Whiteface Snowmaker Accident

campgottagopee wrote

Brownski wrote

During my time, everything was quick connects, no safety pins. All the supervisors talked about during training was how much pressure there was in the system and how dangerous it could be and how important it was to make sure it was all tight before opening the valves.

Same here. In fact we were given a demonstration as to what would happen if they weren't connected properly. I can't even imagine getting hit with one of those hoses, not to mention getting hit directly in the face.

That’s unbelievable. Did you guys both work for ORDA? Are they exempt from OSHA? It’s unbelievable that you can even get connectors without safety wires, especially if you are working in an environment where there is the possibility of snow and ice interfering with the connection.

I think I’m gonna give up my dream of living in Thurman and working as a snow maker.

mm

Killington in the late 90s. Everything would get covered in ice. With no safety pin you can just jam the handle of your pliers in there to get it open.

When I was in college I had a job changing tires on 18 wheelers. The rims were 2 parts with a retaining ring, and you had to bring the whole thing up to over pressure to set the ring. I was told to stand behind the heavy side if the wheel, and reach through the center to inflate the tire because if all wasn't set correctly, the half rim and ring would shoot off and kill anyone standing in front of it. Later I found out that responsible shops put the wheels in a steel cage before inflating them.
A few months after I left that job there was a picture in the Daily News of a guy who was killed doing that job. He was lying on the ground naked. The force of the compressed air blew his clothes off. you can't fool around with compressed air.

mm

I actually still have my snowmobile pliers. One of the guys used a grinding wheel to make them better for prying. Also makes a decent hammer.