Not me, but it could still happen.
Part of my job involves launching weather balloons. Now in the UK we always use Helium. Here in the arse end of the South Atlantic it's too expensive to keep shipping Helium cylinders back and forth so we use Hydrogen, which can be generated on-site. Hydrogen is an explosive gas so there's all sorts of safety gear we're supposed to wear when filling balloons. Namely: gloves, goggles, a flash hood, a thick coat (lovely during a hot summer day) and special shoes that prevent any static electricity build up.
Most of us wear none of these. They're uncomfortable and don't really offer anything other than the illusion of protection.
So I was very suprised to get told "You WILL wear the safety gear from now on" by a boss who knew I generally went to the shed in jeans and a t-shirt.
His reason for going straight into CMA mode?
A coworker who shall remain nameless (Hi Pete!) had gone out a couple of weeks before my arrival and somehow managed to get a balloon to explode in his hand, throwing him about 6 feet. Air Traffic had seen the explosion from the tower but had been too busy pissing themselves laughing to do anything. As had the fire section.
I still don't wear any of the safety gear though. Guess I'm b3tarded.
( stuj (^(^;;^)^) GO TEAM SPIDERS!(^(^;;^)^), Thu 4 May 2006, 22:26, Reply)