Compressed air to blow off clothing, so dangerous it's banned in workplaces

[Andrew Joiner]

I have a small compressor. I mainly use it to blow dust and chips off before I leave the shop. I've heard of eye and ear injury by getting the nozzle to close. Even a death by horseplay when a nozzle was used to " goose" someone and his guts got blown out. I was amazed to learn it's so dangerous it's banned in many work places.

This Canadian website http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/compressed_air.html says :



Second, compressed air itself is also a serious hazard. On rare occasions, some of the compressed air can enter the blood stream through a break in the skin or through a body opening. An air bubble in the blood stream is known medically as an embolism, a dangerous medical condition in which a blood vessel is blocked, in this case, by an air bubble. An embolism of an artery can cause coma, paralysis or death depending upon its size, duration and location. While air embolisms are usually associated with incorrect diving procedures, they are possible with compressed air due to high pressures. While this seems improbable, the consequences of even a small quantity of air or other gas in the blood can quickly be fatal.

So, I'll be more careful.

[Benoit Bissonnette]

I never understood why people would use compressed air to clean up their workspace or even themselves with it. My shop is small and there's a fine layer of dust everywhere even though I sweep the floor regularly and clean up the top of my tools with an old draftsman brush at every possible occasion. Still, there's a lot of dust left where I can't easily reach or around my tools.

Blowing air in such place sends so much dust airborne, there's no way I'd want to work in that place until the dust settles completely. Not only it's not good for your lungs, if you breath that stuff, even just a little, you may catch a very nasty infection too. DAMHIKT. It happened to me a couple years ago and I spent 2 days in bed with a nasty fever. I had all the symptoms of flu, and the most painful sore throat I ever had in my life, and it lasted about 4 days. So now I'm a lot more careful when I clean my shop...

Another threat with blowing compressed air over yourself is if the air is not 100% clean and has some small debris, metal dust or any other contaminant. At the speed air travels, it would embed those debris deep into your skin. Actually, if anyone is tempted of using a sandblaster gun on themselves just for the fun of it, just remember that the next step will be the amputation of the affected area. Yup, there's no way on getting those zillions grains of sand out of your skin so the solution is amputation...

Of course, I don't even mention the thousands of injuries happening every year to DIYers discovering for the first time the joy of using their first and spanking new 40$ nail gun!

Benoit

[steven c newman]

They DO make a SAFETY tip for air nozzles. It reduces the air pressure that is allowed to exit the nozzle. We have these at the plant I work at, they are ISSUED to each Tech, as part of the "company Tool set". They do work.

[Cody Colston]

Just because something is banned in a workplace does not mean it's inherently unsafe. It more likely means that some bozo did something dumb and got hurt. Instead of getting rid of the bozo, they institute another "safety" policy. It rarely helps because it's impossible to manage stupid. The root cause of the incident (the bozo) is still walking around looking for another way to get hurt.

I often use compressed air to blow the chips off of me when I've been turning. I don't aim it towards my eyes, get it close enough to blow dust or air into my skin and certainly don't insert the nozzle into a body orifice. A little common sense will go a lot farther towards keeping one safe than a knee-jerk policy will.

[Neil Brooks]

I dial the pressure down, via the regulator on my compressor, and DO use it to clean both ME AND shop.

I think I drop it to about 50psi. I won't blow it toward/near my face, but WILL blow off the bandana that I traditionally wear while in the shop.

SOME risk ... okay ... makes sense.

But ... I'm a wild man. What can I say ? ;)

Thanks for sharing. I don't *freak out* at learning new hazards. I learn from them, incorporate them, make decisions about them, and put them in the context of the life I choose to lead, and the risks I'm willing to take.

Now ... if you'll excuse me ... I have to unbuckle my seat belt, and get off the couch :)

[Ken Garlock]

Three cheers for Cody.:D

I use my air hose in the garage to blow off my clothing after mowing a couple acres of lawn. I also wear a dust mask and 30 db down ear protectors. If I didn't blow the crud off, I would not be allowed to enter the house and hit the shower.

LIke wise, I use the air hose to blow the shavings off my person when I am finished turning.

I carry 100 psi on all my air tools, and having regard for them is all the protection a person needs.

A passing thought for you horse people. She was only a stableman's daughter, but all the horsemen knew er.

