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mig welding while on medical oxygen ...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 49ratfink, Jul 5, 2007.

  1. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    my neighbor is a boat mechanic. he has a medical condition that requires him to carry around a little bottle of oxygen with the tube that goes to your nose. he wears the bottle on a strap hanging over his shoulder.

    so I'm over ther B.S ing and he starts to weld something with his mig while the bottle is on and in use.

    seems unsafe to me. he tells me oxygen isn't flammable.. well no shit, but it just seems to me that adding pure oxygen to a burning situation is an accident waiting to happen

    what do you guys think??
     
  2. I think you should stay on your own side of the fence. And program 911 into your cell speed-dial.
     
  3. Nope- he better stop doin that or it could be a bad deal for him....
     
  4. Well considering you aren't supposed to smoke anywhere near those I'm gonna go out on a limb and say welding is probably out too.

    My mom and my grandmother were both lifetime smokers and on oxygen before they passed. They smoked till the end, but turned off the air while they were smoking.
     

  5. Uhh.....Yeah, things tend to burn very quickly{i.e. explode} around the presence of extra oxygen. Maybe he has a subconsciouse desire to be dead instead of on a tank.
     
  6. Harms Way
    Joined: Nov 27, 2005
    Posts: 6,894

    Harms Way
    Member

    Is your insurance paid up ?,....... I would put the video camera on zoom and stand back.
     
  7. MercMan1951
    Joined: Feb 24, 2003
    Posts: 2,654

    MercMan1951
    Member

    Flames and sparks love pure oxygen. 'Nuff said.
     
  8. Royalshifter
    Joined: May 29, 2005
    Posts: 15,579

    Royalshifter
    Moderator
    from California

    A very very brave man!!!
     
  9. Oxygen is an oxidizer - it rapidly promotes the combustion of flammable materials, i.e. if there is a source of ignition it will make it burn hotter and faster - bad idea to introduce it to any welding/fuel cutting operation.

    Steve
     
  10. Yeah, its kinda all comin back now....
    KISS- used ta do that in all their shows......but it was on purpose in their case.....
     
  11. Sealed Power
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 627

    Sealed Power
    Member
    from TN

    He's right oxygen won't burn by itself but what will happen is a spark will hit his nasal canula ( that's the hose that runs from the tank to his nose) and it will burn his ass up!

    I worked for a medical company for many years doing repair work on oxygen concentrators. That's the machines that produce their own oxygen. More than once we had machines come in burned to a crisp where someone had been smoking while they had their oxygen concentrator on.

    A couple of the patients suffered some pretty serious burns to the face and head as a result.
     
  12. That dude is in for a rude awakening..

    :eek:
     
  13. heinz
    Joined: Sep 29, 2006
    Posts: 78

    heinz
    Member
    from CA

    Man, a bit of hot spatter in that mask would be really exciting.
    On the other hand, with medical O2, it would be a clean burn....

    Sounds like a bad idea.
     
  14. DrDano
    Joined: Jul 10, 2003
    Posts: 696

    DrDano
    Alliance Vendor

    Is this guy old enough to remember Apollo 1? Thats how my parents made the point to me about oxygen and open flames.
     
  15. Ask him if he remembers the Apollo 1 astronauts White, Grissom and Chaffe that died in the space capsule fire while breathing pure oxygen when a spark inside engulfed them in fire back in 1967,duh,,,,,,
     
  16. Sealed Power
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 627

    Sealed Power
    Member
    from TN



    Yeah and those nasal canulas and mask are made from a vinyl material. When it burns it melts into a sticky gooey mess. I can't imagine what it would feel like to have hot melted vinyl burned into you skin :eek:. I hope I never find out!!

    I would try everything you can think of to discourage him from doing it.
     
  17. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    no mask, just the tube with the two outlets in your nostrils.

    so if he got a spark in his nose, his head would explode.

    this is an otherwise smart guy. knows a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff. he went on for 3 minutes about how it was safe.
     
