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Schoolboy dies in Welding Accident

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Students and staff at an Anglican school in north Queensland are in shock after the death overnight of a 17-year-old boy following an explosion outside a welding classroom.

Scott Burgess, a Year 12 student from Mount Garnet, died at Townsville Hospital after being airlifted from Charters Towers.

The boarder at All Souls St Gabriel's School suffered second and third degree burns to 70 per cent of his body when an oil drum ruptured and burst into flames outside the welding room.

The school's headmaster, Gordon Royall, said staff and students were in shock.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burgess family who are a part of our community," he said in a statement.

He said the school would be grieving for Scott with the help of counsellors and clergy.

"Our concern at this moment is the welfare of Scott's family and his school friends. All Souls St Gabriels School is a tightly knit community and it will take all our resources and spirit to cope with our grieving." Advertisement

Mr Royall said the school would cooperate with police and Workplace Health and Safety inspectors investigating the incident.

Reply to
Duncan M
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Doesn't sound like it will be a difficult investigation, although I myself have a few questions. The obvious of course, why an oil drum outside the welding room? Secondly, what kind of oil? was it full?, empty? was a student welding on said drum? Was the victim himself involved with this drum in any way? Maybe it wasn't an oil drum, but something a bit more volitile like acetone, or something like that ? I'm not sure you'd find anything like that in any school(s) here in the United States since there always seems to be safety people floating around schools and such. But maybe Ernie can speak more twards this since he has first hand experience with school, welding classes, and the like. Thats too bad, and a horable (and probably very preventable) thing.

Reply to
Mr Wizzard

All flammable liquids in our welding area are stored in a ANSI rated fire cabinet.

The only fire incidents we have had were when the Seattle Jobs Initiative tried to save money and bought cheap coveralls for their students in our afternoon contract class.

Whoever bought them didn't know that most synthetic fibres burn rather well. Several of those kids had there coveralls catch fire before the program got them new ones. Leather, Wool, Cotton, and Nomex are the only things allowed in a welding shop. Nomex is a synthetic fibre used for firemens' clothing, and jumpsuits for race-car drivers and pilots. It breaks down at about 700 degF, but doesn't melt to the skin, it just powders.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

I'd hate to see skin at 700 degF.....

Reply to
JC

A bit more information has come out.. he was cutting an old drum with a plasma cutter:

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Dunc.

Reply to
Duncan M

The local welding store keeps several pictures of (the aftermath of) stupid attempts to cut oil drums on the wall behind the counter, in an attempt to convince people not to do that.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

Reminds me of when I was 17 and just got my first oxy-acetylene outfit....

Decided I wanted to weld a bung on an old 5-gallon gas can, so I thoroughly washed out the can with water. First time I hit it with the torch, a huge flame came out the hole, and the can took on the shape of a watermelon.

Lucky for me, no other damage, but I found out the easy way that as long as you can smell it, it ain't safe to weld.

Reply to
dgulley

Reminds me of when I was 17 and just got my first oxy-acetylene outfit....

Decided I wanted to weld a bung on an old 5-gallon gas can, so I thoroughly washed out the can with water. First time I hit it with the torch, a huge flame came out the hole, and the can took on the shape of a watermelon.

Lucky for me, no other damage, but I found out the easy way that as long as you can smell it, it ain't safe to weld.

Reply to
dgulley

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