Dyno Fire - Take a moment to read this please.

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R.Brown
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Dyno Fire - Take a moment to read this please.

Post by R.Brown »

In early December, I had an accident in my shop that put me in the hospital with extensive burns to my head and the left side of my upper torso. Quite the ride since then with 7 surgeries and 14+ skin graft locations. Released from hospital after 40+ days this week.

Not looking for anything other than for whomever reads this to realize that life can change in an instant. I was pouring fuel (pump gas) from a plastic fuel (jerry) can thru a filtered funnel, into the dyno room fuel cell. Something I've done thousands of times. The presiding theory is static electricity lit the explosion. It was a very cold and dry that night.

Be careful please. Very well may have been the perfect storm here.... Perhaps one in a billion.... Whatever the odds or conditions, our lives will never be the same and perhaps by reading this, one of you may be spared similar fortune.

The physical side of the damage is one thing, but the mental is another. At this stage of mindset, I could not imagine filling anything with fuel without full protective gear. Honestly I'm not sure that feeling will ever subside.

Be safe.

Ryan Brown
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Kevin Johnson
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by Kevin Johnson »

I am glad you are still with us.

STATIC ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND
IGNITION AT FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Authors: James L. Pharr, CFI & Timothy R. Jonas, CFI
Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations prohibit employees from dispensing
Class 1 flammable liquids into containers unless the nozzle and container are electrically
interconnected.33 This essentially prohibits use of plastic fuel containers in the workplace.
STATIC_ELECTRICITY_GENERATION_AND_IGNITION_AT _FUEL_DELIVERY _SYSTEMS.pdf
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Zmechanic
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by Zmechanic »

My word that is scary. Glad you are recovering and very sorry to hear about your incident...

I've never actually heard of something like that his happening other than theoretical warnings.. I guess that's why airplanes are still required to be grounded with a cable when being fueled. Never thought about two plastic containers before.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by Caprimaniac »

Good thing you survived the accident, hope for the best.

Thank you for the reminder.

Sure we all might have been warned about the danger of pouring gas. Making contact between funnel and can is what I have learned.
And I think you are right, the weather might have been a factor.

Regarding dealing With flamable Liquids and gases, one could never be too careful, I Guess. Most of us do it without any kind of protectives and hope for the best....
How to turn GURU in an instant.....
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by kkustomz »

I will say that since having my son 6 months ago, I think about a lot of things differently in my life and one of them is safety. Thank you for sharing and I will say a prayer for you and your recovery.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by pamotorman »

the gas pumps around here have a warning the container must be on the ground when filling. a friend lost his wife because he was pumping race gas into a 5 gallon container in his garage. the wind was blowing into the garage and the fumes went under the door between the garage and the basement. his wife was standing next to the gas fired water heater and when it came on there was a explosion and she was burned so badly she did not survive
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by Amilcar »

Zmechanic wrote:My word that is scary. Glad you are recovering and very sorry to hear about your incident...

I've never actually heard of something like that his happening other than theoretical warnings.. I guess that's why airplanes are still required to be grounded with a cable when being fueled. Never thought about two plastic containers before.

I know nothing about it, just imagined if the plastic rubbing against the clothes, may cause this. ( if anyone used to catch tennis balls ,using a plastic pipe, knows how much static, it generates as the balls slides inside the pipe, NOT pleasure)

I´m so sorry about this, nothing like if you were going to an "obvious disaster.'... Who knows how many times we put ourselves in a lot worse situations and nothing happened. :roll:

Thanks for share, hope you get a fast recovery.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by statsystems »

Wow, sorry for all the OP has been through. I know little of burns but I don't think the OP is done with treatment yet. What a nightmare. Best of luck to you.


So what exactly is the best way to put fuel in a container from another container????
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by lefty o »

statsystems wrote:Wow, sorry for all the OP has been through. I know little of burns but I don't think the OP is done with treatment yet. What a nightmare. Best of luck to you.


So what exactly is the best way to put fuel in a container from another container????
generally when transferring liquids you want the container you are transferring from grounded to the container you are transferring to. this will reduce the likelyhood of a static discharge. lacking grounding straps, you can always use your body. touch the container your pouring from and press your knee or another body part to the receiving container.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by kirkwoodken »

I spent 10 days in a burn unit from an accident on a riding mower. Most of the time there was spent with tears in my eyes at the sight and screams of little children. Most of those there were the victims of stupidity and gasoline. Two kids, brother 9 and sister 6 were watching a neighbor pour gas in a carb while someone inside the car cranked. The can caught fire and the holder threw the coffee can over the two children watching. Horrible. Another small black girl about three years old had all the blackness burned off the front of her. About about half of the married burn victims lose their spouses who can't adjust to their disfigurements. There was a whole book worth of misery in that 10 day experience. Another fellow was at the top of a tree starting a chain saw that blew up and set his crotch on fire. Be Careful. Use metal grounded containers which contain spark arrestors. I make spark arrestors for ANYTHING I need to pour gasoline into or out of. You can't be too carefull! Grounding can be done easily with jumper cables.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by JoePorting »

I've learned through my 35 years of shop work that there's 1001 ways to hurt yourself. Add beer and it goes up to 10,001. Don't ask me why I know that.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by statsystems »

kirkwoodken wrote:I spent 10 days in a burn unit from an accident on a riding mower. Most of the time there was spent with tears in my eyes at the sight and screams of little children. Most of those there were the victims of stupidity and gasoline. Two kids, brother 9 and sister 6 were watching a neighbor pour gas in a carb while someone inside the car cranked. The can caught fire and the holder threw the coffee can over the two children watching. Horrible. Another small black girl about three years old had all the blackness burned off the front of her. About about half of the married burn victims lose their spouses who can't adjust to their disfigurements. There was a whole book worth of misery in that 10 day experience. Another fellow was at the top of a tree starting a chain saw that blew up and set his crotch on fire. Be Careful. Use metal grounded containers which contain spark arrestors. I make spark arrestors for ANYTHING I need to pour gasoline into or out of. You can't be too carefull! Grounding can be done easily with jumper cables.

Dammit.

Dammit.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by Circlotron »

Partially conductive anti-static plastic is very widely used in the ectronics industry for packaging of some sensitive components. One wonders why they can't also use this or similar kind of plastic for fuel containers.
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by 427dart »

Many thanks for telling of what happened to you and hope you will recover. Have to really be careful when handling fuels.

Have a friend who many years ago had his project car burn his house down due to a small fuel drip which was ignited by the gas hot water heater.
After working on the car he went in to take a shower and boom!
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Re: Take a moment to read this please.

Post by Cubic_Cleveland »

Thank you for sharing Ryan, it will give us all something to think about next time we pour fuel.

Good luck with your recovery,
Mick.
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