spontaneous combustion

[lingmoor]

In all my time in the Fire Service I only ever came across it a couple of times, both times in haystacks

has anyone else had the experience... other than organisms copulating in the damp hay?

If so, care to share?

ta

[Mike Buckley]

Yes, I have come across a couple of cases in the Health Club area.

The scenario is the Health Club provides a massage service using oils. The excess oil is soaked up on towels either those on the massage table or those over the client, the towels are then washed and tumble dried. The washing does not remove all the oil. The hot towels are then folded and stacked and some time later they start to smoke which in these cases sets off the fire alarm.

The simple cure is to get the towels professionally laundered off site or alternatively make sure the towels are cold before stacking. The latter usually fails when the last load is coming out of the tumble drier and its near going home time!

[Dinnertime Dave]

Yes, I have come across a couple of cases in the Health Club area.

The scenario is the Health Club provides a massage service using oils. The excess oil is soaked up on towels either those on the massage table or those over the client, the towels are then washed and tumble dried. The washing does not remove all the oil. The hot towels are then folded and stacked and some time later they start to smoke which in these cases sets off the fire alarm.

The simple cure is to get the towels professionally laundered off site or alternatively make sure the towels are cold before stacking. The latter usually fails when the last load is coming out of the tumble drier and its near going home time!

I have come across this as well, two main reason for this - the first is that the detergent isn't the correct strength and secondly the towels have been over dried. Because of the work routines of the hotel both fires happened at night. The hotel did a lot of work with the detergent manufactures and came up with the correct blend of ingredients. If you get the oil out of the towels it doesn't happen.  

[nearlythere]

I have personal experience with this. I was re-oiling teak garden furniture using a sponge. I chucked the sponge into a plastic bucket to use the next day for another going over. Next morning I found the sponge had burn marks on it.

[colin todd]

There was once a report in the magazine FIRE of a girl's underwear catching fire spontaneously. (No, I am not joking.)  As I recall she was sitting at a supermarket checkout till or some such.  I seem to recall it made a pleasant change from reading left wing rants in support of the latest thinking of the FBU.

[lingmoor]

Thanks all.

I have heard of the linen not being washed properly and then folded and linseed oil soaked rags chucked in a bin,  both resulting in spontaneous combustion, but I've never experienced it during my time in the job

has anyone had any experience of an oxygen and grease combo? I am particular interested in medical CD cylinders.

 The Royal United Hospital Bath incident one that scratches the head a bit

[wee brian]

There were some issues with stockpiled bits of cattle during the BSE crisis.

Barns packed to the roof with bits of dead cow. started getting very hot in the middle. I think one caught fire.

[Tom Sutton]

Lingmoor check out http://www.docstoc.com/docs/19452735/DONT-MIX-OXYGEN-AND-OIL never had any experience or personal problems as we always was extremely careful.

[AnthonyB]

There was a fault with the SOS Products oxygen cylinders with the integral valve (popular in resus kits bought by Dentists & similar who didn't want the cost of rental)some years (2005) back that led to fires/sparks when turned on:

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Safetywarnings/MedicalDeviceAlerts/CON008462

[colin todd]

Thanks wee b, I had a steak for dinner and suddenly I dont feel very well.

[wee brian]

Could be worse. A coleague of mine got the job of inserting thermocouples into these stockpiles to monitor the temperature. While he was working on this project I think he turned vegan!

[lingmoor]

Thanks all for your replies...

talking about oxygen cylinders, check this link out (scroll down to page eight)...this piece is a year old so you may have already seen it

http://www.aagbi.org/sites/default/files/April_ANews_Web_0.pdf