[Bruce Page]

Remember folks, we don't do politics at the Creek.

[Peter Quinn]

Is this a St Patrick's day fools joke? Compressed air is a major hazard and should be banned? Maybe Canadian air is colder and thus more compact and dangerous than that in the states? Every guy in the shop where I work has a chisel, some are even sharp, none are banned, care to venture a guess as to which tool causes more injuries, an air nozzle or a chisel? Or a hammer, every guy has a hammer, that will do a number on your skin too. DAMHIK. Or a coping saw. Anyone here NOT lost some skin to one of those at some point. Frankly with all the slivers and sharp edges the wood itself presents a great danger and will probably soon be banned by OSHA from any direct hand contact. Wood working is inherently dangerous, sharp tools and dull minds don't mix, stupid hurts and will find a way. There are certainly precautions to to take when working with compressed air, like not putting it directly in your eye, or holding the air to your skin until you bleed, or putting it anywhere on your self or a coworker that involves a lack of trousers. But really, in light of the work being done, its hardly way up the list of grave dangers in the average shop. At work I sand in front of a giant exhaust fan that acts as a sort of down draft dust remover, and I regularly blow work off to clear dust, no injuries to report to date. At home I work in a basement, so I opt to spend a bit more time collecting the dust with a vac and use the air hose with caution. Dust never seems to leave the basement environment once air born. But still, after a good router session I'll put the air filtration on high and blow off my person, usually with the ear phones still on, because that whistling air is loud. Maybe they will develop an "Air Stop" that senses flesh and shuts off the air nozzle should it come in contact with skin? They could call it the the "Blow Hard 2000".....:rolleyes:

[Larry Edgerton]

I have found it is far less dangerous to blow myself off than it is to walk in my wifes house covered in wood chips.

Please don't outlaw my wife, I like her.........

[Bruce Volden]

Why, without compressed air, my shop would be even dirtier! Twice a year it gets a thorough hose down-complete with fans exhausting through the winders and door. Oh yeah, I use it on me too-but more than twice a year. Haven't been hurt yet but tomorrows another day. I did once manage to "inject" myself with a pressure washer ONCE, you can bet that'll never happen again.

Bruce

[Frank Drew]

I've heard of ... a death by horseplay when a nozzle was used to " goose" someone and his guts got blown out.

:eek::eek::eek:

I work in emergency medicine and that's a new one on me. I'm gonna have to see some documentation!

[Brian Penning]

I guess this rules out the Leaf Blower too?

Sure sign of Spring when I open the garage doors and blow everything that's not tied down out. The accumulated winter dust is amazing!

[Rob Sack]

Why, without compressed air, my shop would be even dirtier! Twice a year it gets a thorough hose down-complete with fans exhausting through the winders and door. Oh yeah, I use it on me too-but more than twice a year. Haven't been hurt yet but tomorrows another day. I did once manage to "inject" myself with a pressure washer ONCE, you can bet that'll never happen again.

Bruce

I used to do this too. But since I bought an electric leaf blower, I found it is much more efficient. It moves large volumes of air quickly with less of the turbulence that was created by the compressed air. With the exhaust fan is on, the air moves much more directionally with the leaf blower.

[Jerry Bruette]

You wouldn't believe how thick the BOZONE layer is where I work. I've seen accident reports that range from an eye injury from putting on safety glasses to putting reflective tape on door edges because someone walked into it. Sometimes I think if they managed all the bozos out, the plant would be empty.

Jerry

[Russell Sansom]

Many machine shops don't allow blowing off the machines. The shop where I worked at Ohio State in the mid 60's didn't allow it, but everybody waited 'til the shop was empty and did it anyway. There are several issues. It's very easy to project a metal particle into a fellow worker. Most of them are curlicues with razor barbs on them. They cause pretty nasty cuts. Taking one to bed as a passenger in your hair is very annoying to the wife, I can testify to that one. If you blow off your lathe and even one of those curlies goes near my shoes, I'm probably going to have a razor sharp cylinder embedded in my sole. Not to mention brass or aluminum shards piercing an eyeball where they can't be removed with a magnet.
In a personal workshop it's a different matter, but still some of the same dangers.

