Found out our glue is flammable way too late

Was reading the safety data sheet on our standard adhesive last night and saw the flash point is 140 degrees. Had a close call with a space heater in a basement job last winter.

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyjones27d ago

Whoa, that's a seriously scary close call. I actually read a blog post from a fire inspector a few months ago that said most people don't realize how many common workshop and construction adhesives are super flammable at pretty low temps. The example they gave was a contractor who had a can of spray adhesive explode near a furnace pilot light. It's wild how easy it is to overlook that stuff when you're just trying to get the job done, especially in a cold basement where a space heater feels natural. Did you check the data sheet before or after that near miss?

wendyg4327d ago

I mean, I get what you're saying about checking the data sheet, but honestly, how many of us are really reading every little warning label when we're just trying to glue something together in a freezing basement? A space heater is basically a necessity down there, not some reckless choice. And sure, some adhesives are flammable, but the whole "exploding near a pilot light" thing sounds like a freak accident, not something that happens every day. I've used spray adhesive and contact cement right next to a gas water heater for years and never had an issue. Maybe that fire inspector blog was just trying to scare people into buying more safety gear.

kellyjones27d ago

I used to be in wendyg43's camp, totally honest. I figured a space heater in a cold basement was just part of the job and those warning labels were mostly legal CYA stuff. But that blog about the spray adhesive near a pilot light hit different, it made me actually look up the flash point on my own glue one night. Seeing the number 140 really changed my mind, it's way lower than I ever guessed. Now I just think it's not worth the risk to have any kind of open flame or heater around when you're working with that stuff, even if you've been fine for years.