out of date?? - Page 2

harryesd · 15 June 2013, 07:26

If you loose a hand or your sight trying one out would you be so keen to use one ? It is also against the law to use one in a Non-Emergency situation. Flares can be extremely dangerous, and you must never dump anywhere the public can access. Contact your nearest MRCC and they will give you details of how & where to dispose. Under no circumstances risk a limb or sight to see if these still work.

wavelength · 15 June 2013, 07:54

an example of how things are going to rats**t! We used to take in flares from everyone at our coastguard station, even went to collect them from some vessels as a service which got rid of potentially dangerous items from the environment. Then we were told that we couldnt take in those from commercial ventures, so we stopped taking them from both the big well run ferries where no expense was spared and all regulations followed, but also from the scruffy little fishing boats hanging onto a living by the skin of their teeth and cutting corners wherever possible. I wonder what happened to their flares after we stopped taking them. Our explosives store used to fill with flares and then the Ordnance would dispose of them. On occasion by controlled explosion on site (can I push the bar down please guv). We still took leisure user flares in but now according to that link flares have to go to the MRSC which is sixty miles away. It aint gonna happen is it?! At best flares are gonna end up in a weighted bag at sea which is apparently illegal, and may well end up with pyros being washed up on the beach (to join those that already come up from munitions dumped by the authorities at the end of WW2) or perhaps they will find their way to the local landfill by some means. Short sighted cost savings measures with no thought for the consequences-hurrah for austerity and saving a few bob!

m chappelow · 15 June 2013, 09:00

Also Some out of date flares can loose their colour with age ,
You may find especially with Red/Maroon para/rockets that they may burn with a pale pink to white or even a very pale yellow that's if the parachute even deploys
some older parachute /drogues are made from cotton that over time can go stiff in the rocket tube making them stay bundled up or don't unravel quick enough so the flare sets it on fire .

thomas · 15 June 2013, 09:40

I think you'll be fine with the Muller Corner, when you buy things with a two of three week sell by time then there will be a few days cushion, never understood why bottled water has a use by date.

gtb · 15 June 2013, 09:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

I think you'll be fine with the Muller Corner...

In case of emergency: eat the Muller quickly for sustenance, use the corner pot as a bailer, and the shiny lid as a rescue signal mirror?

willk · 15 June 2013, 09:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

never understood why bottled water has a use by date.

It's a fascinating subject. There are lots of reasons for various sell by dates. Check fizzy drinks - the lo-cal versions have about half the life span. In the case of water, there is probably a max shelf life for drinks and they can't exceed that by law. Patently, so long as it's sterile, it should last for ever. However, they MAY have concerns about leachates from the plastic bottles building up over time.

I'm a big fan of scoffing out of date drinks and food. Mrs willk lives in fear of the stuff - she'll watch a yogurt until midnight on it's "last day" and then bin it...

Silly moo

wavelength · 15 June 2013, 10:23

the fridge is fulla outa date stuff on the boat. Its an unwritten law onboard here that if its in date have a scrat round for sommat older and eat that instead! Its also good practise on here to examine the slice of bread before toasting to see if ya wanna eat whats growing on it. One way of getting your 5 a day of green stuff though!

willk · 15 June 2013, 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtb

In case of emergency: eat the Muller quickly for sustenance, use the corner pot as a bailer, and the shiny lid as a rescue signal mirror?

prairie tuber · 16 June 2013, 03:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

However, they MAY have concerns about leachates from the plastic bottles building up over time.

I think that is the primary reason for expiry dates on bottled water, which makes me wonder why people would pay such a premium for the stuff which has more toxicity than than most tap water.

Northern Pike · 23 June 2013, 15:14

I keep current ones on board to keep me legal, as well as the older expired ones which I intend to use first. I had to use them in a Pan Pan event a few years ago. My engine wouldn't start and I couldn't be seen in 6 ft. seas of lake Huron, as a towboat approached.
The first old one fired, then I had 2 duds before the fourth one fired and finally got seen by my rescuer.

