Scot killed by breathing airbag's noxious fumes after car crash

[csv8]

Scot killed by breathing airbag's noxious fumes after car crash
May 29 2012 By Stephen White



A DRIVER died after breathing in fumes from an airbag during a car crash.
Scot Ronald Smith wasn’t injured in the pile-up but began suffering chest and breathing problems almost immediately after inhaling the noxious chemicals.
South Tyneside Coroner Terence Carney heard the dad-of-two from Bents, near Whitburn, died in January last year after the accident on November 12, 2010.
His widow June said: “I knew from the very beginning that it was the airbag. I just knew but other people would look at me as if to say, ‘don’t be silly’.
“Ronnie told me about the white powder straight away. He said there was so much of it he couldn’t see.
“It’s just not fair that you have to lose someone because of something that is meant to save a life.”
Ronald, 59, was driving through Hartlepool on his way home when he was involved in a six-car shunt.
The engineer, originally from Paisley, crashed into the car in front at the same time that another car hit the back of his Vauxhall Insignia.
The impact triggered the car’s airbag but also broke a window, which cut the bag, and he inhaled the gas from inside it.
June told the inquest her husband was not injured in the accident, but that his face was red from an irritation caused by the contents of the airbag.
He then began suffering from a cough and shortness of breath.
On January 5 last year, he was taken to South Tyneside District Hospital.
June said: “He just couldn’t breathe and he was very distressed. He could barely move.
“It was a very cold winter and he was really struggling.
“We used to walk everywhere but he got so bad he couldn’t walk a few steps without my help.
“Ronnie has never smoked so that was very worrying. He started to cough a lot as well.
“Eventually, I got him into hospital. he kept saying he would be fine and he just needed rest.
“But he was practically disabled. He couldn’t move and could only sit on the sofa propped up with cushions.
“I got worried because at night his breathing was so shallow and frantic.”
Ronald, who had two sons, Jamie, 32, and Lee, 36, was taken to the hospital’s accident and emergency unit and given a chest X-ray.
The next day, he was moved to intensive care but he died in hospital on January 31 last year.

June added: “He was put on a ventilator. “That was the last time I spoke to him because he was on a ventilator for the last 21 days of his life.
“The consultant called me and the boys into a room and told us that Ron was very seriously ill and there was only a 10 per cent chance of survival.
“I knew then that he wasn’t going to come home.”
Forensic pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton told the inquest Ronald’s lungs were both extremely “heavy and firm”, adding that they showed signs of infection and that Ronald died of bronchial pneumonia.
Coroner Mr Carney said: “I accept the death was attributed to bronchial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis and that it was developed after this incident in November, and the deceased’s exposure to noxious substances.
“This man died as a result of this incident and more pointedly because of the explosion of his airbag, and this death should be recorded as misadventure.”
Lee, 36, said: “It’s the verdict I was looking for. We wanted an investigation to see if anybody was to blame and I’m happy with what the coroner said.”
A Vauxhall spokesman said the firm planned to probe the matter but did not wish to comment at this stage.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/b...-1226372988649

[mik]

thanks for the link csv8, that`s a sad story indeed, also something to watch out for should the bags be deployed in an accident, " note to self don`t tear/puncture the air bags"!

[cowboy]

Umm, airbags are not a sealed bag, they have vents in the sides to allow gases to escape, otherwise it would be like hitting a solid object. Watch a slow mo video of an airbag deployment, they deflate almost as quickly as they inflate. The white powder is a talc like substance to allow the bag to slide over itself freely as it inflates. The gas is from a small explosive charge or squib, possibly toxic but not enough of it to do any harm. I call bulls*^t on this story. Sad that the bloke died but he must have had other problems.

[Nikked]

The gasses in Airbags are harmless...


Long story short...Its basically Nitrogen gas...and the dust chalk/talc

Bogus story.

[Falcman0o7]

Originally Posted by Nikked

The gasses in Airbags are harmless...


Long story short...Its basically Nitrogen gas...and the dust chalk/talc

Bogus story.

