is fracwater hazmat?

I am having to replace my "Tropical" (light weight) Nomex right now, because they are flat wore out. I don't mind wearing the Nomex, because I and several friends, have had fire experiences with them.

In spring 1984 I was at a coal fire power plant in Kemmerer WY doing what was called a "Klinker wash". "Klinkers" are the slag that results from the burning of coal in the boilers of the power plants. Some of those things can be massive, and water is pumped into them via lances, to cause them to breakup and fall back into the grinder at the bottom of the boiler. Because it was still cold at night in Wyoming, I was my insulated Nomex. During the pump operation my responsiblity was to man the truck pump. The power plant personnel were manning the lance, which was about 100 feet in length and was slung from over head beams by cables, to allow easy maneuverability. About 2 hours into pumping on my shift, the power plant changed crews, and one of the three people whom was working the lance was a woman.

20 minutes after these folks had started handling that lance, the two men disappeared, and the woman was left to handle the lance on her own. After 20 minutes of watching her struggle with that thing, I went down and helped her. Now besides my insulated nomex, I had on my hard hat with a nomex liner and a face shield, Red Wing leather boots, as well as leather gloves with mid-arm cuffs. The lady was wearing Dickies coveralls, a hard hat with face shield, cotton gloves and low top leather boots.

Being macho and smart, I spotted a huge klink about 2/3 way up the boiler wall, and using my body weight, I maneuvered that lance to it. About 5 minutes into working on that sucker with the water, I got the lance into the main body. Bad mistake. That klinker exploded and blew out the fire in the boiler. I mean it put that sucker out. The heat and flames that belched out of the furnace melted my hard hat and face shield. The front side of my Nomex went from bright blue to charcoal black. I had a heat rash on my neck where the heat came under the face shield. I had two 1st degree burns from where the heat came under the cuffs of the nomex and gloves.

When the emergency crews got to us, the woman (Who had been bracing my back as I maneuvered the lance) had coveralls on that were smoldering. Her hair had been singed pretty badly and she had heat rash on her face. Other than that nothing bad. Had she been working that lance alone and the same thing had happened...she would have died, because her coveralls would have burst into flame along with her street clothes underneath and her hair.

In 1985 a friend was on a drill rig outside Aztec NM. The rig was drilling the well with natural gas, and a fire resulted when a fired righand flipped a burning rag into the doghouse. My friend Andy, was on the rig floor when the fire started. He drug a floor hand off the floor as he ran. Then he went all brave and macho and returned, rescuing other rig hands, including the company man, who worked for Southland Royalty Corporation. Andy suffered sever burns to his neck and face, because he leaned into the fire to pull out the driller, the tool pusher and the company hand. Three times. His nomex protected his body. Andy also suffered a nervous breakdown after the fact. But he was taken care of for his heroics. Southland Royalty is the oil company that was owned by Lady Bird Johnson and her family (father's side). She met with Andy and his wife several weeks after the fire, and when he was unable to work because of his mental breakdown, she saw to it that his family's financial needs were taken care of. WELL TAKEN CARE OF.

Nomex that is worn in chemical plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities of any type, and the oilfield, is not meant to be used for rescue. It is simply meant to give you a chance to escape. It is not chemical resistant. It is only fire resistant!

I despise wearing tyvek and rubber chemical suits over it in the Texas heat!!

 

what companies are operating in eastern wyoming/colorado for fracing, thanks

 

Dude I know select energy services. I myself am a driver for standard energy services in new mexico. we have a select yard in carlsbad. anyway, i have worked in the oilfield as a waterhauler for three years now and you dont have to have haz mat to haul frac water (flowback) produced water, or even drilling fluids. It all falls under the waste haulers permit (WHP) number that is on your truck and trailer. even water with condensate in it really isnt haz mat as long as its contained in your trailer and your valves and vents arent leaking. hope this helps. I just got my haz mat endorsement and hopefully will be starting at groendyke next week.

 

So how did it work out for you?

 

You are replying to something 7 years ago.

 

Legally it's not but the hous dangerous tank in a battery is the water tank