TorqTALK

Increase Your Chances of Getting a Permit with the Right Tools

How many times have you been told “No” when requesting a hot work permit for your upcoming job?

The odds are… more times than you care to remember. It’s time to change that dreaded response with a little planning and the right tools.

The reason most hot work permits don’t have a chance in flammable environments is because the proposed tools produce a hot spark that could result in a fire or explosion. With this type of catastrophe lurking around most hot work permits, it is not hard to see why they are regularly denied.

However, rather than throwing your arms up in frustration, it’s time to think outside the box and look for tools that will increase your chances of getting your work permit approved.

The Right Tools

Obviously sparks from a slugging wrench or a flame from a blow torch are heat  sources. By removing the hot spark or flame from flammable environments, you increase the probability of getting your work permit approval. So, how do you do this?

By using tools that don’t generate a spark, you have the best likelihood of getting your work permit.

AutoGRIPPER Stud Extractor

Take for instance a frozen stud. Typical methods of removal include drilling, sawing, beating and disintegration, all of which cause varying levels of sparks or flames. With tools like the AutoGRIPPER stud extractor, there’s no need to drill, saw or disintegrate a frozen stud for removal.

The AutoGRIPPER stud extractor is designed to work with a pneumatic impact wrench and safely slide down over a stud that needs removal. With a turn from the impact wrench, AutoGRIPPER locks on to the stud to form a solid link between the wrench and the stud. It is a quick, effective and spark-free way to get the job done.

Direct Tension Indicators (DTIs) are another tool that’s effective in flammable environments but does not cause hot sparks. They remove the unsafe use of ultrasonic extensometers in these environments when bolt preload needs verification.

DTIs are highly accurate load indicating washers with raised protrusions that collapse to a specified gap as a bolt is tensioned/tightened. The proper gap is verified by a “go/no go” feeler gauge. No electricity while measuring bolt preload means no potential for sparks.

Another way to turn a hot work permit denial into a potential acceptance can be found in the tools you use for prying open flanges or machinery parts.

It’s not surprising a hammer and chisel cause hot sparks. By replacing these archaic tools with a safer and smarter option, such as the AutoSPREADER flange spreader, you reduce your chances of injury and eliminate the possibility of not getting a work permit.

AutoSPREADERs effectively open, lift, level, lower and align heavy objects and don’t generate the potentially deadly hot spark associated with other methods.

Finally, when it’s time to remove a seized or galled nut in your flammable area, most cutting methods don’t stand a chance since they involve heat, impact or drilling, It’s time to look to a smarter way to cut through nuts with a nut splitter like FASTORQ’s AutoSPLITTER. The AutoSPLITTER splits nuts quickly and effectively and even  removes the hot spark from the process.

AutoSPLITTER Nut Splitter

On the rare occasion a nut splitter causes a spark, the energy is so low it only generates a cold spark.  Cold sparks are significantly less dangerous in flammable environments due to the lower energy involved and the reduced likelihood of starting a fire or causing an explosion. That’s why tools that only produce cold sparks have a better chance of getting you a work permit over ones that give off hot sparks.

It’s important to remember that tools that give off cold sparks may require additional safety precautions, such as steam wands or blankets. Yet, this is a minimal sacrifice when it makes your job faster and easier.

So, the next time you want a hot work permit for a flammable environment, remember the difference between an acceptance and a denial could be just knowing the right tool for the situation.