Oh the horror!

[Tycho]

Been kinda absent from here lately as I was sent to Chile on the 2nd Jan and will stay here till the middle of march. supervising the Installation of a pump circulated freezing plant on a japanese owned trawler.

anyways, Today, as I was walking around on the factory deck, I noticed that there were some local fridgies working on a Trio skinning machine (It's a machine where they freeze the skin of the fish to a roll, to pull it off).
I had given the machines a gaze a week earlier after they had pulled the compressor, just to see how it worked (curious as always ).

Back to the story:

They were soldering some copper pipes, so thinking that I might be able to give them some advise I stood idely by, waiting for my moment to chip in, sadly, they knew what they were doing and my superior knowledge was not needed... So seeing that, I walked on and found someone else to watch... incase they needed my knowledge

when I returned to the Trio machine they were in the process of pressure testing... they had obviously allready charged the system cause they were going over it with soap and water... then I noticed the N2 bottle, my spinchter puckered and I made a hasty retreat to the upper deck to not venture back into the factory area for another two hours...


Thats a 200 bar N2 bottle connected with directly to a 1/4" yellowjacket hose... there was a danfoss BML valve and then another hose connected to the machine.

I cant remember the burst pressure of the yellowjacket hoses, but I believe it's 3-400 PSI or maybe that was the working pressure... cant say I wanted to venture close enough to have a look

[chillin out]

Most people will look at this picture and think your guys must be kinda stupid, but I bet they guys don't even realise the danger.

In fact, I bet there is more people using this gas that don't know the full info about it than people that do.

Education,Education,Education... I heard this once or twice on the news.

I feel, if there is one thing thats got the highest chance of seriously injuring or killing you, it's a bottle of nitro or oxygen. People just don't know the capabilities of them.

Chillin

[taz24]

But the bottle is tied off so it won't fall down
Health and Safety at its best

Cheers taz.

[NH3LVR]

then I noticed the N2 bottle, my spinchter puckered and I made a hasty retreat to the upper deck to not venture back into the factory area for another two hours...

You are a Wise Man Tycho, A wise Man indeed.
But then Norwegians are like that. (My Grandmother is from Oslo)

[US Iceman]

Every once in awhile you realize how lucky you are having had a good teacher. Seeing that nitorgen bottle with the charging hose on it, is one of those times.

At least the knot in the rope is a square knot and will not easily pull apart.

[Temprite]

In Australia that call that a "suicide fitting".

There are still some that use nitrogen that way.

I agree it is very dangerous.

[Argus]

....... sadly, they knew what they were doing and my superior knowledge was not needed...

I thought you said they knew what they were doing?

Did you put them straight or stay off the ship for a few days?

[LRAC]

From looking at that picture it looks like the cylinder was not designed to fit a regulator to it ????? ( a female brass fitting)

Lrac

[US Iceman]

From looking at that picture it looks like the cylinder was not designed to fit a regulator to it ????? ( a female brass fitting)

The nitrogen cylinders are designed for regulators, but unfortunately those charging adapters are also the same size if I remember the details right.

It's been awhile since I've done this, but someone should be able to verify the brass charging adapters have the same female thread as the big refrigerant cylinders.

My guess is someone did not have a regulator, but did have a charging adpater. Hence the interesting photo from Tycho.

[Argus]

While we are discussing all this at leisure, I guess that the Skipper of that vessel would have something to say if he knew what potentially dangerous working practices were going on within his vessel without his knowledge. After all it’s his responsibility for anything that goes on aboard his vessel, whether at sea or in a foreign port.
Some of the skippers I’ve come across would never tolerate not being informed. That’s even worse than ignoring the danger, because it will happen again.
The average Skipper takes a dim view of spending time in a foreign court beacuse of others foolishness.

....then I noticed the N2 bottle, my spinchter puckered and I made a hasty retreat to the upper deck to not venture back into the factory area for another two hours...

On reflection, instead of running off with your nether regions twitching, a better course of action would have been to make the lot safe, tell the boss and get those guys ashore – pronto.

Just a thought.

[old gas bottle]

that could realey hurt, some years ago i had a oxy hose burst in near my hand,broke some small bones with the explosion,i was lucky, that was when a large supplier upped the bottle pressure without telling anyone or advising a uprated regulator. i would have said somthing to someone about that for there own good.

[US Iceman]

On reflection, instead of running off with your nether regions twitching, a better course of action would have been to make the lot safe, tell the boss and get those guys ashore – pronto.

Argus brings up a very good point. We are sort of taking this discussion in a tongue-in-cheek way, however, the idea of liability is a pervasive detail.

In the event of an accident, knowing about this prior to an event, and not saying anything could make you partially liable. In our terms here in the US, this might be called a willful violation. You hand first jand knowledge, and did nothing.

Luckily, nothing happened. In hindsight, it is probably a better idea to mention it to the upper management, or skipper.

[Samarjit Sen]

With such type of connections without a proper regulator and pipes, there has been a number of fatal accidents. I too feel that you should have stopped the people from going any further and reported the matter to the ship's Captain or Chief Engineer.

[Tycho]

There is a lot of things I could have done different, but seeing as I dont speak a word of spanish except "una mas cerveza por favor" and next to no one down here speaks english, I didnt quite feel like spending another minute down there looking for the one guy that speaks english.