Author Topic: More shop safety  (Read 36805 times)

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Offline floydjer

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More shop safety
« on: November 04, 2010, 12:28:53 PM »
Everyones welding instructor has told them this, But  ALWAYS face away from high pressure tanks on your torch or welder when opening them. Yesterday I opened the tank on my Tig (slowly,as always) and the regulator failed catastrophically.....Parts flew all over the shop. No injury...But it got my attention. Jerry
I`d never advocate drugs,alcohol,violence or insanity to anyone...But they work for me.

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2010, 01:21:53 PM »
I've said it out loud, I've mumbled it under my breath, I've thought it without saying it -- but "Safety is Cheap!"  Do it the safe way, the right way, no matter whether it takes a minute longer.  It's worth doing it safely.  Good story, Jerry.  Glad you're not hurt.
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Offline robfrey

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2012, 01:11:38 PM »
Jerry,
You are the first person I have ever heard this actually happening to. I alway take this precaution but was not sure how much merit i should give to this act. I'm glad to know that I was not wasting my time all these years. Thank the Lord nobody was hurt.
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Trouble

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2012, 01:40:06 PM »
Very old topic:

Throw away all brake cleaner more than a couple years old.  The early version created nerve gas when welding.  All the new stuff is safe.  The old chemical could cause permanent brain damage with a single wiff.

Offline hotrod

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2012, 03:20:03 PM »
I had an in line air filter on a sand blaster blow off a few years ago, just after I opened the valve.

I had just opened up the air valve to the sandblaster and heard a rapidly rising air leak from the area of the tank fittings and in line filter.
I turned away from the rig just as it blew the bottom of the inline filter off the air filter housing splattering bits of the filter housing all over the ground just a few inches from my feet.

I could have had a serious foot injury or if things had blown a different way, shrapnel injuries as things came apart.

Makes you respect even compressed air devices.

Larry

Offline manta22

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2012, 04:35:57 PM »
Trouble;

Yes, brake cleaner (among other things) exposed to fire will create dangerous gas products but all the brake cleaner I've ever used evaporated so quickly that it was extremely unlikely that it would be a problem.
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Glen

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2012, 04:43:17 PM »
NHRA banned use of Brake Clean, they have a new allowed one for the racers to use.
Glen
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Offline Peter Jack

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2012, 05:09:41 PM »
DON'T EVEN THINK THAT WAY Neil. I had a very close call several years ago where I sprayed a body seam on an E-Type Jag and went to weld it over an hour later. I thought my lungs were going to be torn out. Luckily for me there were no lasting effects because others who have had no larger dose have had life altering results.

Pete

Offline robfrey

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2012, 06:21:48 PM »
Yes Neil, The residue will generate the dangerous gas when welding if using the wrong stuff. I've heard some real horror stories from this. We did find some stuff that will not cause this problem. We coat (arc process) parts cleaned with brake cleaner all the time now with no problem. Just got to be sure you have the right stuff. If any doubt, don't use it.
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Offline manta22

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2012, 07:56:40 PM »
Thanks, Guys--

I guess I've never gotten hold of the bad stuff or I've waited long enough (usually a few days) for the stuff to evaporate fully. I'll certainly take your advice from now on.

I wonder how many times in the past that I've dodged a bullet by sheer luck?
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Ron Gibson

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2012, 02:37:28 PM »
If the label says chlorinated, it's the dangerous stuff. It makes phosgene (sp) gas when heated.
If it says non-chlorinated, it's the new stuff and safe.

Ron
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Offline Peter Jack

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2012, 03:04:17 PM »
Ron, I believe you're right but if you've ever gone through the experience you won't take any more chances. It's back to old fashioned solvents followed by pressure washing for me. I'm a guy who tends to get put off by a lot of these carcinogenic scare tactics and generally ignores them in favour of the "old fashioned", "dangerous" ways but my brush with brake cleaner has made me overly cautious with that one. I still use brake cleaner, but only for things I'm not welding on.

Pete

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #12 on: October 01, 2013, 11:50:58 PM »
Victoria just got hit by a big wind storm, we were nailed a few days ago, and there seem to be problems all over.  Be careful when you are cleaning up.  One of our trees fell over the electrical line feeding the neighbor's house.  I was out in the rain cutting it off of the line and working with a saw in one hand and using the other to grab limbs.

Not good.  I was standing on a limb, slipped, and ran the saw close to my bird finger.  It easily could have been a lot worse.

The important thing is to be calm and careful.   This is hard to do in the rain and wind so it is a good idea to let the storm blow over before starting to work. 

Offline Captthundarr

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2013, 08:45:29 PM »
We wait till the hurricane passed so we can get more beer then fire up the saws. :wink: Glad it was a near miss.
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Offline Polyhead

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Re: More shop safety
« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2016, 10:08:57 PM »
DON'T EVEN THINK THAT WAY Neil. I had a very close call several years ago where I sprayed a body seam on an E-Type Jag and went to weld it over an hour later. I thought my lungs were going to be torn out. Luckily for me there were no lasting effects because others who have had no larger dose have had life altering results.

Pete

You guys are actually missing out the reaction actually works...

It's actually a cobination of heat, the UV of the arc, and C02 shield gas.  First the heat breaks down the solvent into smaller chemicals.  The UV allows part of those chemicals to pick up a freeradical which then causes it to combine with the CO2 gas to make Phosgene.  It;'s a really interestingly complex chain of events that is needed.

FYI lots of things when heated can make phosgene, several thermoresin plastics, some rubbers, and even a few food grade materials under the right conditions.  It's a very simple chemical, and was produced during the second world war with nothing more than chlorine gas and carbon monoxide with activated charcoal as a catalyst.  It's one of the most stupid easy deadly compounds to make we've ever discovered.

Also I've seen it called nerve gas and nerve agent in this thread.  It isn't.  The affects on the nervous system are due to lack of oxygen, which can of course be permanent.  It's more along the lines of being strangled to death.  Nerve agents work in a wholy different and ugly manner.
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