[Jewelry making - Article 00204] - Re: [Orchid] Pressure booster and Natural gas

[James Binnion]

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    Flashback arrestors are required on ALL oxy-fuel torches by all
    health and safety regulations in the US. OSHA Title 29 Chapter XVII
    Section 1910.253 page 684 lists the requirement for flashback
    arrestors on piping systems connected to oxy-fuel torches. You can
    read up on it here. 

    http://tinyurl.com/yjkxdv 

    The events involving NG and flashback that I am aware of are in NYC
    where there is the highest concentration of jewelers and commercial
    buildings plumbed with natural gas. People will not normally change
    practices till forced to. Jewelers across the country that have
    natural gas probably will not change to pressure boosters till
    forced to by local regulation and city regulations will not require
    it till there is a local event of enough seriousness to get the
    regulators attention. 

>     Your comment caused me to do an internet search for such accounts
>     using "jeweler gas meter explosion" - no results that fit, other
>     than Orchid postings. Lots of explosions related to gas leaks,
>     damaged meters, etc. I would appreciate the opportunity to read
>     more about the circumstances, but so far, have not found any
>     reported. I'm beginning to think this is an urban legend. 

    Unfortunately not everything is available on the internet. Accident
    reports from fire and insurance inspectors are not routinely posted
    online. So unless the event is a spectacular one like the propane
    cylinder fueled fire in Chicago that made the news you will not find
    any information on these types of event and even then you will not
    find the inspectors report. 

>     My understanding of situations that would allow a flashback to go
>     to the meter are related to the use of large volumes of compressed
>     oxygen. 

    It is pressure not volume that is the problem. If the lines are not
    balanced in pressure then the higher pressure one will back-feed the
    lower pressure one. This is why check valves are required on torch
    setups and are now built into most welding and cutting torches. Most
    jewelers torch manufacturers have not done this as there has not
    been the kind of regulatory (Government like OSHA and insurance
    requirements) pressure on jewelers as there is on other users.For
    some basic information about flashback and backfires read this AWS
    bulletin http://www.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-28.pdf 

Jim

James Binnion
jbin AT mokume-gane.com
James Binnion Metal Arts
http://www.mokume-gane.com
360-756-6550
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