[TheForge] Storing Coal

[Tod Estes]

Hi Grant, and everyone else since you invited my input here it is.
I store my coal in a combination of covered drums and old trashcans outside,
inside storage in half barrells and 5 gal. buckets.
Strange as it may seem Oologah, OK is a coal mining town. Oolagah means dark
cloud spelling changed after the postmaster misspelled the town name. We have 2
coal mines within 12 miles, a Clay mine (acme brick), and we have a coal fired
power generation plant in town. The BNSF railway that bisects the town brings
40 trainloads of coal a day through here from Wyoming.

>From seeing the patients here in the family practice clinic I can testify to the
respiratory irritation the coal dust causes. I keep my car in a garage but it
still eventually gets a coating of fine black dust that I can only assume is
coal.  During the windy times of the year we see tons of bronchitis, sinusitis,
and pneumona, More that what I see when I work in other parts of the state.

A really good gauge of your personal exposure to coal dust as a blacksmith is to
blow yer nose. The nose is an incredible filter if ya got black buggers you are
exposing yourself to an exceptionally high level of dust and need to consider
increasing ventillation and utillizing a dust mask. Also consider using a wet
storage method inside, It will moisten the coal allowing less dust in the air.

Coal miners get black lung coverage but blacksmiths dont so it is up to you to
protect yer windbags.


Quoting Grant Marcoux <gblacksmith at alamedanet.net>:

> Jerry:  Coal storage requires some thought.  Keep the coal dry in bunkers or
> bins, and try to control the dust.  Coal dust, under certain circumstances,
> is an explosion and fire hazard.  Store bulk coal well away from fire and
> break out what is needed at the beginning of the day.  When transferring
> coal, wear respiratory protection and skin protection. Wash thoroughly after
> handling coal or coke.  Tod, as a med professional, might add to this list.
> Grant
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Jerry Smith
> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 1:11 PM
> To: The Forge
> Subject: [TheForge] Storing Coal
>
>
> How do you all store your coal? Do you have a seperate
> building or a bunker?
>
> Jerry
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Tod Estes

People do not care about how much you know
until they know about how much you care.