We ripped the existing roof off and layed a base ply and a layer of insulation, even though it was raining slitely. We took lunch and our esteemed foreman stayed to dry the highly flamable insulation w/ a high BTU blow torch.

Upon returning we (the 15 man crew on the 25'x25' roof) were ordered to set up to lay down hot aspault right away, and the foreman set his torch down on the deck to supervise.

There was a sudden clamour and a burst of frames. Everyone searched for a fire extinguisheer to no avail! It was brought down at lunch for some reason.

The foreman left the torch not only lit, but aiming at the supply hose from the LPG bottle! When someone reached over the deck rail to grab a roll of felt, another roll tipped over and pressed down the trigger on the torch handle. Since the hose (which is rated to withstand high temperatures for safety) was already heated by the torch's pilot flame, it melted instantly, leaving a 10' length of unregulated hose spraying flames around like a runaway fire hose on full blast.

The foreman rushed to control the flame thrower by lunging over the deck railing and falling on his face promptly. He swatted at the hose with his bare hands, like a kid swatting away bees after smashing the nest.

Upon realizing that the fire extinguisher was on the ground, one man climbed down the ladder to retreive it, while everyone else prepared to jump off the roof befor being incinerated.

Luckily, the extinguisher made it on the roof quickly and was used to divert the flames until the bottle was shut off.

George (the foreman) chuckled at his singed arm and head hair, then shouted blame at everyone else for the fiasco and told us to hurry up and get back to work roofing and trying to cover up the burn marks all over the decking and walls.

Amazingly no one was killed or seriously injured, discounting George's burns.

Submitted on 01/10/2009

Submitted by: Bob Gemas
Reference:

Copyright © 2009 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
I suppose technically speaking this really doesn't qualify for a DA since there were apparently a number of mistakes involved (the foreman putting the lit torch in a bad location, another worker accidentally dropping materials, etc) and many innocent folk could have been injured, but I think this certainly qualifies for a PA given that the foreman of all people should have known better. Thanks, Bob.

James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
In the end, the foreman was ultimately responsible for safety and failed his crew miserably! I'll vote to keep this as a PA! Thanks, Bob!

The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom Keep yourself out of the gene pool! A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item! Friends don't let friends reproduce! $13 for Pack of 4