Friends,

It's great to see that so many CH'ers get such dramatic and effective relief with O2.  It seems, though, that there is very little posted regarding some important safety considerations when handling O2.  We've touched on the "No Smoking" rule on occasion, but did you know that many substances, particularly certain oils and greases, will spontaneously erupt into fire or even an explosion if they come into contact with pure o2?

I work in the chemical industry, and this week we received the following Safety bulletin - WARNING!  Graphic Image of Burn Injury - Viewer discretion advised!:

"SAFETY BULLETIN 1
COMPRESSED GAS SAFETY
Issued 09.02.2009 1
The following incident involved a welder who was adjusting the pressure on
an oxygen regulator.
The welder had oil on his hand and there was an oxygen leak from the hose
clamp.

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General Precautions
Oxygen under pressure and hydrocarbons (oil and grease) can react
violently, resulting in explosions, fire and injury to personnel and damage to
property.
Never allow oil or grease to come into contact with oxygen under pressure.
SAFETY BULLETIN 1
COMPRESSED GAS SAFETY
Issued 09.02.2009 2
Even a small amount of hydrocarbon can be hazardous in the presence of
high oxygen concentrations. In fact, any organic matter in contact with oxygen
under pressure could have a violent reaction.
Installation Precautions
DO Maintain the pressure element assembly and connection free from
dirt and any grease or grime.
DO Follow the manufacturer's instruction manual for the correct
pressure ranges to be used and for proper care and storage.
DO Use the proper size wrench to secure the gauge to the regulator.
DO Use only the thread sealant recommended by the manufacturer.
DO Leak test the gas outlet connection using soap solution prior to
use.
DO NOT Touch oxygen regulators or cylinder heads with hands or gloves
that are contaminated with oil, grease, grime or any organic
material. An explosion could result.
DO NOT Install a low pressure gauge into the high pressure port on a
regulator. Always double check.
DO NOT Use gauges designed for a specific gas for a different gas, e.g.
never use an oxygen gauge for acetylene.
DO NOT Exchange gauges from one regulator to another.
DO NOT Remove the restrictor installed in the gauge connection. The
restrictor limits gas flow and aids in limiting temperature rise due
to adiabatic compression.
DO NOT Use or handle gas regulators unless you are authorised and
qualified to do so.
Operating Precautions
Gauges can fail during operation and the energy contained in the
compressed gases can produce violent effects should the pressure element
assembly rupture.
DO Always apply cylinder pressure slowly. The gas may heat up due
to compression and ignite. This is called adiabatic compression.
DO Stand with the cylinder between you and the regulator when
turning on the gas cylinder. This will reduce the possibility of injury
from flying parts should the pressure element assembly rupture.
DO Use good judgement and common sense. Know the hazards of
the materials you work with.
DO NOT Use clamps or substitute materials that are not approved by the
regulator manufacturer."

Here's a link that's a "Must read" for O2 users, too:

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Please note, I am not suggesting that anyone give up their O2, that it doesn't work, or that you shouldn't use it.  Just know what you're dealing with, and PLEASE be careful with it!

Very best regards,
Jim

Jim,

I want to thank you for posting the link to NFPA info.  I found it very informative and agree that not enough is done here to caution Oxygen users on the potential hazards involved in Oxygen therapy.  However the whole point of the study was to raise awareness of the fact that there is no agreement on how to regulate the home use of medical oxygen.  It is unreasonable to assume that CH.com can solve this problem.

What I worry about is the fine line between a healthy, informed caution and paranoia which would keep folks from taking advantage of a very effective form of therapy.

Very few people will take the time to read through and understand the info in the link you provided.  To post that in its entirety would probably scare off more than a few.  I don't think that is what any of us would want.

The most relevant part of the document (to me) is quoted here...

Quote:


I'd be willing to include the info above in my posts in support of Oxygen therapy...

Quote:


-Dennis-

My O2 company went over the safety guidelines when they first delivered the O2. They also mentioned the danger of grease and oil. I have separate regulators, so they told me not to touch the part that goes   into the cylinder, for humans always have some level of grease on their hands.
So I think it is the job of the suppliers to inform you properly, and tell you about safety guidelines.

Lottie

This is a great post!!

Batch is right, you can never be too safe when dealing with 02.  My hubby works with it and was not too thrilled when I told him that I was going to start using it at home for ch.  I got a lecture on 02 saturation, about not lighting up a cigarette too soon afterwards, about there being no open flames, or even heat sources near the tank, etc.....you get the picture.

I believe one of the reasons he was so freaked out about the 02 was the fact he personally knew someone who was in an 02 flash fire.  this person was on 02 24/7 and went so far as to have all gas appliances removed from his home and replaced with electric.  One day while cooking something, there must have been a spark from the electric stove and he was burned badly.  The inside of his lungs were seared.  Even with all the precautions he took, he still was injured.

Better to be overly cautious.

Beth

BTW....I like your new tag line Chuck.

And thank you for posting this thread! 
As you said, well informed is well armed.