Harmless! pfft!
Mate I deployed a EF unit in the backyard a few years ago ( Just curious to see one go off ) and gases from it instantly took my breath away! Talk about toxic! And bloody hot!
unreal contraption

[LTDHO]

I read this article in yesterdays paper and was very surprised. Airbags go off daily and have been around for over 10 years. This is the first we have heard of someone dieing from the fumes.

I agree with Nikked

[AU Mont]

why the hell did they use a forensic pathlogist for the inquest?

much more knowedgable people right here in this thread!!

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by AU Mont

why the hell did they use a forensic pathlogist for the inquest?

much more knowedgable people right here in this thread!!

[Yellow_Festiva]

May not be BS.... How many people drop dead around the world every day from, well 'everyday' things?? When it happens, we hear about it because of the rarity of the occurrence.

Just yesterday, I read of a poor girl who lost her arms and legs after getting a scratch from her home made flying fox. How many scratches did I / you get growing up?? Nut allergies, anaphylaxis etc?? Kids who can't go out 'live in a bubble' etc??

You see people on TV with badly burnt patchy scalps after using a hair product for the first time that has been used by thousands of other people prior with nil ill effects??

There is 1 brand kind of Lynx spray that can put me in hospital if I get a whiff of it, yet the rest are fine. Same with 1 kind of shaving gel. The only problem is, you learn of these intolerances the hard way as they are 'everyday' things.

Hell, a few years ago a girl dropped dead from using a tampon for the first time I think?... 'Toxic Shock' I think they call it???

Whatever chemicals were in this airbag, this poor guy didn't agree with. I don't doubt the story at all actually, as I have read similar things happening from lesser occurrences.

Cheers.

Jason

[Riksta]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

May not be BS.... How many people drop dead around the world every day from, well 'everyday' things?? When it happens, we hear about it because of the rarity of the occurrence.

Just yesterday, I read of a poor girl who lost her arms and legs after getting a scratch from her home made flying fox. How many scratches did I / you get growing up?? Nut allergies, anaphylaxis etc?? Kids who can't go out 'live in a bubble' etc??

You see people on TV with badly burnt patchy scalps after using a hair product for the first time that has been used by thousands of other people prior with nil ill effects??

There is 1 brand kind of Lynx spray that can put me in hospital if I get a whiff of it, yet the rest are fine. Same with 1 kind of shaving gel. The only problem is, you learn of these intolerances the hard way as they are 'everyday' things.

Hell, a few years ago a girl dropped dead from using a tampon for the first time I think?... 'Toxic Shock' I think they call it???

Whatever chemicals were in this airbag, this poor guy didn't agree with. I don't doubt the story at all actually, as I have read similar things happening from lesser occurrences.

Cheers.

Jason

Good post, and was the point I was going to make as well.

Just because its harmless to 99.6% of the population doesn't mean somebody isn't going to have an allergic reaction of some sort to it.

[SSD-85]

Originally Posted by Riksta

Good post, and was the point I was going to make as well.

Just because its harmless to 99.6% of the population doesn't mean somebody isn't going to have an allergic reaction of some sort to it.

Sort of like with you & VNs eh Riksta?

But yes I also agree with quoted post. It is rather unfortunate, but it can & does happen.

[Riksta]

Originally Posted by Scotty85

Sort of like with you & VNs eh Riksta?

If you want to call my love of VNs an allergic reaction then by all means you're welcome to!!!

VNs are Horn.

[MAD]

How does safety glass from a window cut an airbag in a rear end accident?

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by MAD

How does safety glass from a window cut an airbag in a rear end accident?

Its redundant anyway.


An airbag is has 3-4 big holes in it...as soon as your head hits it, it deflates.

There is only a small amount of toxic chemicals in the expolsive charge, but they all but react and become Nitrogen instantly...


And Nitrogen make up what...70% of air?

[MAD]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Its redundant anyway.


An airbag is has 3-4 big holes in it...as soon as your head hits it, it deflates.

