OP
Ricky B
Contributor
The current issue (Summer 2014) of Alert Diver, the DAN publication, has an article on an explosion of an oxygen cylinder that was apparently triggered by the use of silicone grease. It is the account by a lawyer of the horrific result of his client's accidentally tipping over a 40-cubic-foot oxygen cylinder in his garage. The explosion ripped off the diver's arm, subjected him to severe burns, and resulted in the diver being in a medically induced coma for two months.
The article posits, based on the plaintiff's expert's opinion, that the explosion was the result of silicone lubricant being in the valve (even though the diver had asked for the tank to be oxygen cleaned). It's not clear from the article whether the silicone lube was on threads that go into the tank neck or elsewhere. (The article refers to silicone as "silicon," but silicon is a completely different substance.)
I should point out that the cylinder was filled with pure oxygen, that is, 100% 02 (not nitrox). Still, the risk of some other shop fouling up and the risk of explosion make a good argument for using only an 02-compatible lube on scuba gear. (As someone once told me, You can't make things fool-proof because fools are so ingenious.)
The diver has made a remarkable come-back. More about the diver and his recovery can be found here:
Alert Diver | DAN MEMBER PROFILE: Rick Allen
The article posits, based on the plaintiff's expert's opinion, that the explosion was the result of silicone lubricant being in the valve (even though the diver had asked for the tank to be oxygen cleaned). It's not clear from the article whether the silicone lube was on threads that go into the tank neck or elsewhere. (The article refers to silicone as "silicon," but silicon is a completely different substance.)
I should point out that the cylinder was filled with pure oxygen, that is, 100% 02 (not nitrox). Still, the risk of some other shop fouling up and the risk of explosion make a good argument for using only an 02-compatible lube on scuba gear. (As someone once told me, You can't make things fool-proof because fools are so ingenious.)
The diver has made a remarkable come-back. More about the diver and his recovery can be found here:
Alert Diver | DAN MEMBER PROFILE: Rick Allen
