Fire Spinning Safety

K, so.. there is a goodly amount of danger associated with this and other art forms involving the use of fire, we all know it, we have all accepted it. Sure, an informal fire spin isn't an especially dangerous event, there is very little risk of setting yourself on fire with the poi heads. Burns are entirely possible and if you have spilled anything like a significant amount of fuel onto your clothes you should change them or not spin again that night.

An often overlooked risk of any fire spin is the store of fuel. Handled without due care it has the potential to burn houses and more down... Basic common sense precautions prevent this from ever happening, things like not taking more than you really need, getting a decent container for it and looking after said container in a sensible manner whilst people are spinning / throwing / generally misbehaving with open flames.

Here's some stuff you should be considering before fire spinning on a regular basis either on your own or as a group :

Before you Spin Fire :

Pick open spaces to spin fire

Open spaces are, by thier very nature hard to set on fire... the idea here is that all you need to worry about is yourselves. Other peoples property is out of harms way and your safety persons concentration is not diluted.

Don't light up as soon as you get there

do a bit of non fire first. This is a perfect way of checking your equipment, of warming up and of settling in. It stops you from rushing, enthusiasm is good but rushing into things and firing up when there are still people milling about setting up is bad practice and not fair.

Use Paraffin / Kerosene

or another suitable fuel that has a high flashpoint meaning that it takes a higher temperature to actually ignite the stuff. This is good for us because it means our fuel is easier to handle and not liable to burst into flames with the slightest indiscretion. Do NOT use petrol as a fuel for fire spinning. Petrol will burst into flames at the merest whisper of heat. It is just raring to go. A stray droplet of flaming, excess fuel from someone's Poi is definitely enough to set the container off. Couple this with the fact that human beings are fallible creatures, literally, at the best of times and sooner or later that small bomb you've got in the corner WILL go up in flames.

Use a suitable LIDDED container

for your dip can, and store your main fuel at least 20 yards away. The point of the lid on the dip can is to prevent any stray droplets of lighted fuel from hitting the fuel inside. Locating the dipping area well away from the fire spinning, the spinner should have to walk for at least 10 secods before he can dip again.

Always have someone looking after the container. If they want to do some spinning, someone else take a break and look after the fuel. View this as a break and a chance to watch the spin, not a chore.

Done like this everyone gets to know the job as well. The lid should only ever be off the container for ten seconds or less. This is part of the above person's job. Take it off, allow the toys to be dipped then put it back on again. Be Paranoid

Get a fire spinning bag

At the very least it should contain your mobile phone, a bath towel (preferably white, its your dumprag) a bottle of water for cleaning potential wounds, clingfilm or shrinkwrap or whatever, baby wipes for cleaning your hands, plasters for covering small cuts so soot doesnt get in them, your fire chains, your practice poi, a couple of empty plastic bags and an extra sweatshirt for if it gets cold.

This hobby comes with a certain amount of responsibility. If you are gonna do this properly, you should think about getting yourself a bag for all your kit. It promotes a sense of professionalism right from the start, get a bag, make it your own and use it.

You will probably never use it, but take a roll of clingfilm in your kit bag. If someone does get burned and skin is lost, do NOT put any kind of cream on it before they go to a hospital. Remove any material that isnt stuck to the wound, run cold, clean water over it then wrap it in clingfilm. The hospital staff will thank you no end for this. The longer a burn wound (or any for that matter but burn wounds in particular) is open to the air, the more infection it gets.

Check your Equipment

Checking your equipment should be the last thing you do before you actually dip, spin and light, if your handles use sewing to hold them together, this is the weakest point and the most likely to wear first. After that check your links then the tightness of your screws if thats whats holding your fireheads together. Give them a test spin, do a few wraps if you can do them then give them a quick check once again. If all is groovy, go dip.

Spin off the excess fuel

Do it into catch cans... please. Just get used to it, there are so many benefits to using catch cans and they should be as much a standard part of a spinners kit as thier poi. Not only does it get you into practice for if ever you do it on a stage (you're gonna need it then) but you will be preventing the deaths of literally thousands of little beasties and plants.

It also saves your fuel which I know isnt exactly expensive but its always a bummer when the fuels gone isnt it ?

its a pain.. I know.. you know you should be doing it though eh ? :)

When you Spin Fire :

Drink/Drugs...

Fire Spinning whilst under the influence of anything, including alchohol is not fair, its not just your safety thats at risk and with the amount of turning and dizzying moves going on you just know someones gonna end up staggering into the fuel pot with a lit set of chains. It happens, Ive been there with people when they are pasted and they are spinning fire. I dont like it, it makes me nervous and I think it makes us look bad, for every one of those people it takes ten sensible ones with thier act together to put the minds of fire marshalls at ease.

Dont Panic!!

If for any reason you are present when a fuel container goes up, gets spilled and there is no fire extinguisher (this is assuming you are outdoors in an open place.) DONT PANIC. LEAVE IT ALONE. It will not be long before the fuel is burnt up even though the initial flash can be somewhat awe inspiring. Its a bummer sure, but its better than someone running over with thier dump rag, slipping in the oily mud and going face first into the flames. Kick yourself in the ass, you just killed loads of things.

Still Dont Panic...

The same goes for if someone gets into a bad tangle when spinning fire, Don't Panic. Be Calm. They are not going to explode instantly. Get over to them quickly with a dump rag whilst saying "do you need help?" They might be on the edge of sorting it and the last thing they need is your hands diving into the equation trying to "help." If they say "yes" aim straight for the Poi with your dump rag in your hands. Get hold of them in your hands with said dump rag, smother them and relax, the problem is solved.

For a demonstration of how to "dump" a set of flaming chains, click here.

Easy Now...

You can do too much firespinning, you really can, one of the first things I ever did was spin fire all night long, till the sun came up. It made me extremely ill. I had been breathing fumes in all night and it was the kind of poisoning that creeps up on you. Suffice it to say that in the last hour when we were going for breakfast etc I gradually became more and more ill. I ended up on my back for a week feeling terrible and I mean terrible.

After you Spin Fire :

Tidy Up!!

Remember the "couple of empty plastic bags" from earlier ? Its surprising just how much general rubbish can be amassed when as few as just three people are spinning together, its easy to forget n the dark too, so put all your discarded firehead bags, babywipes, drinks cans etc in a bag and take it with you. Its dark and people are dizzy, liht blinded and are more likely to stumble over that discarded beer can in front of the fuel. It also shows the right kind of attitude, whoever owns the land is likely to be agreeable to you fire spinning there again if you leave your spot like this.

Clean your hands... That black soot stuff is about as far removed from oil of ulay (or "olay" or whatever they call it) as you can get, this is why you take baby wipes, they are convenient to use in outdoors locations. Be thorough, they are only baby wipes when all is said and done. Still be sure to wash it all off properly when you get home though and certainly dont eat anything with your hands like sandwiches or pizza until youve washed.

Think about it...

The main thing throughout all of this is to user your brain. There is no way I can advise on all concievable situations. Appreciate that whilst the flames you are using may only be small and even well under control. There is a reason why volatile chemicals, fire and noxious fumes are considered dangerous. Large amounts of fuel with open tops are a danger, a serious one. Especially around people that are dizzy and/or on drugs or alchohol.

It is the job of the safety to do the most thinking of anyone though. Even littering the area is getting towards dangerous in my opinion. Messing with fire especially in a group with large amounts of fuel needs to be looked after by someone who has got thier act together (someone that isnt wasted.) And keep the area clean!! :P