  18. The Brudwich
    Joined: Oct 3, 2005
    Posts: 788

    The Brudwich
    Member

    Oxygen and welding definitely not safe. That said, if the little tank is compressed oxygen as opposed to liquid oxygen, and if the tank is coupled to a demand regulator which lets out an audible puff of oxygen only when he inhales, and if the liter flow is set at around 2LPM, it probably isn't as dangerous as everybody is saying. Apart from what's in the tank, very little oxygen is in play. If in the unlikely event the tank blows, Yikes!!!.

    If indeed he is using low flow demand valve regulated oxygen, my guess is he could probably not wear the oxygen when he welds. Both his doctor and oxygen provider should be made aware that he is using oxygen while welding so the situation can be remedied. Again, this is only a guess, the decision needs to be made by him and his doctor. Oxygen and welding definitely not a good mix.
     
  19. The Brudwich
    Joined: Oct 3, 2005
    Posts: 788

    The Brudwich
    Member

    Oxygen and oil also bad.
     
  20. Sealed Power
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 627

    Sealed Power
    Member
    from TN


    The tube is a nasal canula, his head would not explode. It's unlikely that an explosion of any kind would occur but he could be burned and burned badly.

    If the canula catches on fire it will burn uncontrollably until the oxygen supply is disconnected. Usually what happens is the tube will catch on fire, the flame will travel up the inside of the tube toward the oxygen supply burning everything in its path. It will even continue to burn underwater. :eek: The only way to put it out is to kill the oxygen supply then extinguish the flames.

    You should have him ask the DME company that supplies him with his oxygen and supplies. They should definitely have information about things you can and can't do while on oxygen. Welding is a definite don't do. :rolleyes:

    When I was doing service work on oxygen concentrators we had pictures and videos we would show stubborn customers, that insisted on smoking. We would occasionally give a demonstration by lighting a canula on fire. The pictures and videos did not always work but seeing a canula burning out of control and how difficult is to extinguish usually did the trick. :D


    If he's a smart guy like you say it shouldn't be to hard to convince him.
     
  21. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    it's the one with the "audible puff"

    I know his head would not explode. I was kidding.
     
  22. publicenemy1925
    Joined: Feb 4, 2007
    Posts: 3,187

    publicenemy1925
    Member
    from OKC, OK

    I like my neighbors extra crispy please.
     
  23. It takes three things to start a fire spark, fuel, and OXYGEN duh! I worked on rockets for the government and oxygen can ignite almost anything to burn quite fast. My advice to you is move or just stay out he has a death wish. Please keep your family away from this idiot before you all die. Rags
     
  24. I dunno... 'brave' isn't quite the adjective I would use. :eek:
     
  25. brady1929
    Joined: Sep 30, 2006
    Posts: 9,253

    brady1929
    Member

    it's is god's way of thinning out the gene pool. wait, he probably has already had children?
     
  26. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Tomorrow...oxy-tobacco welding! Just hold the rod and exhale...
     
  27. DocWatson
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 10,273

    DocWatson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    What colour is the cylinder, could be compressed air. Not all people have oxygen and as said before one spark if its oxygen and anything will ignite, petroleum based products spontaneously combust with oxygen.
    I use medical oxygen every day, I also used 'Gaseous dry breathing, Aviation' the most pure oxygen there is when I was doing High Altitude Parachute Operations in the Army. Supplied at 24,000psi I saw one ignite when the pig tail wasn't fitted right at a RAAF base. Yup that sucker made a BIG bang.
     
  28. Gigantor
    Joined: Jul 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,823

    Gigantor
    Member

    Man, what is it with you and insane friends and neighbors? Last week it was the guy welding without a mask, now this...
    Keep your distance and yell safety tips at them over the fence.
     
  29. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    A guy at my father's hospice was smoking on oxygen, ignited, and went up like a human candle from the inside out. The oxygen tube your friend breathes with becomes a blowtorch, but that's largely irrelvant because the initial flame front will sear his lungs and do him in.

    People with dire health often engage in risky behavior. If I was near the end, and that risk meant continuing the things I love, would probably take it too. However, doing it in your presence was not cool, because your timeline is longer. Good luck with a touchy subject
     
  30. fiat128
    Joined: Jun 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,426

    fiat128
    Member
    from El Paso TX

    Is he on the medical oxygen as a result of one of his other Darwin award winning decisions?
     

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