[Larry Edgerton]

:eek::eek::eek:

I work in emergency medicine and that's a new one on me. I'm gonna have to see some documentation!

You didn't see it so it must not exist?

It started in the auto factories in Michigan during the union wars, and it was not always just horse play. It was a way to get rid of a problem with no evidence.

[Steven DeMars]

They banned the use of bicycles at (2) Honeywell Plants in our area . . . . go figure . . .

I'm sure golf carts are next . . . some bozo was seen pulling his buddy on a 4 wheel dolly with a golf cart last week . . .

Both these guys are over 50 . . . :-)

Steve

[Joseph D'Orazio]

I've been knowing about that for a while. I have even received training (Houston Areas Safety Council) about the hazards. I still blow off with it though. You almost have to if you would like to leave the dust in the shop and not bring it in to the house. I NEVER blow my face. I just generally blow my clothing off. I am guilty of blowing out my hair though. My goal is to get DC good enough to reduce having to blow off.


They banned the use of bicycles at (2) Honeywell Plants in our area . . . . go figure . . .

I'm sure golf carts are next . . . some bozo was seen pulling his buddy on a 4 wheel dolly with a golf cart last week . . .

Both these guys are over 50 . . . :-)

SteveOh, I bet the next safety meeting in your plant was a good one after the dolly/golf cart fiasco. At some plants here golf carts are out and bicycles are in. Weird how that works.

[Jerome Hanby]

I never understood why people would use compressed air to clean up their workspace or even themselves with it. My shop is small and there's a fine layer of dust everywhere even though I sweep the floor regularly and clean up the top of my tools with an old draftsman brush at every possible occasion. Still, there's a lot of dust left where I can't easily reach or around my tools.

Maybe it's dependent on the setup and of course all things in moderation. If I had a good woodworking dust filtration system, I could see putting on a dust mask and blowing everything off good with compressed air at the end of the day to give the collector a chance to pickup what it missed along the way. I fully agree that no one should be in there breathing.

[Frank Drew]

You didn't see it so it must not exist?

It started in the auto factories in Michigan during the union wars, and it was not always just horse play. It was a way to get rid of a problem with no evidence.

Apples and oranges, Larry; I wasn't questioning whether compressed through an air hose inserted into a person's rectum could cause serious damage, just whether a fatal trauma could occur during casual, "horseplay", as was posted. Assault with intent to injure is clearly a different matter entirely.

[Kent A Bathurst]

The biggest safety risk, in routine use of compressed air as cleanup aid, is blowing dust, etc. into your eyes. Dust in your mouth won't hurt you - just ruins the taste of the Cabernet.

[John Coloccia]

Thank Heavens that someone is finally raising awareness of this silent, but deadly, killer







:D

[Andrew Joiner]

Apples and oranges, Larry; I wasn't questioning whether compressed through an air hose inserted into a person's rectum could cause serious damage, just whether a fatal trauma could occur during casual, "horseplay", as was posted. Assault with intent to injure is clearly a different matter entirely.

Here's the facts. My woodworking teacher in 1969 explained the dangers of air hose horseplay with the goosing story.

I have no pictures for proof,but I believe it could happen.

[Neil Brooks]

I thought the same thing. I think we have a heavy handed moderator on our hands............

I saw what was written, and what got removed.

It was the definition OF political.

One thing I love the MOST about the Creek is that ... it celebrates those things that UNITE us -- NOT those things that divide us.

I'm grateful for their rules, and the even-handed way in which -- IMHO -- they apply them :)

[Larry Edgerton]

Apples and oranges, Larry; I wasn't questioning whether compressed through an air hose inserted into a person's rectum could cause serious damage, just whether a fatal trauma could occur during casual, "horseplay", as was posted. Assault with intent to injure is clearly a different matter entirely.

Ya it seems strainge to me too, but my family, especially my grandfather that was plant manager at Pontiac in the 50-60's worked in the auto factories. There was some bad stuff that went on in those places. Gramp's said it was a horrible way to die, and that man was not afraid of anything. They ran the shops through fear back in the early days. He told me about it when I was a kid and wasn't even sure what an air compressor was.

[Frank Drew]

The biggest safety risk, in routine use of compressed air as cleanup aid, is blowing dust, etc. into your eyes. Dust in your mouth won't hurt you - just ruins the taste of the Cabernet.

