Portable Heater Safety

Talking points

1. Give every heater the clearance OSHA's table requires — 36 inches for radiant units, less only where the heater is listed and approved for it — and keep any heater at least 10 feet from tarps, canvas, and similar coverings.
2. Direct-fired heaters (where combustion gases enter the heated space) require adequate ventilation for combustion air and CO exhaust. Calculate the required ventilation for the heater's BTU output.
3. Indirect-fired heaters vent combustion products to the outside and are the safer choice for enclosed work areas. They are preferred whenever carbon monoxide is a concern.
4. Heaters must cut their fuel automatically when the flame fails — OSHA requires that on gas and liquid-fired units — and listed portable heaters add a tip-over shutoff on top; test these safety features before use. Find both controls on your unit and try them before you light it — a shutoff you have never tested is one you cannot count on.
5. Keep a fire extinguisher within reach of every portable heater. Refuel only when the heater is off and cool — fuel vapors near a hot surface ignite instantly.

Ask the crew

Do our portable heaters have adequate clearance from combustible materials — and are they the right type (direct vs. indirect) for the space?

Standards this talk is built on

• 29 CFR 1926.154

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.

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