Believe it or not, having worked construction for over 45 yrs I am extremely safety conscious. I was and still am leary of anything that creates sparks or flames. Dirty rags even scare me and I will lay them flat out on a concrete floor with nothing around for at least overnight. When my fire happened I thought I was being careful! Thats why they are called accidents.
The fire marshal that investigated my incident even thought it was very odd that angle grinder sparks started the fire. He said that they are about the least harmful of sparks in a shop. Typically they go out before they even hit the floor. So according to him, grinding indoors is not a forbidden activity.
Having said that, I am even more aware now than before. Other than the obvious of keeping grinding, welding and spark activities to a confined and CLEAN space the best advice I got and one that I adhere strictly to this day is as follows:
WHEN EVER I WELD, CUT OR GRIND (SPARKS IN THE SHOP), I WILL STAY IN THE SHOP FOR 1 HOUR AFTER THAT ACTIVITY HAS CEASED!
Even if it is just sitting on a stool listening to the radio. An hour may be a bit excessive but its what I do now.
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