I thought the dust was a feature of those Rutherford Bench Cabs. :D

[Jay Allen]

The same "story" was used as the excuse to keep compressed air out of the machine shop in the tech-school I went to. I have always considered it to be an "urban legend", the typical "cautionary tale", but the lesson needs to be taken. It is possible to injure yourself with an air nozzle, but there are a hundered other ways to hurt yourself....

That being said, I have blown the dust off of myself for many many years, first in a bodyshop, then in the cabinet shop and my own home shop too. I carry a Milton (screw-type) blow gun in my pocket virtually everywhere I go, the same one for nearly 20 years. Simple respect for things is all it takes.

[Larry Fox]

Just because something is banned in a workplace does not mean it's inherently unsafe. It more likely means that some bozo did something dumb and got hurt. Instead of getting rid of the bozo, they institute another "safety" policy. It rarely helps because it's impossible to manage stupid. The root cause of the incident (the bozo) is still walking around looking for another way to get hurt.

I often use compressed air to blow the chips off of me when I've been turning. I don't aim it towards my eyes, get it close enough to blow dust or air into my skin and certainly don't insert the nozzle into a body orifice. A little common sense will go a lot farther towards keeping one safe than a knee-jerk policy will.

Cody Colston for president - run and you have my vote. Seriously people!

[Jonathan Spool]

My favorite tool is common sense. Never injured myself with that one!

[Bruce Page]

My favorite tool is common sense. Never injured myself with that one!

Ain't that the truth. I worked as a R&D machinist in the Government laboratory system for 30+ years and believe me I think I have seen every safety video ever created. I can state categorically that air nozzles can indeed be dangerous if used carelessly. That said, I have used compressed air to blow metal & wood chips off myself since 1969 and never have had a single problem. As Jonathan Spool said the key is common sense.

[Jim Rimmer]

I am the regional safety manager for our company (which is a large one). We require, and I beleive it is an OSHA requirement but not sure, nozzles that reduce the outlet pressure to 30 psi. We tell employees not to blow themselves down but we know it happens. Thus the reduced pressure nozzles. To Cody's point, i recently confiscated 3 reduced pressure nozzles that had been modified to provide the full 120 psi at the outlet.

I do it my slef at home. As has been mentioned, common sense is the key.

[rick carpenter]

Compressed air to blow off clothing? That's crazy. Just take your clothing off normally and make sure your wife doesn't have company over when you make that mad dash from garage to bedroom. Oh wait, that's not how you meant it....

[Jim Davenport]

I have found it is far less dangerous to blow myself off than it is to walk in my wifes house covered in wood chips.

Please don't outlaw my wife, I like her.........

Amen to that!!!

[Ronald Blue]

Compressed air is no different then the multitude of other tools most of us have in our shops. Used incorrectly or carelessly it can cause serious or even fatal injury. So it surprises me that so many take it so lightly. Sure most of us have and do use it without incident. Just as we use our table saws and band saws safely as well. You can say it was just some idiot that shouldn't have been working there anyway, or just due to horseplay. In some instances that of course is correct. I think of those who have been "bitten" by their table saw even on this forum would tell you they probably had done that same thing many many times before and all was fine. I guess you also make fun of using lock out tag out procedures when repairing machinery, or even verifying that the circuit is dead before you start a wiring project. While some of the injuries caused by compressed air can be attributed to carelessness or bad judgment, some I am sure are no different from the same things we do regularly. Don't forget that it only takes one time for a life changing event to bite you, and you may have done the same thing hundreds or thousands of times before safely. I am sure that you will pick this post apart and that's okay. Do remember that most safety rules were written with blood. When you quit having respect for a tool, whatever it may be, is when you are ripe to become a statistic. Please don't fall in the rut that it could never happen to me. Here is a link I found about compressed air.
http://www.usmra.com/repository/category/compressed_air/Compressed_Air_1008.pdf

[J.R. Rutter]

I don't allow my employees to blow themselves off in my shop. I don't want to assume risk on their behalf. I'll do it myself though (when I'm alone), understanding the possible risks/consequences and compensating for this in my technique.

Same thing for operations like hand feeding a shaper. Can it be done safely? Absolutely. Can you lose a hand if something goes wrong? Yes.