Posted on 08/24/2006 12:58:26 PM PDT by rface
A 22-year-old man fell into a vat of chemicals at a Centralia (Missouri) company and was airlifted to University Hospital with acid burns all over his body.
Thomas Antle was working at the A.B. Chance Co. plant at 210 N. Allen St. when he fell into a large container of ammonium chloride about 9:30 p.m. yesterday, Boone County Fire Protection Division Chief Gale Blomenkamp said. Antle was in serious condition this afternoon. A.B. Chance makes earth anchors for the electric utility and pipeline industries.
After being pulled from the container, Antle was put in a decontamination shower. "It’s all over his body," Blomenkamp read from first responders’ notes. "Skin is falling off."
Christine Stewart of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration in Kansas City said companies are required to report only incidents that cause death or three or more injuries
A.B. Chance directed questions to its parent company, Hubbell Inc., which did not return phone calls.
Ouch! Prayers for his quick and complete recovery.
Wow, he might be better off not making it...
Unfortunately, not likely. Prayers for him, anyway.
yes prayers...thats right up the road from me
The next Joker?
Ouch! Last week it was the 22 year old that fell into a vat of chocolate. This week a 22 year old fell into a vat of acid. Is this a coincidence or all 22 year olds unbalanced?
Not good.
Prayers sent
That is very very bad. Mr. Antle will probably not make it.
Prayers for him & his family...
One would think that more than 90% of his skin is damaged. How could one possibly survive that ordeal and infections that could follow?
On the contrary, falling into a vat of chocolate is an entirely rational act. To me.
This is just a glimpse of "the good old days" of our industrial powerhouse of
years past.
Years ago I ran across an occupational safety handbook from probably the 1920s
or 1930s.
Some really hideous photos of the survivors of industrial accidents.
For some, it's a judgement call to call them "lucky" for surviving.
(I'm pro-industry and worked 20 years doing chemistry/biochemistry...
and had a few close calls myself.)
Sounds like OSHA will have a field day.
Oh, you meant unbalanced in a literal sense.
Ammonium chloride is not an acid. In fact, it is commonly used as a food additive for it's salinity attibute.
"How could one possibly survive that ordeal and infections that could follow?"
I'm no expert and would think his chances of living are not good.
BUT, there has been plenty of advances in burn-treatment technology.
Needless to say, if he makes it, his medical insurance company will
wailing as well.
Either way--it doesn't matter. :)
Lily
Ammonium chloride is not an acid nor a base, but a salt.
...not that I would want to fall into a vat of it!
90% - That is area. You'd need to know depth of damage.
Oh, my God! What a horrible way to go!............Please, God, If he has to go, make it quick...........
My fingers are crossed in good luck for the poor guy...
Wow. Poor guy.
From Wikipedia:
Ammonium chloride or Sal Ammoniac (chemically ammonium chloride (NH4Cl); also nushadir salt, zalmiak, sal armagnac, sal armoniac, salmiakki, and salt armoniack) is, in its pure form, a clear white water-soluble crystalline salt with a biting taste.
In nature, the substance occurs in volcanic regions, forming on volcanic rocks near fume-releasing vents. The crystals deposit directly from the gaseous state, and tend to be short-lived, as they dissolve easily in water.
It is easy to produce artificially and is often created as a byproduct of other industries.
If someone received a serious sunburn to 90%+ of their body, they would be lucky to be alive.
"Ammonium chloride is not an acid. "
It's acidic but not a very srong. ph is ~ 5 as I recall. It would be MUCH worse to fall into a vat of HCL.
Looks like it's a weak acid in solution (in water), see "Chemical dangers".
http://siri.org/msds/mf/cards/file/1051.html
Maybe the problem is that he was immersed for more than a couple of seconds
and/or couldn't get it washed off very quickly, or even ingested some.
And I really pray it wasn't a heated solution.
Let's hope this is just a slow day at the Tribune and that he'll be fine soon.
Someone wasn't wearing his safety harness.
Dollars to donuts that this guy will lead next year's "Confined Space" training.
You get it on yourself you just wash it off.
I guess he must have breathed in a bunch or something.
Or maybe it was in some sort of solution…. just saying because I can’t imagine someone at work wearing clothing that’d get powder “all over his body” falling into a “container” of it.
Love how they report the details.
Old Smothers Brothers routine:
Tom (sings): I fell into a vat of chocolate.
I fell into a vat of chocolate.
Dick (sings): What'd you do when you fell into the chocolate?
Together: Lolly doo-dum, lolly doo-dum-day...
Tom (sings): I fell into a vat of chocolate.
I fell into a vat of chocolate...
Dick (interrupts): Tom, Tom! I just asked you, what did you do when you fell into the chocolate?
Tom: Well, you see, I fell into this vat of chocolate, and...um...
Dick: Wait a minute. How did you fall into a vat of chocolate, anyway? Where was this vat of chocolate?
Tom: It was on my way home from school. I would pass by this vat of chocolate.
Dick: But wasn't there some kind of railing or something, to keep people from falling in the chocolate?
Tom: Well, um, you see, I used to kind of walk on that railing...
Dick: And you fell in the chocolate.
Tom: Yeah.
Dick: Okay. So what did you do when you fell in the chocolate?
Tom (sings): I yelled Fire when I fell into the chocolate.
I yelled Fire when I fell into the chocolate.
Dick: (sings): Why'd you yell Fire when you fell into the chocolate?
Together: Lolly doo-dum, lolly doo-dum-day...
Tom (sings): I yelled Fire when I fell into the chocolate.
I yelled Fire when I fell into the chocolate...
Dick (interrupts): Tom! Tom! Why, if you fell in the chocolate, why did you yell Fire?
Tom : Well, it just kind of seemed like the thing to do...
Dick : Tom, listen to me. We're going to play the song one more time, and I want you to say why you yelled Fire when you fell into the chocolate! (plays guitar)
Tom (sings) : I yelled Fire when I fell into the chocolate...
Dick (sings) : Why'd you yell Fire when you fell into the chocolate!?
...
Tom : Because nobody would have saved me if I'd yelled "CHOCOLATE!"
Together: Lolly doo-dum, lolly doo-dum-day...
These things seem to come in threes. Two weeks ago, a 22 year old Irish lad fell into a vat of whiskey. He fought off 20 rescuers before drowning.
and, somehow, it's Bush's fault.
He should be sent to the Shriners Burn unit in Galveston, Texas...the best in the country.
Christine Stewart of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration in Kansas City said companies are required to report only incidents that cause death or three or more injuries"
That damn Reagan administration weakened all our OSHA laws......
Bowing my head and saying prayers for this young man.
That's what I thought. It's a salt, but not something to soak in.
The pH of a solution of NH4Cl is 5-7. On the acid side of neutral.
Ammonium chloride comes closer to being an irritant than a corrosive, but it could've been mixed in with something else. The company apparently makes transformers, and ammonium chloride is on of the materials used for liquid insulation.
Having once suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my left arm from my fingers to above my elbow, I had to grimace at this story. I truly feel for the poor fellow. No injury I've ever had has been so painful and long-lasting. Thank goodness for shock.
Ammonium chloride is a salt that is the combination of a weak base and a strong acid. In water solution it has an acid reaction, and is used in some soldering fluxes to dissolve oxide films on metals to be soldered.
Thanks for the info and welcome to FR.
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