TIL why you never use brake cleaner near a welder the hard way

Last month at the hangar in Phoenix, I sprayed brake cleaner on a fitting maybe 10 feet from where Dave was welding a bracket. Two seconds later the whole can exploded in my hand. Nobody got hurt but my ears rang for an hour. Has anyone else had a close call with something that seems obvious but you just didn't think about in the moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

corablack1mo ago

Dave had that welder going for an hour before you sprayed and nothing happened, so the blast was clearly your fault for not checking where the fumes settled. Phosgene gas from burning brake cleaner is way worse than a pressure pop, but you got off easy because the can just ruptured instead of actually torching. Stop blaming the welding setup and start paying attention to your own spray patterns, that's basic shop safety 101.

marywilson1mo agoTop Commenter

Ngl, sounds like you dodged a phosgene bullet and a fireball in one bad spray day.

wendy1311mo agoMost Upvoted

Ngl, I read phosgene gas can mess up your lungs way worse than just a bad cough.