As a long time worker in an industry that uses LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen) I am required to retrain biannually on our required Oxygen Level monitoring equipment. RULE 1 - - When the low Oxygen alarm sounds get the hell out of the area! A response team with self contained breathing apparatus will access and deal with the problem. If the plant did not have these monitors the company is now toast. OSHA, State Safety types, Lawyers, etc. will be present in abundance.
The way it was described to me is if the inert gas displaces the oxygen and you unknowingly enter that place, by the time you figure out something is wrong, struggling to breathe. It's to late and You won't be able make it out of the building and you die. The engineering required for handling bulk compressed or liquid gas is supposed allow for safe egress in the event of catastrophic event. Propane expands about 350 to 1. 50lbs will flood a area quick.
worked in the 'chemical' industry for 25 years, trained repeatedly on using oxygen monitors, and instructed to check conditions before running in to save someone down, due to oxygen displacement. The other issue is letting down from liquid to gas phase, there is a significant drop in temperature. Common steel pipe can crack at those temperatures.
It was pretty thoughtful of the leak to send the 11 to the hospital, though. Usually stuff like that just injures you and leaves it to someone else to render aid.
Worked with LN2 pumping for years. If you do not have a healthy respect for it and are OCD-Anal Retentive about maintenance, you WILL be reminded. Unfortunately with LN2, mistakes are not habit-forming.
I worked near this plant...90% illegals from south of the border. Like many of the chicken plants in Gainesville, GA. The game goes like this: we use E-Verify...but you paperwork will take one to two weeks to process...you get abpit yeo weeks before you rotate to the next plant. It is a heck of a set up. Sometimes the paperwork sits in a file or actually is good enough to not show fraud: employee of the month!
As a long time worker in an industry that uses LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen) I am required to retrain biannually on our required Oxygen Level monitoring equipment.
ReplyDeleteRULE 1 - - When the low Oxygen alarm sounds get the hell out of the area!
A response team with self contained breathing apparatus will access and deal with the problem.
If the plant did not have these monitors the company is now toast.
OSHA, State Safety types, Lawyers, etc. will be present in abundance.
Its ok , they'll count them as COVID related no worries
ReplyDeleteThe way it was described to me is if the inert gas displaces the oxygen and you unknowingly enter that place, by the time you figure out something is wrong, struggling to breathe. It's to late and You won't be able make it out of the building and you die. The engineering required for handling bulk compressed or liquid gas is supposed allow for safe egress in the event of catastrophic event. Propane expands about 350 to 1. 50lbs will flood a area quick.
ReplyDeleteworked in the 'chemical' industry for 25 years, trained repeatedly on using oxygen monitors, and instructed to check conditions before running in to save someone down, due to oxygen displacement. The other issue is letting down from liquid to gas phase, there is a significant drop in temperature. Common steel pipe can crack at those temperatures.
DeleteIt's right down the road from me. Apparently, a line blew. Most who were killed appears to be maintenance and supervisors running towards the problem.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty thoughtful of the leak to send the 11 to the hospital, though. Usually stuff like that just injures you and leaves it to someone else to render aid.
ReplyDeleteWorked with LN2 pumping for years. If you do not have a healthy respect for it and are OCD-Anal Retentive about maintenance, you WILL be reminded. Unfortunately with LN2, mistakes are not habit-forming.
ReplyDeleteI worked near this plant...90% illegals from south of the border. Like many of the chicken plants in Gainesville, GA.
ReplyDeleteThe game goes like this: we use E-Verify...but you paperwork will take one to two weeks to process...you get abpit yeo weeks before you rotate to the next plant. It is a heck of a set up. Sometimes the paperwork sits in a file or actually is good enough to not show fraud: employee of the month!