Check out the pad where they deliver and fill your bulk OX tank. There is a reason that it is required to be concrete rather than asphault. What is one of the ingredients that asphault is made of?

Our material department guys thought this was a great place to park our forklift, nice big, thick concrete pad and it is located close to their department. Then the truck driver came to fill the OX tank, and he went off! He made them get out there and clean every drop of hydraulic oil, that the fork truck dripped, off that pad before he would deliver any more OX to our plant.

Hello Dennis, I can think of a couple of examples of problems associated with oil contamination related to the presence of oxygen, they both have to do with some key things: pressure(the heat source, in this case), oil, and pure oxygen. The example that John sited regarding the liquid oxygen pad has to do with the fact that liquid oxygen has a constant boil off while it is sitting there unused, the oxygen drops to the ground and combines with the oil in the asphalt or oil, if any is present in the general vicinity and if pressure is applied, even something like someone stepping on it, it could cause an explosion. That scenario was documented to me by a safety person with Airgas. Another example that is probably a little more common has to do with contamination of the inlet fitting on an oxygen regulator, in the  scenario that I was given, the individual had taken his oxygen gauge off of the tank and set it in the back of his service truck while getting a new bottle and when he put in the new bottle and hooked the regulator up he hadn't checked the inlet fitting before reconnecting it to the bottle, he had contaminated the fitting with oily sludge from the bed of the truck, when he opened the valve on the bottle there was an explosion that blew part of his hand off. It was explained to me that it is like a detonation in a diesel engine: Fuel/grease, oil, Pressure/ from the pressure in the tank, Pure oxygen/ from the tank, and the kindling point was reached when the valve was cracked and the rapid pressure rise created the heat necessary for combustion. Hope these examples will help to somewhat explain some of the dangers of the presence of oil and oxygen in combination. Regards, aevald

Our welding supplier, MaineOxy of Auburn,ME, has an employee that puts on demonstrations and has participated in accident investigations.   Some of his photos of missing fingers and burns are very graphic and really get your attention.   I would think many of the welding supply companies around the country might have a similar person available to them; you might try checking locally to start off.

You could demonstrate the combustion easily enough.

Put a small amount of oil on a surface and then set a lit cigarette on top of it.

It will probably not ignite. If it does, find a less combustible oil, and start over.

Next, bring a cutting torch over, turn on the Oxygen only, and direct the flow of Oxygen out of the torch over the small amount of oil in the vicinity of the burning cigarette.

The cigarette will provide the spark needed by the Oxygen, and the oil will provide the fuel.

As an aside: If you have young welders that get hot and sweaty in their coveralls, do not let them blow oxygen into their damp coveralls to cool off. One bad spark and all of their skin would be crispy.

yes ox and oil mix just before rapid ignition some times in corectly caled explosion  must be in confined space like your whole building to be exposive