AN explosion which seriously injured an apprentice boilermaker on January 20 has prompted WorkCover NSW Acting Chief Executive officer John Watson to issue a safety warning.
According to Watson, the 17 year old apprentice was cutting a metal drum with an angle grinder when sparks ignited residue vapours from thinners which had been previously stored in the drum.
“The risks associated with cutting empty drums have been known and widely publicised for some years with a number of workers having been killed or seriously injured carrying out this activity,” Watson said.
“In 2006 a 21 year old apprentice suffered burns and temporary hearing loss when an empty 205 litre oil drum he was cutting with an oxy-acetylene torch exploded. In a more tragic incident, a 63 year old farmer lost both his legs as result of an oil drum explosion.”
WorkCover recommended various safeguards such as removing the bungs from the drum to allow the vapours to escape, filling the drum with water and detergent to wash out previously stored chemicals, and cutting or welding drums in an outdoor environment.
WorkCover and other state safety authorities have previously issued a number of safety alerts following similar incidents. In 2003, a safety alert warned that drums which once contained flammable liquids should be handled with extreme care as they may contain vapours, even after many years.

Key Contact:
WorkCover NSW
contact@workcover.nsw.gov.au

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