I work for an electric utility. I’ve heard tales over the years of invisible high-pressure steam leaks in power plants that have “cut people in two.” Any truth to this? –99gre, via e-mail
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It’s been well documented that jets of high-pressure gas (which is what superheated steam is) can cause injuries even without the added complication of heat. OSHA warns against possible amputation from high-pressure gas and limits air pressure for industrial cleaning to 30 PSI. High-pressure gases can easily penetrate the skin, especially via an existing cut or wound, and potentially lead to gas embolism–bubbles in the bloodstream that can migrate to the heart, lungs, or brain and cause serious trouble. U.S. Army medical reports tell of numerous gas-penetration injuries suffered during training with blank firearm rounds. Just 12 PSI can likely pop your eyeball from its socket. Less than 80 PSI of air from 12 inches away reportedly swelled up a woodworker’s hand “to the size of a grapefruit.” One source reports that high-pressure nitrogen cut into a worker’s leg like a knife, and other references warn that high-pressure gases can cut fingers, toes, and other body parts. Again, I didn’t find an actual case of high-pressure gas cutting anyone in half, but it’s not going out on much of a limb to say it sure would smart.
Steam leaks can injure or kill in many ways. The force of a high-pressure leak, for instance, can turn loose items nearby into projectiles. My assistant Una, who works in the power industry and has visited more than half the steam power plants in the United States, once witnessed a rupture in some 2,400-PSI steam pipes that flung a set of heavy welding tanks 50 feet and through a sheet-metal barrier. Pieces of pipe, insulation, tools–almost anything can become deadly in such circumstances. Ducking won’t necessarily save you–a big steam leak in close quarters can quickly raise the surrounding air temperature so high you’ll cook from the inside if you breathe. Even at lower temperatures enough steam in a small area can suffocate you as it displaces the air. Una has a friend who got nicknamed “the Lobster” after a relatively low-temperature steam accident–he was exposed to a wet 180-degree leak for a few seconds and spent nearly a month in the hospital. An indirect low-temperature leak can also lead to heat exhaustion if you’re around it long enough.
