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All I can say is wow. I know the stuff is dangerous, but did not know it can lead to life disabling injuries.
My question is, do these ammonia alarms respond to ammonia by detecting it in the air? Had she not walks to the back of the rink she would have never been exposed. Shouldn't there be a PA announcement to tell people to move away from the building?
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/l...620/story.html
Every chemical (medicines, ammonia, cleaners, propane, etc) affects people differently. ammonia is very dangerous in large quantities....ammonia driven plants in our area have to have state emergency plans for large quantity releases....
I had an employee once that was allergic to propane...........one of the guys took a leaking tank off the fork lift and set it outside.....the wind must have blown it thru the door as the employee was talking to me, then her eyes went blank and I had to catch her before she hit the ground. Then I find out...yes propane does this to me....I'll be alright (after the paramedics came).....
She lives in a house heated by propane.......:gah:
Amonia is a good cheap refrigerant. Its unrelated but I remember when a truck filled anhydrous amonia drove off a over pass landing on the road below. Happened in Houston in the 70s.
If you happen across some one unconscious or lying on the ground, evaluate the enviroment.
I heard of a case of five bodies laying next to a power pole with one live wire on the ground. Seems that as each car stopped, the drive got out to help, only to get electrocuted.
This officers should have been training to not to go into a cloud of vapors to help the unconscious victim on the ground.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzObhHet9QM
As a safety measure, do your employers that dispense ammonia require to carry a respirator and suit when servicing ammonia refrigeration systems?.
I've worked in ammonia plants...the smallest leak is hard to approach.
I couldn't imagine walking into a cloud of ammonia. That's a death sentence.
The smell of ammonia will naturally make you want to head in the opposite direction.
it literally takes away your ability to breath and makes your eyes, arm pits, and balls burn.
My mom was a radiologist at a hospital nearby (2 miles) when the ammonia truck fell off the side of the 610 to 59 ramp at 11:18am May 11, 1976 and landed on the main lanes of 59. She remembers the loud speakers telling everyone to shut the windows, doors and turn off the A/C, all ventilation and prepare for victims of a chemical incident.Quote:
Originally Posted by commtech77
She said the worst part was when the victims came in and they were "off-gassing" the ammonia in the ER and x-ray rooms and how it was almost impossible to breath.
They found out after the indecent that the truck driver had been told just after hooking up the tank of ammonia to his truck that his wife was going into labor with his first child. So as he and the other victims left, his daughter came into this world. That's a heck of thing for her to have to think about every birthday.
Flip to page 12 it has a picture just minutes after it happened from a tall building nearby showing the immense vapor cloud
http://www.oscarmail.net/houstonfree...610_150ppi.pdf
Shows the structural damage to the freeway after the accident.
http://www.chron.com/news/gallery/19...to-1207988.php
Quote:
Originally Posted by foxtrot
Ive been told that accident was the last straw so to spaek for hazardous cargo routes being allowed to go through populated areas.
New strict regulations were enacted soon after that still exist today.
I remember when that happened.
Back in 1975 we had an ammonia leak that killed the trees around the freezer where I worked.
I learned at a young age never trust corporate America when they tell you it's a safe enviroment to work in.
They were more concerned with contaminated product, than the employees.
To give those of you that have never experienced pure uncut ammonia an idea of how powerful it is...
I sat in a classroom where the teacher put one drop on the table up front and that 25'x50' room was cleared within 30sec. You couldn't breath.
Ok, its bad, but have you worked around it or on a system charged with it?Quote:
Originally Posted by zw17
you develop a tolerance to the small leaks where it's uncomfortable around it, but you can hang in there.
One of my customers has an ammonia plant. Their onsight facillities are pretty sharp and keep that monstrosity running.
Its all steel and rust.
I used to do a lot of process plant work and their ammonoa plants were stainless.