But, after my second week on the job, we stopped using our propane torches for our antics.

When I first started working, someone happened to tell me that they used to take the 5 quart oil jugs, use the propane torches to fill them up, then light them, turning them into, basically, a rocket. The problem was, the new ones they were getting in were too thick for that to work.

I decided to show them up with a bit of knowledge of physics; The reason the thicker jugs weren't going anywhere was because, with propane, there has to be enough oxygen available to actually ignite. So my idea was, drill a small hole in the bottom of the jug, then a slightly larger one in the top, THEN fill up the oil jug, which I did. Glancing around, I noticed most of the other crew members at least fifty feet from me, but I shrugged it off, filled up the jug, then lit the torch and waited for the right propane/oxygen mixture to hit.

When I could see again, I was facing 180' away from where I had been, the torch was no longer in my hand, and there was nothing left of the oil jug. I wondered what happend, tried asking someone, then realized I had actually gone deaf (which, thankfully, went away after nearly 25 minutes.) We found the propane torch (blown out of my hand - Pure luck that it didn't crack and blow itself when it landed) about 20' away, and we were only able to find roughly 1" pieces of the former 5 quart jug. Nearly 2 hours later, I realized I also had a headache - The lid had come off the jug with such force that it actually split the skin on top of my head. With this negligable injuries, I was incredibly lucky - One of the people farthest back mentioned that the fireball looked to be roughly 4' in diameter, and the sound was heard around the entire 3 acre lot - Most people said it sounded like someone was firing off a high-powered rifle.

I got lucky; The next guy probably won't.

Submitted on 12/13/2011

Submitted by: Rich
Reference:

Copyright © 2011 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Thanks for an amusing story, Rich. Glad you're still around to share it!

James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
OK, lesson duly learned! Thanks, Rich!

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