bart wrote:
Hi all,
I hope I'm not too way off base here in asking for advice, but you
guys seem to know everything!! :-)
Boss at work bought a $99.00 environmental chamber and told me to
"make it work". ( this one's sibling:
When we recieved it, it didn't "do" anything. I kept flipping the
switch back & forth and eventually some sticky relays started
"working", that is, the heater /fan started working and the gas
solenoid clicked in - depending on the temperature dial.
A label on the back says it is to be cooled with liquid CO2. Somebody
retrofitted it with a 300PSI solenoid - We have since then gotten a
1000PSI liquid CO2 solenoid. The wiring in it is OLD and BRITTLE,
BTW.
So the wiring is already a fire hazard! And if the wiring is old and
brittle I would bet the seals are the same.
A few hours ago my boss is on my ass to get the cooling working by
next week. Now I have a basic oxy/acetylene rig at home, but have
never played with liquid CO2.
NOT a good thing. If you don't know how to work with it tell him to get
someone else to set the damn thing up.
I'm not exactly sure of what fittings/tubing to use ( copper,
stainless, double flare??).
Also, the boss says that CO2 isn't toxic, so therefore we aren't
going to vent it. (it's setup in the back of a kitchen, where I work
{our "lab"}- with zero ventilation)
VERY, VERY wrong. CO2 IS toxic. It will KILL YOU easily enough if it
builds up. Your boss is an IDIOT.
How can carbon dioxide affect my health?
Carbon dioxide in its gas form is an asphyxiant, which cuts off the
oxygen supply for breathing, especially in confined spaces. Exposure to
concentrations of 10 percent or more of carbon dioxide can cause death,
unconsciousness, or convulsions. Exposure may damage a developing fetus.
Exposure to lower concentrations of carbon dioxide can cause
hyperventilation, vision damage, lung congestion, central nervous system
injury, abrupt muscle contractions, elevated blood pressure, and
shortness of breath. Exposure can also cause dizziness, headache,
sweating, fatigue, numbness and tingling of extremities, memory loss,
nausea, vomiting, depression, confusion, skin and eye burns, and ringing
in the ears.
You may be more affected by exposure to carbon dioxide if you have a
cardiac, lung, or blood disease or condition.
CO2 is an acidic oxide: an aqueous solution turns litmus from blue to pink.
CO2 is toxic in higher concentrations: 1% (10,000 ppm) will make some
people feel drowsy. Concentrations of 7% to 10% cause dizziness,
headache, visual and hearing dysfunction, and unconsciousness within a
few minutes to an hour.
http://www.uigi.com/carbondioxide.html
ANY environmental chamber should have venting if it uses any compressed
gas other than room air.
I don't mind doing potentially dangerous stuff in my own garage (
with the door open), but this is an office full of people.
VERY STUPID IDEA.
Am I way off base telling him to hire a professional to do the gas
fitting ( and leave the premises when he runs it without
ventilation?)
Turn him in to OSHA. If he is willing to kill his employees to save a
buck he deserves jail time.
Just wanted another opinion.
(And yes, I am looking for another job)
Thanks in Advance! B
--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York
----== Posted via Pronews.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.pronews.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= - Total Privacy via Encryption =---