when things explode at work

[roastelk]

heh..I damn near shit myself today. there was large enough explosion at my work to take out a few windows and shake the whole building, and make my ears ring for several hours. every person in the chroming department had the wind knocked out them, i was working in the next bay over and had run for my respirator when a yellow acid mist started heading my way....made for a fun day at work.

keep in mind there are explosion quite regularly in the Chrome department at my work, and we are all prepared for them. but his is largest one any person in the plant had ever seen or even heard of.

chrome electro plating using tanks of hydrochloric acid and thus create hydrogen gas, and there 7 10000-50000L tanks of HCL in my work which create a lot of hydrogen, one stray spark and cablooey. anyways the ventilation system quit working and more hydrogen than usual built up inside the chrome department, leading to much larger BOOOOM!!!!.

no injuries in the incedent..just lots of ringing ears


....im starting to think I should look for a new job.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

I don't know whether to apply there or tell you to run!

[viscousmemories]

Damn elk, that's nuts. :damn:

[D. Scarlatti]

I thought you were a machinist. Why don't you sub that shit out? In my former incarnation as manager of a fabrication/manufacturing operation, I had the pleasure of making vendor inspections at several plating outfits. Those are some of the scariest pits of dangerous hells I've ever seen.

[roastelk]

ocupational health and safety has us listed as high risk facility, and they're in and out of the shop quite often. nothing can happen where I work with out government types knowing about it.

I work in a heavy duty hrydraulics repair and manufacturing shop, so a lot of the other work in the shop is done in soport of this. They make and repair a lot of oilfield down hole tools and other stuff too.


-chrome/nickle/copper plating
-spray welding, plasma transfered arc, and regular welding equipment, including two robotic arms for welding
-shot peening,
-full machine shop....we are getting a brand new 7 axis CNC mill soon and im one of the only guys in the shop with cnc programing experience.
-grinding shop...where I am right now
-the cleaning and polishing department has a few huge tanks of hot caustic soda for cleaning stuff, which scares me more the acid tanks do, as it will burn you faster.

[roastelk]

just though I'd also mention there are enugh cyanide salts (sodium cyanide & copper cyanide) where i work to kill every person in the plant 1000x over if they where to be mixed with the wrong acid, wich would create cynide gas.

also hexavalent chromium on its own is extremely toxic, and there quite a few other danguraous chemicle in there too.


the more I learn of the plating prosess, the more i think the people who work in the chrome department are crazy. sounds like being a Chromer is a garunteed way to wind up dying of cancer.