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Safety -- Make sure you are safe!

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  #1  
Old 2010-02-03, 5:12pm
funkibeads funkibeads is offline
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Default Important: Don't always trust your gas supplier - tragedy averted (kinda)

This is a lesson about how little mistakes can cost lives I learnt a few days ago & I must share my experience with you ...

The week before Christmas I ordered in 3 midi oxygen tanks from my usual trusted and faithful local supplier who is a middleman for a large company based in the Midlands here in the UK. They supply all sorts of industrial gases from argon to acetylene to whatever. Running a GTT Bobcat I use propane & oxygen (naturally). Having used up the first 2 tanks I hooked up the last one checked all the regulators, valves etc and all looked fine - the torch was silently running gas through so I thought right ho let's go.

So to follow POOP I turned the propane on - got the usual nice yellow billowy flame and gradually turned on the o2. Roar, Fizz fizz phut & the flame went out. Eh ? I thought what's up here ? Another go, same thing. Checked the pressure gauges, the valves, disconnected, reconnected, check check check. All ok.

Same thing roar fizz fizz phut & flame out. WTF I thought... I sat down vexed as anything and glared at the cylinder. Then I noticed there was little label that stated it was Nitrogen... OMG. The crazy thing was it was in an oxy cylinder - black body, green top as they always are from this supplier. Exactly like the other two I had used over the previous weeks.

The good thing is that nitrogen just put the flame out - so I was safe, but & this is a biggi - imagine if it had been something like acetylene. Funkibeads & half the house would have been vaporised possibly.

BUT then I got thinking what if I was not a flame worker - but a nursing home... There would have been a horrific tragedy. Indeed we were discussing this in here on live chat and one of the good folk there posted an article about a nursing home where they mixed up the o2 & Nitrogen and 2 residents asphixiated & 8 were poisioned. That really sent shivers up my spine. The thread is here:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94751&page=1

So there we are for what it is worth - I'm going to keep my eyes wide open next time I take a delivery from anyone. Take care.

Greg Ash (Funkibeads)
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  #2  
Old 2010-02-03, 7:56pm
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Dale M. Dale M. is offline
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I don't know about the UK, but the connectors on tank are different between oxygen and nitrogen here in US... In theory the tank should have not contained nitrogen because the nitrogen delivery/fill system should not have been able to connect to a oxygen tank.... The different style of connector on tanks is supposed to be in place to prevent just such a situation...

http://www.concoa.com/cgachart.html

A Nitrogen tank connector is a CGA 580 in US
A Oxygen tank connector is a CGA 540 in US

They are not even similar....

I find it really hard to believe the wrong tank could accidentally be hooked up at a nursing facility because of the difference of connectors... It's supposed to prevent just that.... Some thing is definitely screwed here....

Dale
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Last edited by Dale M.; 2010-02-03 at 8:18pm.
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  #3  
Old 2010-02-03, 9:20pm
funkibeads funkibeads is offline
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Hi Dale,

Thank you kindly for your post.

Well, l I don't quite know what happened where in the supply chain, but happen it did in my studio. There are regulations about different bottle colours and different threads on the screws between those of O2 & N in the UK - but well sometimes things fall through the safety process & checks, which are several steps behind us - and for which we have no control.

Look what sadly happened to Concorde. Something was unscrewed there... and the result was a catastrophe.

My intention in the post was just to say 'be careful, be safe & keep your eyes open' to everyone who works in this, the most magic of mediums.

Greg
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Old 2010-02-04, 8:28am
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Dale M. Dale M. is offline
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I'm not disagreeing with you about your post, I just fail to see how something like this happens with all the safety features that are in place (valve types). One would almost think it was intentional, not accidental....

You should also have a word with your gas supplier with your situation and inquire about the tank valve thing....

Here is something the UK lampworkers may find interesting...

http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/cylinders.html

Here is something that should address anything in future as Concord...

http://www.usp.org/pdf/EN/patientSaf...dicalGases.pdf

IF its put in place...

Dale
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Last edited by Dale M.; 2010-02-04 at 8:37am.
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Old 2010-02-11, 5:06am
lbowman1 lbowman1 is offline
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I guess I'm naturally paranoid but I find that it's best to never assume that the worst case scenario can't happen especially if other people are involved. I've known lots of people that cut corners or thought they had better ideas..with disastrous results. Even if some safety measures are the norm some people are better at finding ways around them them than seeing the wisdom in following them. Doesn't matter if it's working flame, driving a car, making dinner or whatever. Paying attention is always a good thing.

That's served me well in the past and saved my hide a few times.

Lori

Last edited by lbowman1; 2010-02-11 at 5:07am. Reason: redunancy
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