Backfire and Flashback in Oxyfuel Processes

Despite the development of new techniques, fuel gas processes like oxyfuel welding, cutting, heating and straightening have many industrial applications. This is partly because the equipment is versatile, easy to move around, and is relatively inexpensive, A point to remember when working with fuel gases is the risk of backfire and flashback, which can cause both material damage and personal injuries.

The purpose of this report is to increase the knowledge about how backfire and flashback can arise, and of how they can be avoided. Backfire or flashback is often caused defective or wrongly handled equipment. This emphasies the importance of education and training for increasing safety in places of work. It is also important to use safety equipment like check valves and flashback arrestors. In some countries the use of safety equipment is mandatory, while in others there are as yet only recommendations.