There is only a small amount of toxic chemicals in the expolsive charge, but they all but react and become Nitrogen instantly...


And Nitrogen make up what...70% of air?

I know, it's just another thing that points to this being less than truthful.

[cobramania]

Couple of things, not saying he wasn't allergic & not saying it can't happen, but going on that story. Broken glass cut the airbag & exposed him to the gas. Air bags aren't sealed as has ben mentioned, the gas is designed/supposed to be released immediately after it's fully inflated. His face was red after the accident, supposedly from an irritation from the airbag contents, couldn't have been from his face being firmly planted in the inflated airbag & nothing to do with the contents of it could it? Also he didn't go to hospital for 2 months after the accident, he could've easily have gotten some virus &/or the Bronchial pneumonia which he died of in that time & totally unrelated to the crash. Also from what I understand, generally Pulmonary Fibrosis is related to some other problem/disease (possibly the pneumonia) & takes months to years to develop to fatal level (Asbestosis is a form of it), it doesn't generally come on overnight & you're dead within a few weeks. Again Bronchial Pneumonia is usually a secondary problem to another thing & doesn't take 2 months to develop, pneumonia kills fast if not treated, if the gas or powder from the airbag gave him something, he most likely would've been bad & hospitalised within 3-4 weeks from the accident, not 2 months.
I think Vauxhall are being blamed here somewhat for most likely either a unrelated pre-existing condition he had (possibly unknown), or a pure coincidence of him getting a cold/virus unrelated sometime after the accident.

[supershifty]

Hmmm - all seems legit! - LOL

[Franco Cozzo]

The gas isn't lethal, but it certainly tastes like ***. Allergic reaction probably.

[neptune blue]

I'm in the waste management industry and in order to dispose of airbags they must first be deployed
The EPA in victoria has classified them as an explosive / pyrotechnic

Once deployed it cannot be taken to a general waste landfill or prescribed waste landfill to dump
They are classified as a category A waste stream requiring pre treatment to Nutralise the compounds used to trigger and deploy the bag before it is disposed as a prescribed waste at a prescribe waste landfill

So from that you can conclude that some of the compounds emitted once the bag is deployed can be harmful

[Nikked]

Inside the airbag is a gas generator containing a mixture of NaN3, KNO3, and SiO2. When the car undergoes a head-on collision, a series of three chemical reactions inside the gas generator produce gas (N2) to fill the airbag and convert NaN3, which is highly toxic (The maximum concentration of NaN3 allowed in the workplace is 0.2 mg/m3 air.), to harmless glass (Table 1). Sodium azide (NaN3) can decompose at 300oC to produce sodium metal (Na) and nitrogen gas (N2). The signal from the deceleration sensor ignites the gas-generator mixture by an electrical impulse, creating the high-temperature condition necessary for NaN3 to decompose. The nitrogen gas that is generated then fills the airbag. The purpose of the KNO3 and SiO2 is to remove the sodium metal (which is highly reactive and potentially explosive, as you recall from the Periodic Properties Experiment) by converting it to a harmless material. First, the sodium reacts with potassium nitrate (KNO3) to produce potassium oxide (K2O), sodium oxide (Na2O), and additional N2 gas. The N2 generated in this second reaction also fills the airbag, and the metal oxides react with silicon dioxide (SiO2) in a final reaction to produce silicate glass, which is harmless and stable. (First-period metal oxides, such as Na2O and K2O, are highly reactive, so it would be unsafe to allow them to be the end product of the airbag detonation.)

http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edud...s/airbags.html

[pottery beige]

on beathbed before going to hospital....

drops dead in hospital...

maybe should have gone to hospital sooner...

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

on beathbed before going to hospital....

drops dead in hospital...

maybe should have gone to hospital sooner...

I must say this is what I was thinking also.. Another case of a bloke being too proud to admit "**** I'm feeling crap, better see a doc".

[Pedro]

Well I wrote off a BF F6 and the airbags deployed and then deflated. All I saw was some white dust. Didn't smell anything ... and I'm still here.