Shrapnel hazard

For display shells of 200 mm and above, reinforced fibreglass mortar tubes are invariably used. Welded steel tubes have long been considered to be amongst the safest because, in the event of a pressure-burst, the tube will split in the vicinity of the weld, thus creating a predictable danger zone. With seamless tubes the fragmentation is completely random and creates a shrapnel hazard for the fireworks operator. 

Another simple hazard is a pressure vessel rupture due lo over pressure. A steam vessel rupture may scald vorkers and injure them viih shrapnel. Many people died in the last century from boiler explosions. The ves-... 

The response to a nuclear explosion differs dramatically from the response to an attack with conventional explosives. When conventional explosives such as dirty bombs disperse radiological materials, the health hazards from the radiation exposure are secondary to the explosion (flying shrapnel, debris, fire, and smoke). In the case of a nuclear explosion, the risks of death, serious short-term health effects, and serious long-term health effects are no longer secondary to the explosion. 

Threats posed to military personnel include wounding (by bullets and shrapnel), chemical and biological weapons, infection and disease, and other hazards (accidents, altitude, terrain etc.). Medical treatments are therefore required for acute traumas arising in the battlefield, to prevent iUness e.g. diseases associated with the country or conditions encountered during military action along with those resulting from chemical or biological weapons. 

If the gas or vapor that is confined in a pressure vessel is not flammable, the chief hazards of vessel burst would be blast effects and missiles or shrapnel. The TNT [TriNitro Toluene] equivalent of a pressure-vessel burst is a function of the burst pressure of the container, its volume, and the specific-heat ratio of the vapor. 

Chemical operations under high pressure are often regarded as high-risk hazards—there is always some risk of explosion with subsequent shards, shrapnel, fires, and toxic products. Always get assistance from an experienced researcher or a mentor who can teach you how to safely manage these high-pressure hazards. 

Safety glasses, with or without side shields (Figure 7.1.2.2), provide some protection against flying shrapnel in some nonchemistry labs or manufacturing facilities where shrapnel is the only hazard. Since safety glasses do not provide adequate protection against splashes, they are not appropriate for chemistry labs. 

In addition to splashes and shrapnel, eyes are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) and visible radiation. While normal levels of visible light are not harmful, exposure to either visible or UV lasers presents a significant hazard. Lasers are discussed separately in Section 7.3.3. Ultraviolet radiation hazards are discussed in Section 5.3.7 and special safety glasses and goggles are available to protect your eyes against this radiation. 

High pressure is again a hazard. While the rapid release of large volumes of fluid, with production of shrapnel, is not so much of a hazard as in ffie case of dry blasting, protection against any hazardous properties of the liquid is necessary. 

Intoxication by injection of dmgs is a familiar problem in emergency departments. However, it is less common in deliberate and accidental toxic agent release. There is a possibility of injection entry of hazardous materials following distribution by explosive device which causes shrapnel injury. In addition, contamination of open wounds by CW agents is a possibility that has been considered by the military for a number of years. 

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