Tim M · 23 June 2013, 15:23

Lots of people on here saying they'd keep them on board. This is bad advice! I used to work for Viking lifesaving equipment - one of the worlds largest manufacturers and distributors of marine safety equipment. My advice, having seen out of dates flares let off for test purposes, would be to either dispose of them at a suitable facility, or put them in a safe place in your garage or similar and forget about them. In an emergency situation are you/your crew really going to remember to check which ones are out of date? I saw one out of date red hand flare melt through its casing, and give the guy who was holding it a very nasty burn. He was also wearing thick gloves.

Someone else mentioned that that they went on a course where they were using OOD flares. This shouldn't still be happening after the RYA changed its policy following a nasty incident a few years ago. RYA centres can get hold of nearly out of date flares from life-raft service centres, usually free of charge.

Northern Pike · 23 June 2013, 15:58

My OOD flares onboard expired in May of this year. That was 3 weeks ago. Did they undergo substantial change in that 3 week period? Perhaps I should have tossed them before midnight, May 31.

Tim M · 23 June 2013, 16:00

No, in the same way that a chicken won't suddenly kill you at 10 past midnight on the day it goes OOD. Wait a year and you might not be so lucky!

woz72 · 23 June 2013, 16:45

I posted the original thread and the flares are dated 2009. Lol

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2013, 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Patently, so long as it's sterile, it should last for ever.

How has Poly not been along with a thesis for this one??! Perhaps he's still writing it...?

NRDC: Bottled Water

There is no requirement for bottled water to be sterile.

They will have tested that their bottle seals keep the bottle sealed from additional contamination for the time period they label for and they will have checked for leaching etc as well for that time period. Doesn't mean they fail after that but they will have picked a practical time period from bottling to distribution and tested for that... No point testing for 10 years if 99.9% of your stock would be distributed & sold in 6 months...

HughN · 23 June 2013, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavelength

At best flares are gonna end up in a weighted bag at sea which is apparently illegal, and may well end up with pyros being washed up on the beach...

I did find one washed upon a busy beach last year. It was in a (sealed) plastic bag and three months out of date. I put it in an old ammo box that was in the car and took it to the cop-shop. You would have thought I had offered them a test tube of Anthrax. I thought all Police stations had 'explosives bunkers' (they used to when I was young) but they sent me away with it, advising me that the nearest CG station that could accept it was Tower Bridge(?). How is it in any way sensible to a) give it back to me (making it my problem) and b) suggesting I take it through central London?

How did I get rid of it? With great difficulty...

Earlier this year I had an e-mail from Operation Kraken, disgusted at the number of flares (and the expiry dates thereof) handed it an at RNLI Flare Amnesty at Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne. It just shows how many of these things are lying around for wont of a reasonable means of disposal.

willk · 23 June 2013, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

How has Poly not been along with a thesis for this one??! Perhaps he's still writing it...?

That's quite funny - but not for the reasons you think

Tim M · 23 June 2013, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by HughN

I didadvising me that the nearest CG station that could accept it was Tower Bridge(?).

How did I get rid of it? With great difficulty...

Well that is a load of rubbish! Partly because there is no CG presence at Tower Bridge and secondly because London Coastguard won't take them anyway!

The easiest way to get rid of them is find a supplier who will - many do this on the basis of one old flare for every new one you purchase. They then get delivered back to the manufacturer and properly disposed of (which normally involves incineration).

Northern Pike · 23 June 2013, 17:25

Tim M and woz72, Full disclosure: I do also have some older ones. :^)

We have a few holidays here that are widely celebrated with fireworks, such as Queen Victoria's birthday (Victoria Day) which signals the unofficial start of summer. How do you Brits like that? :^)
i think I'll wait for the next fireworks celebration and maybe get rid of a couple of older flares.

willk · 23 June 2013, 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northern Pike

i think I'll wait for the next fireworks celebration and maybe get rid of a couple of older flares.

Yup (and this is not an Official RIBnet Endorsement folks), I have a few TEP about the place that are going to get an airing on 31 October this year. The entire countryside will be alight with completely illegal fireworks (no legal fireworks in Ireland Sud) and I figure they'll not spot a few Reds and Smokes. Taped to a pole I think, for extra safety...

Note to self: Keep cats indoors.