Date:         Sun, 23 Jan 2005 23:02:09 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      (NVC) Re:      Re: Another I'm still shaking cold-weather Safety
              message,              was RE: hole saws/floor cutting
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

I was on an underway replenishment detail in the Navy taking on fuel from a
supply ship when the fuel probe 'popped' out of its receiver. We never
really worked out what went wrong, but the fuel isn't supposed to flow
unless the probe is fully seated and locked, and it's supposed to have an
automatic cutoff if the connection should be broken. Neither of these 'fail
safes' worked properly and the BM2 that was operating the probe got
drenched, immediately. I don't mean he got wet, I mean he got plastered
against the bulkhead and soaked thru every stitch he had on down to the
bottom of his socks- as in his boots were full of fuel. I've never seen a
guy more scared in my life. To make things worse, this was an aviation fuel
(JP4?- not sure I recall correctly) that was used to fuel both our helo and
our boilers- highly volatile and apparently caustic to the skin if it's on
there very long.

We basically dropped everything and did this weird slow-motion dance to get
the guy out to the middle of the helo deck, about 40 feet away. He was
almost crying by then. We weren't even sure if he should try to undo his
zippers. People were pulling their boots off because they had nails in the
heels. The raw fuel vapors gave us all instant headaches and made some
people sick. There could be a thousand different sources for a spark on a
ship at any given time and we were just trying not to go into a full-blown
panic. He finally got out of his clothes as the medics made it up there and
they started a washdown procedure that they had apparently trained in, but
it turned out somebody had neglected to train us in it as well. His uniform
went right over the side.

He was okay after some minor skin treatments, and he actually did return to
his job on the probe, even though they told him he could take another
position.
The whole thing lasted probably less then three minutes, but it seemed like
forever. I was torn between 'how do we keep this guy from more-or-less
exploding right in front of us?' and 'how far away do I have to be to
survive if he does and where do I go if I catch on fire?'. Not a
particularly pleasant experience

Glad your okay, and thanks for the warning/reminder.

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Beierl" <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: Another I'm still shaking cold-weather Safety message, was RE:
hole saws/floor cutting


> At 15:59 1/23/2005, Al and Sue Brase wrote:
>>It's amazing  how big a puddle 2 gallons of gas will make. (And I can
>>only guess how big a fire.)
>>It is always a good idea to stop and try to figure out how this job
>>could go wrong.. Especially when dealing with  anything that could be
>>dangerous, like jackstands, flying bits from grinders, drill bits, or
>>combustibles.
>>Al Brase
>
> This was only a cup or so but it sprayed everywhere, mostly me.  Not sure
> any hit the ground.  The bitter wind kept the fumes out of the heater I
> reckon.  I was so bemused by the impossibility of it all that I didn't
> even
> get my face in the dirt, lay there at least two-three seconds like a
> mooncalf.  Would have been all over but the hurting.  Boy I feel stupid --
> and grateful, not least that my wife wasn't watching.
>
> d
>
>
> --
> David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage," '85 GL "Poor Relation"
>
>
> --
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