Be safe, don't be sorry!
For the second time in as many weeks, our hobby has been sullied by the news media.
The first was during NSL West. A rocketeer attending the event brought his rockets and motors into the hotel where he was lodging. The details of what actually happened are still sketchy but the news media made it a point to call out the fact that he had rocket motors and "explosives" in the room. If you aren't aware of this incident, here is a link to one report. Happily, nobody was physically injured in this mishap.
The second occurred this past weekend with horrifying results. John Bolene, a long time high power rocketeer, was killed in a home fire in Oklahoma City, OK. The home severely damage too as were some adjacent properties. You can read a report and watch several of the local news reports here.
Until such time as these incidents are fully investigated, I fear that our hobby will be under greater scrutiny and those who enjoy rocketry will be walking eggshells.
Let me stress that our hobby is safe if you approach it with an understanding that it is only safe if you make it so! Rocket motors do not explode, they deflagrate. That means that they burn rapidly. Why? Because the fuel in a solid rocket motor has it own source of oxygen and doesn't need the surrounding air to do so. Rocket motors burn in the vacuum of space! Due to the rocket motor's own oxygen supply, it can be extremely difficult to extinguish a burning motor.
- DO NOT STORE your rocket motors in a box or case with other items! Specifically, those items meant to initiate the motors' burn — igniters or starters, and electric matches.
- DO NOT STORE your rocket motors near a source of heat! While it is good to keep your motors where they won't experience extremes of cold and heat, such as in your garage or a backyard shed, inside the home near the fireplace is even worse. Store them in a room's corner or the basement where it is dry.
I keep my black powder motors in a plastic carrying case. In that case, the only thing other than the motors are desiccant packs to keep them dry. My high power motors (APCP one-time use and reloads) are stored in ammo cans and, for the BIG 54m and 75mm, army surplus mortar cases. These boxes are metal and have O-ring seals, and they latch very securely. The electric matches used to start APCP motors are typically supplied with them when purchased. I keep all electric matches segregated from the motors in yet another metal ammo can. My FFFFg black powder is safely locked up in a fireproof safe in my garage. I have ~2lbs of FFFFg and each can is stored in a zip-lock® bag with a desiccant and then both are stored in a larger bag in the safe. I have warning labels on ALL of my storage cases!
Please take some time and review how you store your rocket motors!
A single line from the lyrics of a song by one of my favorite bands is sage advice for so many aspects of our lives...
It only takes a fraction of a second
To turn your life upside down
One should also avoid "playing" with motors in your work space. Want to check the fit of a mmt? Use a spent motor casing. Keep the motors stored safely, but also prevent the kids from getting into them. Kids like to "check things out". If you have kids at home, I'd suggest putting a lock on the toolbox or container you store motors in. If you are testing or prepping ejection charges, do it outside in the open, if not at the launch site itself. And finally, think about every step you take when handling incendiary devices. If necessary, have a written checklist to make sure you don't arm electronics at the wrong time while prepping.
In safety and investigations we talk about error chains. It usually takes a few steps to happen for an accident to occur. Breaking that error chain by having multiple precautions ensures any failure or failures don't cause the chain to grow. Safe storage, locked boxes, separate ignitors, supervise handling, only handle outside, don't energize electronics while handling powder, etc.
Some of this sounds obvious, but it's the stupid things that get ya!
I would also say to be wary of cell phones, laptops, electric scooters, or anything else that uses a Lithium Ion battery. While 99% of the time consumer electronics are OK, there have been cases where thermal runaway of the battery has led to an explosive fire (check youtube so some videos of cell phone explosions -- some have happened while the user had the device in his or her pocket -- youch!). If your rocket motors are in the same vicinity as the electronic device that's bursting into flames, well, that could spell trouble.