Bad burns from blast

Press, 9 October 1976, Page 1

Bad burns from blast

Nelson reporter

A Nelson man was enveloped in flames and badly burnt yesterday, probably wdien blasting powder exploded while he was sharpening a spade. The injured man, George Barrington, married, aged about 46, is assistant manager of the Tahuna Beach motor camp. He was taken to the Nelson Hospital about 3 p.m., suffering from extensive bums to the arms, hands, face, chest, back, and head. His condition last evening was reported to be satisfactory. The exact details of what happened are not known. The first assistant at the camp, Mr Ross Woodhouse, was able to summarise the accident, however. He said it was Mr Barrington’s day off, and he had gone to the workshop. “Just before the ambulance took him away, he said something about sharpening his spade,” said Mr Woodhouse. He surmised that while

Mr Barrington was sharpening the spade on an electric grinder (right of picture), the sparks had ignited a box of blasting powder, stored with other boxes below the grinder. The box of powder could not be found when the photograph was taken, yet there was a very, strong smell of burnt explosive in the workshop. When he heard screams, he had rushed to the workshop, said Mr Woodhouse. “When I got there, two women had him wrapped

up and were nursing him,” he said. “Those two women did a wonderful job.” The two —Mrs Dorothy Green, who is staying with her husband, Mr George Green, at the camp, and Mrs Ilene Perriam, coproprietor of the Arcadia Motels, which back on to the camp—undoubtedly reduced the severity of Mr Barrington’s bums through their prompt action. Mrs Green said that she heard an explosion and saw clouds of smoke from the workshop. She then saw

Mr Barrington coming from the workshop, with his singlet, trousers, and hair alight. She and her husband rushed to him and tore off burning clothing. Seconds later, they were joined by Mrs Perriam, who had dashed 75 metres from the motels to give help. Mr Barrington was quickly wrapped in a sheet and a blanket. Mrs Perriam, who has had nursing experience, held him in her arms until the ambulance arrived.