MOST RECENT WELDING ACCIDENT

Welding helmet acted as a crash helmet.

Another one of the welding helmet, and the torch I was holding in my hand.
The torch parts ended up in the neighbors yard.

My arm after the explosion.

I was going to cut the top out of an empty 50 gal drum. I had poured out the contents  and had just successfully cut the top out of another drum with no problems. The drum did have used motor oil in it.

More torch parts...the torch lead ended on top of the car port.

The top of the barrel ended up next to the fence. It had to go up and over the Car Port to get to the fence.

As soon as I struck the arc of my plasma cutter the barrel seemed to swell like a balloon and the top blew off. As I was "hugging" the barrel at the time trying to make a nice clean cut....well you can see what happened...yes, I was blessed that day.
The only lasting damage was to my hearing.       I ask "what" a lot now :)                                                                                                                               

The bottom of the barrel, notice how swollen it is. Understand that the top blew off BEFORE I had made the cut.

LESSON LEARNED?
"Just the right amount of air and oil vapor will blow up." Be more careful in the future.