Ramp Hazzards?

[Ryan]

Just wondering if anyone with long time ramp experience has a way to combat the nose bleeds ya get from breathing Jet B exhaust all day? As much as I'd love to wear a mask I'm sure it would scare the crap out of the passengers haha.

With the S-76 it's easy enough to hold your breath untill you're out of the exhaust, but with the S-61 now running there's no where to go to escape the fumes. It's everywhere. Takes 30 minutes for the smell to leave the inside of the terminal...yummy.

 

So yeah, any thoughts on avoiding more gushing nose-bleeds would be great. If it's an unavoidable part of the job I can live with that, but any tips would be great.

[tDawe]

Nose bleeds are not "just part of the job" as far as being a rampy is concerned. If your getting nose bleeds being around jet exhaust it quite probable that the jet exhaust, (which still containes all the nasty crap jet contained as a liquid) is begining to have a negative effect on your body. Its not something you should be asking here, you should be seeing a doctor, immeadiatly.

 

Remember from your dangerous goods training, soemtimes chemicals can have a negative effect on your body immeadiatly, some times they take months or years. Jet fuel in all forms is a Dangerous Good. don't forget that. It containes chemicals like benzine which can cause cancer, and if the fuel is mixed with Isopropal Alchohols (Prist) there is an increased cancer risk (as well as birth defects in women I have been told, but never read anything on that). Not to mention that if can cause 1st and 2nd degree burns if spilt on your skin.

 

Sorry to scare you, but no one told me this stuff when i started rampin back in college, i had to research it all myself.

[Ryan]

Thanks for the input T. Already saw my doc, who himself used to be an RAF pilot. Said he's well aware of some people's immunity (or lack of) to the effects of Jet Fuel. Guess mine is pretty low, at least as far as my sniffer's nasal passages go. But he wasn't totally convinced it's the fuel, says could also be the rapid changes in air pressure when a bird comes in to land.

So far I've only gotten 2 nose-bleeds at work. Doc says if they start happening at home then it could be a sign of a more serious problem than just air pressure changes.

 

While we're on the subject of unseen hazzards of the ramp...

I know this is probably a pretty common-sense thing to everyone except those new to the industry. If you didn't know already....never ever get jet fuel in your mouth. There is active bacteria in it that will kill you if injested in even the most minute quantity. The worst part is, it could take years for it to finally kill you after shutting down your organs one by one. Be carefull.

 

Anyone else with good tips for the ramp that might not be so obvious as avoiding a spinning tail rotor?

[twinstar_ca]

just on the subject of ingesting jet fuel, i know there's a TSB report around on a driver who had an accidental ingestion and took the time to warn everyone through industry magazines as well... a shame he's no longer with us although as far as i know, it was never shown that the ingestion had anything to do with his subsequent demise...

 

read your MSDS's all...

[Helilog56]

Ryan.....your doctor figures rapid changes in air pressure???? Did you get many nose bleeds while you were flying? I doubt it....I would perhaps seek another medical opinion if you were never prone to nose bleeds before, carbon monoxide poisening could be a higher possibility, please monitor you condition carefully..... we do not want anything to happen to one of our young, promising helicopter pilots...

[Ryan]

Yeah, the doc just threw that air pressure thing out as another possible reason. You know how they are, never want to point to one exact cause unless they've written a thesis on it.

 

So is this a pretty rare thing for rampies to experience then, because it's a common thing during our busy winter schedule...so I hear. Also heard it's not uncommon for a rampie to take a few days of sick leave in the winter to let their nasal passages heal from the effects of the constant exposure to the exhaust. Perhaps we're more prone to it than rampies in other companies due to our high traffic volume, often a flight leaving or arriving every 20 minutes over a 13 hour shift.

Sheesh we gotta keep watch for rotors, avoid getting crushed by baggage, handle nasty fuels and other dangerous crap, breath toxic exhaust...and get paid the least in the company. And yet it's still the only job I've had that I look forward to in the mornings.

 

Either way it's not the most comforting thought, but I also don't intend on being a rampie for life. I'll take the advice though and watch my health like a hawk.

[Skidz]

I would highly recommend you get a blood test asap. Frequent nosebleeds are never good. They are one of the human body's early warning systems and can point to several potential problems. Don't wait for one to develop. Doctors are subject to the power of suggestion. If you go in there and say " I'm getting nosebleeds from Jet B exhaust", he may not look at the signs and symptoms as objectively as he should.

 

Not trying to scare you or anything. It may very well just be hyper-sensitivity to Jet B, but don't take anything for granted.

[donnybrook]

to paraphrase Chief Wiggum, perhaps you're picking your nose too much...or not enough...?!

 

seriously though, there's no point in damaging your health to get a flying career, and then have it prematurely terminated by a medical issue down the road...

[Blackmac]

Ryan:

 

In all my years around helicopters, I have never heard of this.

If jet fuel is causing nose bleeds, you would have heard of it from the military and of course every graunch on the airlines.

 

I really think you should get a further opinion. If it is caused by the fuel, get an understandable explanation or get another job, your health and life are to preciuos.

 

Cheers, Don

[Elvis]

OMG **** has frozen over I am going to agree with Blackmac.

 

:elvis: :shock: :elvis: