Gas safety

[Romagould3]

I recently worked on a friend's boat that had been closed up for a number of weeks. I started to feel light headed, dizzy and very tired very soon after working below. I then started throwing up and spent the following 48 hours shivering with aches and pains and no appetite. I then found out the gas had been left on. Does anyone know the likely symptoms of gas poisoning or had a similar experience?

 

[DownWest]

Didn't you smell the gas?
The symptons are more those of carbon monoxide than the asphixiation likely from breathing gas.

BTW, The smell in gas is an added component to warn people. The base gas does not have an odour.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

Any symptoms as described, would dissappear within a short while after getting into fresh air. It is however possible that there has been something toxic in the boat atmosphere, which would explain feeling bad afterwards. Some people are alergic to all kinds of chemicals

 

[TQA]

Any recent epoxy work? Fumes from curing epoxy and epoxy dust are bad news for some.

 

[skomer]

Any symptoms as described, would dissappear within a short while after getting into fresh air......

Not if it's Carbon Monoxide poisoning they wouldn't. Get yourself checked out asap and make sure the gas appliances on the boat aren't used until they've been checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer (not a know it all friend). You're lucky to be alive.

 

[Thistle]

What work were you doing on the boat?

 

[Bobobolinsky]

Not if it's Carbon Monoxide poisoning they wouldn't. Get yourself checked out asap and make sure the gas appliances on the boat aren't used until they've been checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer (not a know it all friend). You're lucky to be alive.

Carbon monoxide poisoning was what I was reffering to as LPG is non toxic, though is an asphixiant. In my working life I have been gassed a few times with monoxide, of couse it is dangerous, but the initial symptoms dissappear as rapidly as they come in fresh air. They are commonly, a rosy complexion, a head ache, nausea and in severe cases changes in the eyes and lips, but breathing fresh air is a cure. The symptoms don't last 48 hours. As has been pointed out the curing of epoxies, and polyurethanes can have a nasty effect. Polyurethanes are in particular are partially restricted to proffessional use, though no one seems to care. Polyurethanes contain iso-cyanides. So many chemicals are reactive together and in isolation not aproblem, but we use so many.

 

[elton]

Carbon monoxide poisoning was what I was reffering to as LPG is non toxic, though is an asphixiant. In my working life I have been gassed a few times with monoxide, of couse it is dangerous, but the initial symptoms dissappear as rapidly as they come in fresh air. They are commonly, a rosy complexion, a head ache, nausea and in severe cases changes in the eyes and lips, but breathing fresh air is a cure. The symptoms don't last 48 hours.

Wrong.

Carbon monoxide can rapidly cause death or permanent brain damage.

 

[nigelmercier]

What work were you doing on the boat?

This is an important question. Was the engine running? Oil heater? Any solvents? Did you smell gas?

If not, and the boat was closed up, there is unlikely to be any CO (it is lighter than air), so it may be a coincidence, and you just got the lurgy.

 

[Heckler]

Wrong.

Carbon monoxide can rapidly cause death or permanent brain damage.

I agree, used to work in the local steelworks, men used to get gassed by CO, some were walking past the base of the furnace and keeled over. It was touch and go, even pure oxygen doesnt revive properly. The prob is that the heamoglobin takes in the CO in preference to the O. They are then locked full and will not take in O. Your body has to wait until they die (a week?) and new ones are made to do the work again. Not to be taken lightly CO poisoning!
Stu

 

[andygc]

of couse it is dangerous, but the initial symptoms dissappear as rapidly as they come in fresh air.

I find the misinformation in some of these threads alarming. Carbon monoxide binds preferentially to the haemoglobin in red blood cells - that is, in preference to oxygen. It is particularly difficult to get it to unbind, and as commented by skipper_stu, somebody who has CO poisoning has to wait a while for full recovery - the average lifespan of a red blood cell is about 120 days. This makes carboxyhaemoglobin monitoring a very effective way of detecting supposedly reformed cigarette smokers who lie - the CO from the sneaked fags stays bound to haemoglobin for weeks.

CO poisoning symptoms do not go away as rapidly as they come in fresh air - perhaps Bobobolinsky is thinking of carbon dioxide which is a potential hazard in (for example) breweries.

In Romagould3's case it's best not to start jumping to conclusions on the basis of the information given - he hasn't said if any gas appliance was burning nor has he mentioned what chemicals he was using (if any). Thistle asked the right question.

 

[pyrojames]

This is an important question. Was the engine running? Oil heater? Any solvents? Did you smell gas?

If not, and the boat was closed up, there is unlikely to be any CO (it is lighter than air), so it may be a coincidence, and you just got the lurgy.

CO is the same molecular weight as nitrogen (28) and will not bouyantly disperse in air.

 

[Romagould3]

Thanks for all the responses. I was working below winterising the engine mostly. No risk of co poisioning as a) working alarm b) no cooking on board for several weeks. I was surprised I didn't smell anything but she is an old boat (Gibsea 106) and always has a 'musk' of diesel, petrol and damp (she was one of the boats knocked over twice in vlicho bay, lefkas in september).

 

[BSSOffice]

Thanks for all the responses. I was working below winterising the engine mostly. No risk of co poisioning as a) working alarm b) no cooking on board for several weeks. I was surprised I didn't smell anything but she is an old boat (Gibsea 106) and always has a 'musk' of diesel, petrol and damp (she was one of the boats knocked over twice in vlicho bay, lefkas in september).

Seek medical support. As it happens those symptoms match a good number of carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms - although these individually are common to many other conditions and problems.

CO does not smell. It cannot be seen. It is not lighter or heavier than air. You cannot taste it.

Explain precisely to the clinician (doctor/nurse) the activity you were involved in and the nature of the equipment and substances you were working with

Did you run the engine during the pre-winterisation process?
Has the 'working' alarm been checked? Is it for Carbon Monoxide - as opposed to smoke, flammable vapours, etc?

If any form of fuel burning was done prior to you stepping aboard and of during your occupancy (heating, lighting, cooling, generation, propulsion, testing, etc), then it may be worth considering examining the equipment being run.

Just for one example; if a craft has been suddenly knocked over -on the hard or in the water - it may be possible that exhausts or manifolds have cracked and that would allow combustion exhaust gases to escape within the confines of the boat.