Bushwalk Australia

This is not intended to be flippant and is a timely reminder of the dangers that lurk in these places.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-25/man-burned-in-portaloo-explosion/2809552
It doesn't sound good and I hope the poor bloke is OK.

So yes - care is needed.

Ahhem.....

I shall refrain from comment.

Even Bob Brown gets involved, commenting on the dangers.

We bushwalkers use the contrivances supplied by various parties and their are signs about gas etc but it often doesn't register the real dangers from these 'enviro friendly' devices.
The post 'Thunder Box' takes on a different meaning when we consider the potential risks.

I'm sure people would have cooked in these places in inclement weather and probably not realised the dangers.
Gas can be (is) lethal.

We take the old dunny for granted but we should also be aware of the dangers.
I know this can seem rather humorous but I don't reckon that poor bloke is thinking that way just now.

And here I was thinking that exploding toilets were an urban myth, but seriously Portaloos use a liquid that is supposed to stop any fermentation in the reservoir.

It's believed the man was lighting a cigarette at the time...

It's a little severe perhaps, but nonetheless probably fairly effective motivation to give up smoking.

I want to know - who smokes in a dunny?
I do smoke..... so not completely ignorant

gayet wrote:I want to know - who smokes in a dunny?
I do smoke..... so not completely ignorant

Apparently it happened during a US-AUS exercise and smoking is banned in the area where the explosion occurred. It seems he was desperate to have a smoke and got way more than he bargained for!

Assuming he gets through this ok I can see him being the butt of a few jokes (no puns intended ... much)

Then more probably not methane, military exercise? Avgas for the choppers? Solvents? and those fumes are very volatile, he will get more than a ribbing, the Army take the non-smoking rules VERY seriously, people (LOTS of people) could have been injured or killed.
Had a bloke caught with matches and a lighter in his pocket when I was in the Army Reserve (Artillery ) won't describe his punishment as this is a politically correct site and the punishment was anything but.
He could have killed the whole battery not just his own gun crew

Jellybean wrote:
Assuming he gets through this ok

Wasnt he killed?? I dont think he'll get through it ok somehow.......

I haven't seen any updates on ABC site, but the original post still stands - third degree burns to upper body, in a serious condition, to be /has been flown to Bris for treatment. It sounds like he was expected to live. Will have plenty of reminders though.

Oh ok. Thanks Gaye! I thought I'd seen somewhere that he was killed. Thanks for the correction!