Warning issued after hydrogen-filled balloon injures boy

[snoop1130]

Warning issued after hydrogen-filled balloon injures boy

By The Nation

 

Photo from: www.thaihealth.or.th

 

After three people were injured on January 2 when a hydrogen-filled party balloon exploded inside a car, the Disease Control Department (DCD) has issued a warning and guidelines for reducing the risk.

 

A six-year-old boy was engulfed in flames and seriously injured in the balloon accident in Muang Nakhon Pathom.

 

DCD director-general Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai said it likely happened because the highly flammable hydrogen was leaking from the balloon the boy was holding at the same time a cell-phone was being unplugged from its charger, causing a tiny spark.

 

He said such accidents were common because hydrogen was so flammable and could be easily ignited by heat or sparks. 

 

Balloons filled with both hydrogen and much safer helium are widely available, but the Office of the Consumer Protection Board wants hydrogen balloons labelled as controlled goods, requiring retailers to display signs warning “Do not place near flame or heat”.

 

To reduce the risk of explosions, Suwannachai recommended opting for helium instead. Helium is more expensive than hydrogen but far less flammable and less prone to leaks. 

 

He said gas-filled balloons should never be kept inside a car, which can get hot while parked outdoors, or near light bulbs, heat sources or any flames.

 

And balloons shouldn’t be tied together, since friction could trigger an explosion.

 

Suwannachai said children should be closely watched and balloons kept out of their reach.

 

If a balloon explodes, the rubber remnants should be discarded immediately so children aren’t tempted to chew on them, he said. They could swallow the pieces and might choke.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30361749

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-1-7

[robblok]

Wow, so there is no law AGAINST using hydrogen. I would have expected that there would have been a law prohibiting use of it for balloons. 

[overherebc]

Less flammable?

There's a novelty.

[ukrules]

Did they learn nothing from the Hindenburg ?

 

Only helium should be used in balloons, but hydrogen is of course much cheaper due to its abundance.

[overherebc]

Images of H2 balloons ignited by sparks candles etc.

[ocddave]

Next they'll be telling people not to use a lighter to see if a gas can is full or not...WTH?!

Edited January 7, 2019 by ocddave

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, robblok said:

Wow, so there is no law AGAINST using hydrogen. I would have expected that there would have been a law prohibiting use of it for balloons. 

The authorities here only act reactively, never proactively. Therefore they always wait for accidents and fatalities to occur before doing anything.

The 'anything' they do is often a toothless tiger by passing a law which can be easily ignored - until a two-week crackdown - the same as many, many other laws.

[tifino]

5 minutes ago, ocddave said:

Next they'll be telling people not to use a lighter to see if a gas can is full or not...WTH?!

But the bright spark thought probably has crossed their minds, as a boy's head is no match for a H Balloon 

[Samuel Smith]

19 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Did they learn nothing from the Hindenburg ?

 

 

thais have to learn everything themselves!

[KittenKong]

Not only wasnt there already a law against using hydrogen in ballons (not at all surprising here) but the official recommendation apparently is not even to introduce a law now. Presumably because of the massive suffering that could be caused to poor Thai balloon vendors by insisting that safe but more expensive helium is used instead, or, to put it another way, by making them financially responsible for their greed and stupidity.

That really is Thailand.

 

[NCC1701A]

i don't think I can take it any more.

[Stocky]

41 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

To reduce the risk of explosions, Suwannachai recommended opting for helium instead. Helium is more expensive than hydrogen but far less flammable and less prone to leaks. 

Helium is an inert gas, it's not the slightest bit flammable.

 

.

Edited January 7, 2019 by Stocky

[DrTuner]

Hydrogen balloons? What is it 1937 in here?

[Samuel Smith]

8 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Helium is an inert gas, it's not the slightest bit flammable.

 

.

Thai helium is "different" ????

[bluesofa]

14 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

Thai helium is "different" ????

Yes, Thai helium is not as 'inert' as a lot of the population!

 

[ocddave]

16 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

Thai helium is "different" ????

Yes, its like the inert substance between their ears.

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

He said such accidents were common because hydrogen was so flammable and could be easily ignited by heat or sparks. 

