Self-Extinguishing garbage cans

[rwa2004]

Does anyone have Self-Extinguishing garbage cans they recommend?

It seems like I remember there being a can option that had a lid that normally stayed open but a flame or sufficient heat would trip something that made the lid fall shut. I thought this was even something you could buy to add to a 35gal or 55 gal drum. I swear I can see it in my head, but I cannot find it online. Is this type of can a figment of my imagination?

The only thing I can find are the safety cans that you need to step on to open. I really want to find one that is normally open to encourage it's use, but know that it would close if there was heat/fire.

Backstory: A young guy was using our paint booth the other day and 1/2 cleaned up after himself. He swept a bunch of paint chips and overspray dust into one pile in the middle of the floor. He had also been cleaning the gun with MEK and left the wet rags on top of the overspray dust when he went to leave, thinking he would clean up the pile in the morning. When morning came, the room was filled with thick smoke and the rags and dirt were completely gone. For some fortunate reason, the cardboard they were on only singed a few inches bigger than the dirt pile.

 

[Bighead38]

I’ve never seen that but it’s a cool idea.

 

[58Yeoman]

The only time I've seen that is on the parts cleaning cans where the lid closes if it catches fire.

 

[PNWguy]

Prop up the lid with a candle or piece of wax?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Most self extinguishing trash cans I've seen just had a covered top wit ha flapper door. There's also a type of top that had an open hole in it that was funnel shaped. The theory is not enough air can get in to support continued combustion. IDK if they actually work.

Tommy

 

[Farmall450]

Only works if they make it to the garbage can. Most I've seen, like above, are just metal with a footpedal to operate the lid.

 

[nadogail]

I have seen trash receptacles with lids held open by fusible links.

We bought replacement links from a Fire Extinguisher service shop.

 

[Bogie1632]

Well, your not crazy because Ive seen them too.Hope this is along the lines of wat you envisioned. Justrite still makes a lid for drums.

https://www.justrite.com/drum-cover-with-fusible-link-for-55-gallon-drum-self-close-steel-red.html

V/R
Bogie

 

[matt_i]

The fusible link would be the ticket, its on my solvent parts washer's lid and I would expect most of those would have one too unless removed or disabled/fixed-in-place.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Metal can, metal lid and good housekeeping goes far.

 

[mike93lx]

A trash can won't fix the stupidity of leaving rags with mek on a pile of combustible dust.

 

[rwa2004]

A trash can won't fix the stupidity of leaving rags with mek on a pile of combustible dust.

- For Sure

 

[rwa2004]

You guys are great - the key term is "fusible link drum cover". These seem really great and a smart way to go. I didn't expect them to be as expensive but I also didn't expect them to come with certified safety ratings.

 

[rlitman]

Most self extinguishing trash cans I've seen just had a covered top wit ha flapper door. There's also a type of top that had an open hole in it that was funnel shaped. The theory is not enough air can get in to support continued combustion. IDK if they actually work.

Tommy

The one with the open hole in the center has a special shape to the lid that redirects smoke from a fire within in a way that chokes it out.

https://www.justrite.com/safety-cans-and-containers/waste-disposal-safety-containers.html

I doubt it will stop your shop from being smoke damaged (unlike a closed lid), but it should at least prevent a raging fire from escaping.

 

[nadogail]

Glad we could help, thanks for the feedback.

 

[Bogie1632]

I didn't expect them to be as expensive but I also didn't expect them to come with certified safety ratings.

Safety + Certification = Lotsa $$$. Imagine their liability if they didn't work as advertised. A few years back we had a guy toss BLO soaked rags in a drum with oily and fuel soaked rags and not latch the lid (non self closing). If we didn't have a night shift our building would have been cinders.

V/R
Bogie

 

[NUTTSGT]

A trash can won't fix the stupidity of leaving rags with mek on a pile of combustible dust.

But then again, being the devil's advocate, maybe he was smart enough to "not" throw them in the trash can. Maybe his thought was they would be safer in the middle of the floor where they wouldn't harm anything if they did ignite.



What kind of trash cans do you have in the shop right now ? Metal, plastic ?

 

[rwa2004]

But then again, being the devil's advocate, maybe he was smart enough to "not" throw them in the trash can. Maybe his thought was they would be safer in the middle of the floor where they wouldn't harm anything if they did ignite.



What kind of trash cans do you have in the shop right now ? Metal, plastic ?

This is a very good point. The cans we have are all the basic plastic ones with roll wheel on one side. It would have been far worse in the can. More like a bad set-up where the guy didn't have the necessary system in place.