldable.

i initially thought of rubber conveyer belting but looking for other options too.

is there a fire resistant sarking or similar on the market.

what have you used in the past .

chris

Hi ,
There are synthetic woven materials similar to fiberglass in 6' x 6' size,available. Expect to pay up $200 or so for this stuff.They will withstand from 500C to 1000C dependent on what grade is chosen.

Elliot is one name that comes to mind.
Bsrlee described units which are welding flash screens but hang off frames but are basically used within the shop but useless as tits on a bull in windy situations as they blow over.

Angle grinders start more fires than welders,but precautions before welding could include damping down around the welding area or covering up with corrugated iron and removing any potential flammable items.

Grahame

[Karl Robbers]

A definite word of advice. Check your fire regulations. Most States will have sections within their relevant Acts that stipulate conditions or in fact prohibit certain activities during the fire season, (fire permit period). For example, in Tasmania welding is one of the activities strictly prohibited outdoors during days of total fire ban and there are conditions imposed during other periods. In a worst case scenario, you could be held liable for any damage or loss caused by a fire started by welding that leaves your property.
Well worth a phone call to your local Fire Service.
Don't forget to have at least a good bucket of water on hand when welding outside if there is a chance of starting a fire. I used to carry a 9L water extinguisher when doing site work on farms.
As has been quite rightly said, grinders are far more dangerous from a fire perspective as is oxy fuel cutting.
Be safe.