Jeez' these people need to be protected from thereselves sometimes .. Do they not teach a base level of science here .. As already alluded to by other post's this is why the Hindenburg went up in a fireball 80 odd yrs ago and yet they fill kids balloons with the stuff .! Would it come as a surprise if saving baht was behind this as Helium which is the safe choice for inflating balloons is more expensive than Hydrogen .? And the only suprise is they haven't come outright and blamed the phone charger ( crock of sh*t excuse anyway ) in the same way they blame a vehicle's brakes when involved in a crash .. 

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

If a balloon explodes, the rubber remnants should be discarded immediately so children aren’t tempted to chew on them, he said. They could swallow the pieces and might choke

That is even more of an idiotic thing to say .. If the kids weren't allowed Hydrogen filled balloons to play with there would be no danger of them exploding .. And in the event of this happening again which it will .. if the kids head hasn't been blown off will their first thought be " I'm gonna chew the remnants " .. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Justgrazing
Sp

[Lacessit]

18 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

Thai helium is "different" ????

It probably has a bit of radon mixed in. That's why the balloon vendors prefer hydrogen as a safer option.

[Ks45672]

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Did they learn nothing from the Hindenburg ?

 

Only helium should be used in balloons, but hydrogen is of course much cheaper due to its abundance.

Ask 100 Thais on the street what the hindenberg is and you will probably get 100 ignorant blank faces 

 

 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Justgrazing said:

Jeez' these people need to be protected from thereselves sometimes .. Do they not teach a base level of science here .. As already alluded to by other post's this is why the Hindenburg went up in a fireball 80 odd yrs ago and yet they fill kids balloons with the stuff .!

{snipped}

No JG, they don't teach 'basic science' here or useful history - Hindenberg? - and especially not critical thinking, which would allow them to realise that is is dangerous, and not to use it.

 

There again even with critical thinking, there would be someone who 'thought it would be worth the risk' to use hydrogen, apparently being cheaper than helium.

[ocddave]

4 minutes ago, Ks45672 said:

Ask 100 Thais on the street what the hindenberg is and you will probably get 100 ignorant blank faces 

 

 

Same when mentioning seatbelts or helmets, especially when babies are balanced on a motorcycle gas tank (protected by only a diaper).

[Justgrazing]

6 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

No JG, they don't teach 'basic science' here or useful history - Hindenberg? - and especially not critical thinking, which would allow them to realise that is is dangerous, and not to use it.

 

There again even with critical thinking, there would be someone who 'thought it would be worth the risk' to use hydrogen, apparently being cheaper than helium.

Hahahaha .. Yea I s'posse that was a great expectation too far Sof' .. Jeez' can you imagine how dangerous these people would be if they had the means to develop a H bomb .. Though thankfully by the grace of God that'll not happen here .. 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Justgrazing said:

Hahahaha .. Yea I s'posse that was a great expectation too far Sof' .. Jeez' can you imagine how dangerous these people would be if they had the means to develop a H bomb .. Though thankfully by the grace of God that'll not happen here .. 

They've missed 'H' and gone straight to 'S' - the Somtam bomb.

[Youlike]

They sell those in the malls, even a farang's gf does it..and they have the gasbottles there as well...will that be hydrogen in the mall?

[Spidey]

I'm very grateful to TV for this information. Bought my 6 year old son a balloon a couple of weeks ago. Never again.

 

Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that it might be filled with Hydrogen. Beyond stupid. Criminal. Thanks again TV.

[Justgrazing]

23 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

They've missed 'H' and gone straight to 'S' - the Somtam bomb.

???? ???? ???? ..

[overherebc]

14 hours ago, Youlike said:

They sell those in the malls, even a farang's gf does it..and they have the gasbottles there as well...will that be hydrogen in the mall?

What colour are the gas bottles?

Edited January 8, 2019 by overherebc

[overherebc]

14 hours ago, Spidey said:

I'm very grateful to TV for this information. Bought my 6 year old son a balloon a couple of weeks ago. Never again.

 

Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that it might be filled with Hydrogen. Beyond stupid. Criminal. Thanks again TV.

check the bottle colours.

[Grusa]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

check the bottle colours.

Not only is bottled Hydrogen cheaper than Helium, you don't even need to buy it. It is easy to make hydrogen using cheap and plentiful household chemicals.

[overherebc]

23 minutes ago, Grusa said:

Not only is bottled Hydrogen cheaper than Helium, you don't even need to buy it. It is easy to make hydrogen using cheap and plentiful household chemicals.

Generally followed by a loud bang.