Fire and Oxygen Safety: Low-Frequency, High-Severity Device Risks

Ignition (arcs, hot windows, lasers) + oxidizer (oxygen) + fuel (alcohol prep, hairspray, paper and curtains) — all three present means fire. Aesthetic fire risk concentrates in preparation: firing before alcohol evaporates, sparks in oxygen-enriched air.

1. Alcohol discipline: after alcohol prep, wait for full evaporation (1-3 minutes) before firing; no wide-area alcohol spraying over treatment fields.
2. Oxygen: no laser or electric projects during supplemental oxygen (>23% environments managed as high risk); treatment requires physician evaluation and oxygen off.
3. Fuel control: no alcohol bottles, paper or synthetic covers in the treatment zone; flame-retardant curtains.
4. Extinguishers: CO2/dry-powder units present, in-date, and staff trained.
5. No bypassing: window overheat interlocks (see interlocks) must never be manually defeated.

Typical chain: quick alcohol prep → fired before evaporation → long-pulse pulse → flash flame. Any single broken link prevents it — “wait until alcohol dries” in the SOP, trained, sits upstream of every extinguisher.

Are all alcohol preps forbidden?

Usable with evaporation discipline; check flammability on alcohol-containing products (some anesthetic patches, sprays) and prefer non-alcohol prep for high-risk zones (hairy face).

Client on home oxygen therapy?

Treat as an oxygen environment — evaluate, stop oxygen or reschedule, physician’s call; never default to routine.

• Electrical Safety
• Interlocks
• Drills