Attack of the cryo-bugs

[fbhjr]

I went into the lab looking for something first thing in the morning and
noticed movement along the floor.
Out of the corner of my eye it looked like many dark objects running
towards me.
(You know, like out of those Mummy movies.)

I looked closer and saw they were steaming and hopping as they came towards
me.

As they washed around my feet I realized they were drops of liquid nitrogen
going down hill along the lab floor. I just happened to be standing near
the drain.
They reason they were steaming and hopping was they were boiling away as
they ran down hill towards me.

I looked up in the direction they had come from. I saw one of the
cryo-techs standing there holding a bucket.
“Didn’t know you were going to come around the corner just then,” he said.
“No damage done,” I said. “I’ve got tough shoes.”
“I don’t normally pour cryogenic liquids out on the floor,” he said.
“I’m just here looking for something I left here yesterday,” I replied.
“It’s just nitrogen,” he said.
“It’s not the first time I’ve stood in some,” I replied. “I was just
worried it was leaking from one of my freezers. Glad it’s not.”

We both nodded and walked in opposite directions.

Comments

[meathiel]

Do you have to wear special shoes in the lab?

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I have to wear steel toed shoes if I'm lifting heavy objects.
I usually don't, so I usually don't.
My dress shoes are good enough against some LN2 drops.

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

you certainly have some interesting days.

[manue7a.livejournal.com]

Cold. What a pragmatic tag :D

[hindustar.livejournal.com]

ok then. =)

it seems he felt like he was caught doing something wrong. Was he?

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

While I don't remember a specific rule saying "don't dump liquid nitrogen (-300F) onto the lab floor to run down the drain 20 feet away", I'm pretty sure it would be frowned upon by the safety team...

[hindustar.livejournal.com]

Ah, got ya.

[yesididit2.livejournal.com]

*grins* i love that its just a blink in your day, no biggie.

[anwyn-elfmaiden.livejournal.com]

Oh, this must feel like in a scifi movie...

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

It was only on Facebook I mentioned how a WW2 plane dropped out of the clouds and buzzed me at lunch time Thursday...

So, yeah. Sometimes.

[anwyn-elfmaiden.livejournal.com]

Ops.... :D

[merilune.livejournal.com]

I think I'd prefer liquid nitrogen to mice. I saw a mouse in my kitchen the other day and by the dark objects running toward you I was thinking you had the same problem!

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

So if there is LN2 on the floor, one can never really trip and fall, right?

…Because your feet/shoes would have been frozen to the floor….

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Your shoes would boil it off long before it could freeze them.
Unless you were in a puddle. Then, you might have a problem.

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

From what it sounds like, you were pretty close to a puddle situation

at least you didn't give him the cold shoulder