This is not a GMC issue but it is a VERY important issue of personal safety.
PLEASE ADD this to the net. Thanks in advance Chuck
- -----Original Message-----
From: Rudd Paul R GS-11 30SW/SEGB
To: 'Albert "Chuck"Will' ; 'jmtech'
Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 9:14 AM
Subject: FW: Microwaving Water Caution
>Chuck and Jim , Just info but would not want it to happen to anyone I know.
>Interesting Warning.
>
>> Subject: FW: Microwaving Water Caution
>>
>> I know this problem has been around before but we forget. So-o-o-o,
>> Please read again, it could save you a lot of pain and suffering.
>> Thanks to David Trujillo, former member of our ES&H Team, for the
>> following
>> hazard warning. This is relevant to both work and especially home and is
a
>> hazard I imagine each one of us encounters routinely.... Bess C-D
>> -----Original Message-----
>> I feel that the following is information that anyone who uses a microwave
>> oven to heat water should be made aware of. About five days ago my
>> 26-year old son decided to have a cup of instant coffee. He took a cup
of
>> water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had
>> done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for
>> but he told me he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer
shut
>> the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the
cup
>> he noted that the water was not boiling but instantly the water in the
cup
>> "blew up" into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of
>> his hand but all the water had flew out into his face due to the buildup
>> of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree
>> burns to his face which may leave scarring. He also may have lost
partial
>> sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was
>> attending to him stated that this a fairly common occurrence and water
>> (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated
in
>> this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy
>> such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc. It is however a much safer
>> choice to boil the water in a tea kettle. Please pass this information
on
>> to friends and family. (Mike J Tucker, Safety/Security Officer)
>> ________
>>
>> This sounds like an urban legend but it isn't. The issue is that a very
>> clean cup has no nucleation points to initiate the boiling, and the water
>> can become superheated beyond the usual boiling point. If mechanically
>> disturbed in this state, like inserting a spoon or adding your cocoa mix,
>> all of the stored energy can be released all at once. Not all the water
>> turns to steam, only a small fraction, but it can throw the remaining hot
>> water a significant distance.
>>
>> Meredith Brown
>> ESH Lessons Learned Program Manager
>> Los Alamos National Laboratory
>> 505 667 0604
>> 505 665 6977 (fax)
>
PLEASE ADD this to the net. Thanks in advance Chuck
- -----Original Message-----
From: Rudd Paul R GS-11 30SW/SEGB
To: 'Albert "Chuck"Will' ; 'jmtech'
Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 9:14 AM
Subject: FW: Microwaving Water Caution
>Chuck and Jim , Just info but would not want it to happen to anyone I know.
>Interesting Warning.
>
>> Subject: FW: Microwaving Water Caution
>>
>> I know this problem has been around before but we forget. So-o-o-o,
>> Please read again, it could save you a lot of pain and suffering.
>> Thanks to David Trujillo, former member of our ES&H Team, for the
>> following
>> hazard warning. This is relevant to both work and especially home and is
a
>> hazard I imagine each one of us encounters routinely.... Bess C-D
>> -----Original Message-----
>> I feel that the following is information that anyone who uses a microwave
>> oven to heat water should be made aware of. About five days ago my
>> 26-year old son decided to have a cup of instant coffee. He took a cup
of
>> water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had
>> done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for
>> but he told me he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer
shut
>> the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the
cup
>> he noted that the water was not boiling but instantly the water in the
cup
>> "blew up" into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of
>> his hand but all the water had flew out into his face due to the buildup
>> of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree
>> burns to his face which may leave scarring. He also may have lost
partial
>> sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was
>> attending to him stated that this a fairly common occurrence and water
>> (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated
in
>> this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy
>> such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc. It is however a much safer
>> choice to boil the water in a tea kettle. Please pass this information
on
>> to friends and family. (Mike J Tucker, Safety/Security Officer)
>> ________
>>
>> This sounds like an urban legend but it isn't. The issue is that a very
>> clean cup has no nucleation points to initiate the boiling, and the water
>> can become superheated beyond the usual boiling point. If mechanically
>> disturbed in this state, like inserting a spoon or adding your cocoa mix,
>> all of the stored energy can be released all at once. Not all the water
>> turns to steam, only a small fraction, but it can throw the remaining hot
>> water a significant distance.
>>
>> Meredith Brown
>> ESH Lessons Learned Program Manager
>> Los Alamos National Laboratory
>> 505 667 0604
>> 505 665 6977 (fax)
>
