Will Sampson talks about how fire seems to be always present as a serious hazard in woodworking businesses. His guest is Michael Culbreth, Loss Control Services Consultant for Pennsylvania Lumberman’s Mutual talking about how to manage fire risks in the woodshop.
This episode of the Woodworking Network podcast was sponsored by FDMC magazine. FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
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Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
Intro:
Welcome to the fourth season of the Woodworking Network Podcast and a new episodet. Join us as we explore the business of woodworking big and small and what it takes to succeed. I’m Will Sampson.
Today’s episode is sponsored by FDMC Magazine. Today our guest is Michael Culbreth, Loss Control Services Consultant for Pennsylvania Lumberman’s Mutual talking about how to manage fire risks in the woodshop. But first I want to talk about:
Fear of fire
As I write this, it is winter and snowing where I live in Maine, and the glow of the fire in our wood stove is welcome warmth. On the other hand, fire let loose in a woodshop is anything but friendly. Hardly a week goes by without some story of a tragic conflagration destroying a woodworking business, but too many woodworkers still don’t take fire prevention seriously.
I’ve visited hundreds of woodworking businesses, and I’m sure a good many of those were tidied up at least a little bit before my visit. Still, the amount of wood dust, scrap piles, and combustible debris I’ve seen in my travels could start more than a few fires.
And while most shops are anxious to show me the latest technology in the way of a new CNC router or sophisticated edgebander, I don’t think anyone has bragged to me about their new spark detection system or their fire safety program.
A few years ago, that contrast was brought home to me in a shocking and devastating way. I visited the New England Casket Co. in the Boston area. It was renowned for its wooden caskets, multi-generational ownership, and embracing new technology, winning a Wooden Globe Award in 2015. The company combined modern CNC machining with traditional construction and finishing techniques. They even did all of their own upholstery on the interiors of the coffins. I toured the plant and did a story on the company in June 2018. Nine months later, a fire erupted in the factory building that the company had first occupied just after World War II.
It was a nine-alarm blaze that then Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said was the “biggest fire that I've seen as mayor of the city."
The day after the fire, the fire department released two photos. One showed the front door of the building with flames bursting out. The other showed the aftermath, with the doors gone and a view of nothing but blue sky and charred timbers through the opening. I vividly remembered walking through those same doors.
When I visited, I didn’t think the business was a fire waiting to happen. It was a quaint factory with old custom manual machines right next to shiny new CNC routers. The subject of fire danger did come up in my tour as they were spraying highly flammable nitrocellulose lacquer to achieve their legendary “presidential” polished finish. But I was told there was a sprinkler system and other measures in place.
The reality is that fire is just something we must always be aware of when working wood. Just like gasoline in a carburetor, wood dust mixes with air to make an explosive combination. Shavings, scraps and offcuts can quickly become kindling to fuel a larger blaze.
All it takes is a spark to set it off. But strenuous efforts in fire prevention, training, and some basic housekeeping can go a long way to keep that spark from lighting and ending the business you’ve worked so hard to build.