View Full Version : How well do you handle your welding equipment?
CharlieLed
11-22-2003, 10:24 AM
I got these photos and story from a friend of mine. This is one of those "wake up calls" that we all can use at times to re-establish the importance of safety in our shops and garages....
"This is an incident in Newcastle. It happened on Monday the 29th of September. A fitter with a works van left an E size Oxygen and Acetylene cylinder on the back seat of a Toyota dual cab over the weekend. The Acetylene cylinder must not have fully closed and a small leak occurred.
Over the weekend the Acetylene had accumulated in the van. On the Monday morning the fitter approached the van and opened the door, a large explosion took place. We believe the ignition could have been caused by either the internal light, the automatic door control or by a mobile phone which was on the front seat of the van. The fellow was also a smoker. He has damage to his ear drums and facial damage. As you can see by the attached photos he was very lucky."
CharlieLed
11-22-2003, 10:25 AM
Another pic...
CharlieLed
11-22-2003, 10:25 AM
From the rear...
Gr8ballsofir
11-22-2003, 10:30 AM
That looks more like a pressure explosion instead of one needding an ignition source. I worked next to to a shop that cleaned the paint tanks for GM. When they left for the night someone left some sort of gas valve partially open. This gas being heavier than air settled along the floor of the shop. About 5:30pm all the walls of the shop blew outwards at the bottom, due to lack of ventilation.
about thirty years ago there was a local hot rodder that would throw parties,
one of the big occasions was when he would stack one car on top of another,
seal the bottom car up, fill it with Ox/Acc and wire it for remote detonation.
we would all stand WAY back when it blew the car on top would fly about twenty feet in the air!
............
the fitter in your example IS luck to be alive.
Paul
Greezy
11-22-2003, 11:08 AM
Acetylene must burn fast, like hydrogen. There is definatley a lack of scorching on the remains of the vehicle. And that guy is VERY LUCKy to be alive.
Kevin Lee
11-22-2003, 11:09 AM
[ QUOTE ]
That looks more like a pressure explosion instead of one needding an ignition source.
[/ QUOTE ]
Haha, Sure. I'm guessing a Toyota truck full of ignited Acetylene would create some fucking pressure?!?!?! Hahaha.
SKR8PN
11-22-2003, 11:18 AM
[ QUOTE ]
about thirty years ago there was a local hot rodder that would throw parties,
one of the big occasions was when he would stack one car on top of another,
seal the bottom car up, fill it with Ox/Acc and wire it for remote detonation.
we would all stand WAY back when it blew the car on top would fly about twenty feet in the air!
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like a good clean source of amusement and entertainment! and my kinda PARTY http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Gr8ballsofir
11-22-2003, 11:41 AM
Sorry. I posted before the other pics were posted and couldn't see the burned out dash and grass...
metalshapes
11-22-2003, 12:03 PM
You can see pics like that on the walls of welding stores all the time.
If that guy was a professional he should have known better.
Everybody has to deal with to many rules and regulations because of idiots like that.
lulabelle
11-22-2003, 12:03 PM
I travel about 70,000 miles a year for work.I have a set in the back of my truck at all times.I never take the guages off while in transport.I just don't take the time.I've been lucky enough to have not been caught to this point.(or hurt!)I will go out NOW to fix this!Thanks for the wake-up!
fordiac
11-22-2003, 12:31 PM
i thought that acetylene in open air in pressures over 15 psi becomes highly unstable. if the pressure in the tank was 600 psi, and it all leaked into the truck, it would be over 15 psi in the truck. i dont know, sucks to be that guy though
plan9
11-22-2003, 12:33 PM
iam noob to welding/gas tanks... i usually make sure the valves are shut off all the way... are there any signs to look for if there is a small leak?...check the hoses, and look for damage around the gauges?
Harrison
11-22-2003, 12:33 PM
[ QUOTE ]
. He has damage to his ear drums and facial damage. As you can see by the attached photos he was very lucky."
[/ QUOTE ]
If he was lucky his damn truck wouldn't have blown up.
JH
A guy and his wife died when putting Acetylene in a Propane tank... the first bump on the road set it off and took out the cab of the truck.
Most people dont realize that actylene gas can not be compressed and The acetylene stored in the cylinder is dissolved in acetone. A full cylinder should not exceed 250 psig @ 70F
you dont wana tip those tanks either... the tank is not hollow its filled with a porus material that the acetone sits in... keep them upright to keep acetone from the valve.
When I was at Tech some kids knocked over a Oxygen tank when hooking it up to a portible cart and it went right through a cinder block wall... it broke the brass valve off the top CLEAN... shot out like a ROCKET! nobody was hurt.
people cant stress safety enough... even when theres rules to follow...
Dont let the above happen to a hamber DAMN that explosion is nasty.
Tuck
metalshapes
11-22-2003, 12:44 PM
The lucky part is that he did not have a kid that sneaked over to steal his smokes out of his Truck, or wife...
What happened to him was self inflicted.
Now watch him find a way to sue Toyota.
fordiac
11-22-2003, 12:46 PM
tuck explained what i was trying to remember.
Gr8ballsofir
11-22-2003, 01:11 PM
[ QUOTE ]
people cant stress safety enough... even when theres rules to follow...
[/ QUOTE ]
Look up the word pyroforic.
Rocknrod
11-22-2003, 01:46 PM
Dang...
Rocky
11-22-2003, 02:58 PM
What Rocknrod said....
Revhead
11-22-2003, 02:58 PM
That's insane. I still say he's pretty lucky to be breathing.
LIMEY
11-22-2003, 04:42 PM
Glad he wasn't seriously hurt, thanks for the wake-up call,
even happier it was a Toyota!
washing up liquid is good for checking any kind of gas leak, i'm guessing you all know that anyway!
four-thirteen
11-22-2003, 05:10 PM
Does that photo look super fake to anyone else? like shawdows that don't match up, or maybe needs a few burn marks somewhere? It looks like bullshit to me...
Dat Dirty Rat
11-22-2003, 05:26 PM
what do you want,,pics of the guy??..
Anyway, he's lucky to be alive!...Maybe this will remind 'some' of us how important and crucial safety is...Thanks for sharing...
Dirty
james
11-22-2003, 05:36 PM
The thing that gets me is the cut in the bed and topper--almost look like someone took a sawzall straight down through both. Seems like the fiberglass would have reacted differently than the metal. weird
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