Something to think about...

Safety First! Precautions/procedures and equipment.

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Tyvole
Posts: 659
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:55 pm

Something to think about...

Post by Tyvole »

My other half tolerates my hobby, though it makes her nervous - she prefers not to think too much about what I am doing and simply trusts my sense of self-preservation and safety awareness.

As my little stock of various pyro chemicals grows, I naturally consider how they must be safely labelled, packaged and stored. We all do this with the necessary diligence, don't we? While I'm not a chemist and may well overlook some characteristics, I do my best.

I keep my materials at the very least in double-baggies, mostly also then in their own air and moisture-proof plastic boxes. The individual boxes are grouped together in categories for fuels, oxidisers, metals and 'other' and these are kept in separate plastic crates with lids. The quantities of individual chemicals are mostly 100gm or less, though there are a very few packs containing more than 500gm.

This is sufficient for me, because I have some clue about the basic pyro safety rules. I have also read and keep copies of the MSDS for each chemical. However, it has occurred to me to wonder how my partner would cope if I was, for example, knocked down and killed by the proverbial bus. How could she safely dispose of my collected chemicals? Thankfully, she knows enough to not simply throw it all in the dustbin, but beyond that, what?

With this in mind, I am attempting to write up for her some kind of 'disaster recovery plan'. If I were to die, she wouldn't want to be worrying about what to do with all of my 'stuff'.
I don't keep any assembled fireworks for any longer than it takes to organise my next test session (sadly, this situation is unavoidable since, unlike some, I can't just pop out to the garden and try things out straight away). This is not a huge problem though. If any such items exist, she could make some similar arrangement with my friends to get those few items taken off her hands and used up in the conventional manner.

Other than BP, I don't keep any loose, mixed compositions. I don't use flash or whistle mixes at all. I make up my black powders in only 100 or 200gm batches, as needed for the current project. I make up my stars in similarly small batches but I am inevitably left with perhaps 4 or 5 different types of as-yet-unused stars. All of this is stored away from my chemicals and in separate, labelled plastic boxes. I have suggested that the best way to dispose of this material is by making small tissue paper parcels, each containing maybe a teaspoonful of powder or a few stars. These could then be disposed of one at a time by tossing into a garden bonfire at a friends house.

So, this leaves the raw chemicals. Living where I do, my hobby is kept very much under the radar. I have no pyro-buddies in CZ that could simply pay a visit and take the stuff away. Do any of you guys have helpful suggestions for discretely dealing with this problem that I could include in the 'disaster recovery plan'? It would put my and my partner's minds somewhat at rest.
"If you don't learn anything, what's the point?"
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Aardvark
Posts: 462
Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2013 11:31 pm

Re: Something to think about...

Post by Aardvark »

I think it's a brilliant idea mate.

I always have a hard time figuring out what to do if I ever need to dispose of anything. Eager to see what you come up with! I don't really have anything to offer but I respect your precautions with chemical quantities greatly. I'm a bit naughty in that part of the hobby - Like to keep well stocked up! Safely I must add but still..
coalman
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 7:53 pm
Location: Swindon

Re: Something to think about...

Post by coalman »

Tyvole wrote:Do any of you guys have helpful suggestions for discretely dealing with this problem that I could include in the 'disaster recovery plan'? It would put my and my partner's minds somewhat at rest.
Any progress on this great idea? I'm thinking it would be sensible for me too. Just in case that number 13 bus comes along.
Tyvole
Posts: 659
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:55 pm

Re: Something to think about...

Post by Tyvole »

Some progress, but it's a little tricky to finalise since parts of my disposal concept require negotiation with some trusted friends who aren't local. Really, I think it will all depend very much on your individual circumstances. I know that sounds like a bit of a cop-out, but it's nevertheless true. I'm pretty much in isolation here, so my arrangements need to be quite specific. All I wanted to do with my topic was to stimulate folks to think about this and come up with their own plans. I'm guessing that most people on this forum have read and know enough to write their own generic guidelines about keeping stuff dry, sealed and separated until it can be re-homed or safely disposed of. Keeping things in separate, labelled boxes with a clear instruction sheet stuck inside the lid simplifies this for those who don't know. Since a lot of my stuff is in bags with original supplier labels, I'm also exploring the possibility of returning unused material to those suppliers by post, in separate parcels for each material 'type', exactly the way I got them in the first place. Since I get most of my materials from established chemical suppliers, not eBay, this might potentially make it easier to return them. The quantities involved are too small to worry about any cash refunds, it's just the issue of safely and simply getting rid of the stuff. I know a lot of our forum members get stuff from OB. Perhaps he might be willing to offer some support for this idea for members in the UK?
"If you don't learn anything, what's the point?"
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