News » Smithing Safely
Recently while working at the forge alone, I turned around to dig through my tool bucket for a chisel, and a surprising chain of events began.
I’m not sure if I bumped my 15" piece of metal or if it became unbalanced and slipped, but nonetheless it fell out of the fire. As I kneeled over my bucket with my back to the forge, the hot end of my project hit my back as it fell, near my shoulder.
My shirt immediately caught on fire and started burning. I couldn’t splash water from the slack tub because the flames were on my back. I started to panic but remembered to “stop, drop, and roll.”
Thankfully, I only have first-degree burns in three places on my back, and my hair did not catch fire.
My lessons learned: Keep my tools at least a couple of feet from the side of the forge (not behind me). Never turn my back to the fire. And always wear cotton clothing at the forge. Synthetic fabrics can flare the fire and contribute to severe burns.
by Audrey King, Sacramento, CA
(from California Blacksmith, May/June 2005)
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