Toolbox Talk · Fire · English
Migna Safety Solutions
Temporary Heat
About 8 minutes to deliver · 29 CFR 1926.154 · 29 CFR 1926.153 · 29 CFR 1910.1000
Temporary heat causes two kinds of incident, and they happen in different weeks. Fires happen when the heater is close to something. Poisonings happen when the space is closed up against the cold.
Ventilation
1926.154(a): fresh air in sufficient quantity to maintain health and safety, and mechanical ventilation where natural means are inadequate. When heaters are used in confined spaces, special care for combustion air, health, and limiting temperature rise.
The practical version: any unvented fuel-burning heater in an enclosed space produces carbon monoxide, and the tighter you seal the space against the weather, the faster it builds. A crew tarps in a slab to keep the heat, runs a salamander overnight, and the first people in the next morning walk into it.
- A CO monitor in any space with a running heater. Cheap, and the only thing that sees it.
- Do not seal a space and heat it. Leave a deliberate air path, and know where it is.
- A yellow, lazy flame where it should be blue means incomplete combustion, which means CO. Shut it down.
Clearance
1926.154(b): heaters are installed with clearance to combustible material not less than Table F-4, unless the unit is listed for less. In practice, keep them well clear of tarps, plastic sheeting, timber, insulation, fuel and anything stacked — and remember the clearance is needed on every side, including above and behind.
- On a stable, level, non-combustible surface, never on plywood or a pallet.
- Never used to dry clothing, boots or gloves, and nothing draped anywhere near.
- Guarded and positioned so it cannot be knocked over or walked into.
- Extinguisher within reach, and somebody who knows where it is.
Propane
1926.153 covers LP-gas, and the ordinary failures are these:
- Cylinders upright and secured, always, indoors and out.
- Storage outside the building, away from exits and stairwells. Propane is heavier than air and pools in pits, trenches, basements and floor drains.
- Check the hose and regulator every change, with soapy water — never a flame.
- Valve closed when not in use, and when the cylinder is moved.
- If you smell gas: shut off at the cylinder, ventilate, no switches, no engines, get clear.
Overnight
The unattended heater is the risky one. If it has to run, somebody checks it, and everything combustible is out of range before the site goes quiet.
Ask the crew
- Is anything tarped in and heated on this site?
- Do we have a CO monitor where the heaters are running?
- What is within the clearance distance of each heater right now?
This is a toolbox talk, not a course. It is general awareness on one topic — not site-specific, not a hazard assessment, and not a substitute for assessment of your workplace by a competent person, your written programs, or manufacturers’ instructions. It does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Regulations change; verify against the current standard. Whoever delivers it is responsible for deciding it is suitable and sufficient for the work. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, not a substitute for professional medical care or certified emergency-response training, and it confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. Migna Safety Solutions · training.mignasafetysolutions.com
Attendance Record
Form supplied by Migna Safety Solutions
Temporary Heat
29 CFR 1926.154 · 29 CFR 1926.153 · 29 CFR 1910.1000
I delivered this talk and determined it was suitable for this crew and this work.
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Keep this sheet with your training records. This form is supplied blank by Migna Safety Solutions — we did not deliver this session, were not present, and make no representation about what was said or who attended. A toolbox talk is general awareness on one topic and does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. The employer remains responsible for site-specific hazard assessment and for the training its workers are required to have. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, and confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. training.mignasafetysolutions.com