. . .

So! For the second time in as many weeks, I've burnt my index finger and thumb. And by the same instrument even! You see, I manage and supervise a compost analysis lab. One of the instruments that we use analyzes nitrogen. Basically there is oven that is at 950 degrees C.

I didn't get burned by that. I got burnt by another part of the machine that uses a catalyst tube that is usually at 750 degrees C. Fortunately for me it had been removed about 5 minutes prior to me grabbing it to clean it out.

The tube was "cool" enough to just get the skin to near blistering. Because of my many experiences with major burns ( I used to work in a pizza place) I immediately doused my fingers in cold water. As luck would have it, the water was near freezing. Painful, but not as painful if I'd just left it alone.

After about four or five minutes in the freezing running water, I turned it off and checked out the damage. You couldn't see the damage yet, but I could feel it.

The pain was excruciating for about 15 seconds, and then it was fine. I applied some burn ointment and bandaged them up. I'm typed this up with the burnt digits, no problem. Just a slight ache. By tonight, the damage will become visible. I won't be able to feel things too well with them for a while, but that's not too bad.

Like I said earlier, this was the second burn in as many weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I burnt the same digits with the same type of tube. That time though it was completely my fault. And it was a stupid way of doing it.

Not to get into specifics, but I knew what I was doing, knew what was going to happen if I didn't stop my hand from grabbing the tube. But my hand was possessed and it was insistent on finding out if a cold looking piece of quartz tubing was really hot. That burn hurt a lot more.

GD