If you get any in your face, count yourself dead. And high-purity oxygen will ignite if it mixes with oil. That's why we never, ever unload over blacktop, because of the oil in the asphalt. All of our loading and unloading takes place on concrete pads. Safety, of course, is a big concern at Aire Liquide, especially where drivers are concerned.
Comfort can be in short supply when drivers suit up to make a delivery.
It adds up to a lot of sweat on a hot day, said Mr. Herget, but if nitrogen or liquid oxygen hits one of these suits, it won't penetrate the material. Drivers also wear clear, flip-down Pyrex shields to protect their faces and necks. Loading of tankers is monitored from the Orlando plant's control room. Samples of the gas are taken before and after loading through a 3-inch line running parallel to the main hose. A hospital won't accept delivery without a purity sheet with every load.