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air pressure bad habits

2K views 13 replies 14 participants last post by  HerbC 
#1 ·
air pressure bad habits

Compressed Air Injury
A machine operator in a woodworking plant covered with sawdust decided to clean himself off with compressed air. He held the nozzle 12" from the palm of his left hand. When he opened the nozzle the air, under 80 pounds of pressure, struck and entered his hand. Before he realized what had happened, his arm had blown up as big as a grapefruit and was shooting pain - from fingertips to shoulders. He had excruciating pain in his head and a feeling that the top of his head was about to be blown off. This feeling was so real and the pain so intense that when help arrived, he was actually trying to hold the top of his head in place.

The surgeon said it might have been worse. Had the air forced its way into the blood stream, it would have made its way to the very small blood vessels of the brain causing a clot, which would have burst the vessels and caused death.

i copied this from the net , but i have actually seen this happen a few years ago . a work mate was blowing chips from his hand and hit a small cut on his finger and it blew up like a balloon . i had just read an article about the very same thing so i took him into the nurses office to read the article because he didnt believe me .after that happened i made sure everyone read that article . it dont take much air to kill you so please wipe your hands instead.
 
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#5 ·
BS flag at full mast. Not at 12" away. He must have made contact.

I know that a 0 degree tip on a pressure washer will take the hide off and inject water into you in a blink, but not 80 psi air onto a palm at 12". I just did it from 1" with 110 psi. Kids, don't try this at home.
 
#9 ·
Yeah, I vote bullcrap! Source please!

Look, I'm all for safety. But stories like this do nothing to increase safety in the shop! Only paranoia…

Even an open cut in the hand usually does not involve an artery or vein. If it did, it would be bleeding enough that it must be covered with a bandage. Only injection of air directly into an artery or vein will cause these types of problems.
 
#10 ·
shop myth, the air nozzle usually have a air gap to spread pressure, however I do notice after woodworking, while eating or even driving, wood dust falls into my eyes. I use a damp cloth for skin and face, the air for clothes and equipment. The air bubble in the blood would take direct contact from a nonstandard spray nozzle or pehaps a basketball needle to get in the bloodstream, and it doesn't cause a clot, but can reach the heart and cause a spasm or heart stoppage.
Now hydrolic oil can shoot out and go into the skin, or so I have been told.
 
#13 ·
Definitely BS! I routenely blow down with 120#, and I have even put my finger on the tip and had nothing happen.

But, an airless paint sprayer will slice in and inject paint, and force it up your arm along every tendon, vein and artery. I have seen a minor accident, and my buddy who is an ER doc, had a patient with this, who had to have his entire arm sliced apart down to pieces to clean it out, truly nasty stuff. but they operate at 3,000 psi and spray liquid with enough mass to behave like a bullet.
 
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