|
Forty years ago my dad was on 'medical' oxygen to help alleviate the symptoms of emphysema. He asked the guy who delivered the bottles what the difference was between 'medical' and 'industrial' oxygen and the guy told him they filled them from the same source, but that the medical bottles were painted blue and industrial bottles were green. From then on my dad ordered 'industrial' oxygen for a third of the price. We had a 1961 Chevy and Mr. Andringa built a contraption in the trunk that held two bottles and ran a line to a regulator next to the driver's seat so that my dad could drive around. He also put a small tank on a pull golf cart so that my dad could walk to stuff he would otherwise miss out on. It was all very creative and dangerous. I can't imagine what would have happened if we had been rear ended by a truck. Pure 'industrial' oxygen and a tank of gasoline...
My job was to 'bleed' the tank before installing the regulator. This required a heavy duty monkey wrench, all the strength I could muster, and a fearless demeanor. A couple times the top would blow and heavy metal became an oxygen powered rocket. Not good. Especially since you just wasted the tank of oxygen. Not to mention having to change underwear.
Today my wife and I went to breakfast and noticed a van in the parking lot bearing a huge sign in the rear window that read 'DANGER - Pure Oxygen on Board'. Other medical danger signs were plastered on the doors and windows. I parked next to it and we went inside. The lady sitting in the booth next to us had an oxygen mask connected to a small portable 'medical' oxygen tank hanging from a sling under her arm. It had danger signs all over it, but it looked pretty wussy to me. I asked if she had a large tank in her van, and she said, "No, just this."
She told me that pure oxygen could be quite dangerous and you couldn't be too careful. I didn't tell her about my Dad's set up or that Mr. Andringa smoked while he installed Dad's equipment. She was having enough trouble breathing.
I wonder how much we pay for the illusion of safety?
Rod | 
