Compressed Gases and Fictional Sharks II: The Sequel
After reading my last blog post about compressed gases and Jaws, one of my colleagues recalled something he learned on the Discovery Channel a few years back. He immediately called me to alert me that the final scene, while extremely exciting, was not realistic. According to MythBusters, a popular Discovery Channel program, a compressed air cylinder will not explode when shot. Rather, it will simply decompress by expelling the air through the hole created by the bullet. While the tank may move around due to the pressure of the exiting air, it will not explode.
I realize that this is extremely disappointing to Jaws fans everywhere (myself included), but ultimately, for gases and welding distributors, this is a good thing. I’m hoping that none of you are firing off guns in the warehouse or around cylinders, but it’s reassuring to know that if a stray projectile does happen to pierce a compressed oxygen cylinder, it won’t blow your facility to bits. This doesn’t detract, however, from the importance of proper cylinder handling within any organization. Just because a cylinder might not explode doesn’t mean someone can’t still be hurt or product can’t still be lost. And of course there are always OSHA regulations to take into consideration (although I’m sure some of us would rather fend off a 3,000 pound shark than deal with Big Brother).
