Accidents that you should not have survived

[gregh]

Maybe it wasn't 30 feet... I wasn't close to the fire when I came to though. Guess I could have been dragged away from it.

 

Also, technically not an explosion... rapid deflagration similar to a rollover or flashover.

Edited November 15, 2015 by gregh

[nater]

I believe Gregh. Several years ago we had a fire at a foundry who worked with magnesium. There were large amounts of fine turnings and dust around. 2 of my coworkers made an interior search, saw unfavorable conditions and decided to get out. The first explosion occured as they were in the doorway to leave. They were thrown across a street were spared from any significant injuries.

[OblivionFall]

I believe Gregh. Several years ago we had a fire at a foundry who worked with magnesium. There were large amounts of fine turnings and dust around. 2 of my coworkers made an interior search, saw unfavorable conditions and decided to get out. The first explosion occured as they were in the doorway to leave. They were thrown across a street were spared from any significant injuries.

Magnesium dust will explode? Or just make a big fireball? What oxodized it enough that it exploded?

[Ubehage]

Magnesium dust will explode? Or just make a big fireball? What oxodized it enough that it exploded?

If it is airborn. All things that can burn will be liable to 'explode', if it's dusty and airborn. By explode, I mean burn rapidly in a huge fireball.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Ubehage

[dagabu]

Oh Jeeze! I'll just be a spectator on this one, kids.

[ddewees]

^show off

[nater]

Magnesium dust is very hazardous. This was also in quantities of several tons. It didn't matter if it were an explosion or a rapid deflagration. There were 3 explosions total which destroyed the foundry and rattled our apartment windows about a mile away. My wife was at home, knew I was working that scene and was scared to death.

[dagabu]

^show off

 

Of course!

[Mumbles]

I'm in the same boat as Dag.

[Ubehage]

Related:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIf26cLH3lk

[mikeee]

My first wife.........

[dagabu]

My first wife.........

 

I feel your pain!

[mikeee]

It was a long time ago and the lawyer bill is almost paid off.

[Sparx88]

I would like to list them all but really it's auto accidents that did the most damage over the years. The last one being the icing on the cake so to speak. It was determined based off the cars cpu and the instrument panel the initial impact was at or about 94 mph. I hit a ditch and some trees then back across the road into the other ditch and some more trees. I couldn't get up or sit up. Could see the hood in front of the window and steam or smoke coming out of the engine compartment. The seat was broken all the way back couldn't reach the pedals or the door. Felt like I was stabbed in the stomach and couldn't move. I then comenced to praying. Just Then i heard a woman asking me if i was ok or needed help in which I replied no and yes. I could hear her start to come closer then nothing. I passed out. Woke up to being rolled down a hallway at the hospital and was able to give them my name and a phone number to reach my parents. Then went out cold again. Woke up this time as I was being transferred onto another bed to be taken to the sicu department. I realized then that I was at a different hospital. I was unconscious the whole time since waking up and giving my name at the first one. I was flown by helicopter and wasn't awake to enjoy it. Ruptured bladder was the reason for the emergency surgery. I had a couple broke bones in my left arm, pelvis and left hip and shin bone. Drinking and driving is a stupid thing to do period. I'm alive so I must still have purpose for god to have allowed my survival. Though I'm disabled now because of it. Nerve damage is something I won't wish on my worse enemy. Needless to say I don't drink anymore. The pain, anxiety, and sleep medications have me jacked up enough anyway

 

So I try to keep looking on the bright side of things as I light a fuse :-)

[wizard7611]

I feel bad for the people who did have serious accidents, which is why I don't feel like it's ethical to read the comments here. I could tell you my story about M-80 explosive devices, but lets not repeat history.

Edited December 2, 2015 by wizard7611

[50AE]

Not pyro, but half a year ago a 15kg heavy steel rod dropped from a height 20 meters. Me and our SFX crew were rigging a rain system using a crane. The steel rod was one of the spindles that needed to be inserted to connect the first to the second half of the crane boom (it was a folded boom) and my colleague dropped it, while I was 1 meter to its left where it dropped. Then I figured out why construction workers wear helmets.

 

 

Not a personal story, where two people were probably "dining with God". One of them is a colleague, the other was my previous boss, a kind of person I hope stops to exist in this world ASAP for the good of it, no matter how sarcastic I may sound.

 

After movie work, they were emptying shells made from electrical tape and black powder. They've been pouring the BP from the shells inside a 30kg already filled with BP drum. The problem was, the BP had caked because it was fine and pressed because of the wrapping action with the electrical tape. And the idiot, my former boss, decided to hammer it to break it. Of course inside the shell there was also an electric igniter that "for who knows what reason" had its protective casing removed. He kept hammering, when suddenly the match head ignited and sparked...

 

...with 30kg of black powder just bellow their heads

 

I'm not commenting this story and I do not wish to, I'll let you take conclusions from it yourselves.

 

 

I have another personal story that could've killed me, because some idiots are lazy to remove blasting caps from HEs before storing them. Instead, they cut its cable and let the blasting cap inside, without you knowing it. Thank God to my grand suspicion in this person, so I personally checked and found out inside the hidden "wireless" blasting cap. One minute later, I was going to cut the whole charge with a knife.

Edited December 2, 2015 by 50AE

[Ubehage]

I have another personal story that could've killed me, because some idiots are lazy to remove blasting caps from HEs before storing them. Instead, they cut its cable and let the blasting cap inside, without you knowing it. Thank God to my grand suspicion in this person, so I personally checked and found out inside the hidden "wireless" blasting cap. One minute later, I was going to cut the whole charge with a knife.

I have learned from many types of hard lessons, that you should never trust people. Let me explain:

Of course you can trust your friends and such. But that's not what I mean.

Even with your friends, you can never trust them to have the same sense of quality and perfection as you have.

 

I never work with other people's pyro. Unless it's something I asked them to do

And I never trust anyone with tasks that I feel is important they be done right and I know that I can do it myself.

 

A little side-note: For approx. the same reasons as above, I never pay for used electronics equipment.

[nater]

I feel it is helpful to read people's stories. Lessons can be learned from people's misfortune, so that it does not repeat itself.

 

Sparx, sorry to hear about your accidnet. It interests me to hear what things patients in your position do remember as we treat them.

[dagabu]

I feel bad for the people who did have serious accidents, which is why I don't feel like it's ethical to read the comments here. I could tell you my story about M-80 explosive devices, but lets not repeat history.

 

I'm not sure there is anything related to ethics in reading the stories Wizard. I think the point is in giving a platform to those that wish to share a place to do so. My story is here and on Fireworking and if you want, I can give you the link to my Caringbridge site.

[Merlin]

Sort of. I got a shitty one, made of cardboard boxes. Just something that "works right now"..

I need it to get me through new years, and then I will think about a more permanent solution when spring co

 

An easy way is to use a old or new igloo cooler. Put rods through the sides to hold a screen. Put a vent in the top with a jig saw on opposite end from inlet heater- I put a dryer vent on top of mine this forces air and heat throughout and it only reaches 135- 140 F but this could be increased with a larger heater. Cut a hole in one end near bottom and put in a short piece of 4 inch stove pipe or whatever you have. I use a cheap ceramic heater and position it on the stove pipe and simply wrap aluminum foil to conduct heat better. 20 minutes at most. The cooler holds in the heat from the dimunitive heater and vent out the top. The whole thing is cheap and quick and can dry up to 3 tray screens if needed. I just dry my BP overnight.