Industrial Oxygen - Hypothetical Scenario

[John C. Ratliff]

OK, you want hypothetical...

Want to administer O2 for some reason (maybe partied too hard?) and you have access to an oxy-fuel torch for a source of O2 and random McGyver stuff. Plastic bag or bottle over the head is probably a poor choice. Too much CO2 retention. And bigger problems if O2 stops.

I would take a small towel or something like that and lay that over the face. Plumb the O2 between the layers and breath through that. The cloth would be easy to breath through, but would hold the O2 as an accumulator and act as a diffuser.

Perfect? Not a chance. But if you are trying to rig something out of almost nothing, that is how I would do it. Quick, easy, nothing special needed. No "I always travel with an emergency O2 mask, but no supply of O2 to put into it" BS.

Again, this may not be the best solution, as cloth is flammable, and may be contaminated with something that could ignite too.

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

You know how to stitch? Damn, I wish I know that too

You really don’t want to stitch together a cut if it was contaminated (coral cuts). That can really promote an infection. Let it bleed some, then direct pressure, and clean the wound.

SeaRat

 

[broncobowsher]

Again, this may not be the best solution, as cloth is flammable, and may be contaminated with something that could ignite too.

SeaRat

Not likely unless someone is aiming an angle grinder at the person's face. Remember we are discussing improvised solutions. Not staged situations.

 

[pauldw]

I think you have that backwards.

Bzzzzt! Wrong answer. See page 62 of the current issue of Alert Diver.

 

[L13]

This won’t work, as the industrial oxygen valving is much different that for scuba. Also, the regulator may not be compatible with 100% oxygen (grease —> fire).

SeaRat

I've got an entire welding shop to improvise connections with. Scuba fittings aren't that different, and I could always braze a connection if needed. Any scuba reg is close enough to O2 compatible for emergency use if you turn on valves slowly to prevent dieseling. a fire needs an ignition source as well. Have you ever been a welding shop? Worked with welding Oxygen?

 

[broncobowsher]

I've got an entire welding shop to improvise connections with. Scuba fittings aren't that different, and I could always braze a connection if needed. Any scuba reg is close enough to O2 compatible for emergency use if you turn on valves slowly to prevent dieseling. a fire needs an ignition source as well. Have you ever been a welding shop? Worked with welding Oxygen?

I have spent a little time around places. There was the cool demonstration of taking a lung full of Oxygen and exhaling through a lit cigarette. I've actually had an accidental oxygen fire in my life. The Lithium battery in my cell phone (I've intentionally lit up a few of those as well) are a lot more scary.

 

[vjb.knife1]

We were told by our gas supplier that the hp bottles are inspected and cleaned more often on Aviation and medical Oxygen. In the submarine we use Aviation grade. For the situation mentioned on the OP, of course I would use either of the Oxygen sources in an emergency. It would make very little difference.

 

[vjb.knife1]

I've got an entire welding shop to improvise connections with. Scuba fittings aren't that different, and I could always braze a connection if needed. Any scuba reg is close enough to O2 compatible for emergency use if you turn on valves slowly to prevent dieseling. a fire needs an ignition source as well. Have you ever been a welding shop? Worked with welding Oxygen?

A fire / explosion in a High pressure Oxygen system does not require a seperate ignition source, adiabatic compression can cause an explosion. That is why, as you said, we open the valve slowly on the Oxygen bottles. Fire can also happen in a system using Hydrogen as part of the breathing mix when PP's are not closely controlled. I saw the results of this in a saturation diving system back in the 1970's, that we rebuilt after a fire.

 

[Hoyden]

You know how to stitch? Damn, I wish I know that too

I learned on dogs and horses, but yes, I can close a wound in an emergency.

 

[Hoyden]

You really don’t want to stitch together a cut if it was contaminated (coral cuts). That can really promote an infection. Let it bleed some, then direct pressure, and clean the wound.

SeaRat

I can't imagine a scenario where stictching a coral caused wound would be the best course of action, but I also wouldn't say that it could never happen.

YMMV