Learn your safety placards

[Colombo]

Might just save your life. Don't know about your areas but we have quite a few anhydrous ammonia tanks out in farm country.     Don't use them as cover.

Brutal bit of video I found that is poorly titled, not an instant death but a miserable form of suffocation and chemical burning.

Policeman Killed Instantly By An Ammonia Gas Tank -Extreme Things

Good info to have
http://www.science.sjsu.edu/safety/DOTNFPA.htm

[Reaver]

Damn, that sucks.
Was actually trying to do the right thing too.

[Kentactic]

first rule they teach in a basic CPR class is assess the situation before you go near the suspected victim. this happens far more often then it should in work fields where they are in confined spaces.. one guys down in the hole and passes out... the second guy goes in to save him and also dies and some times even a third guy goes down after them... by the third guy people usually figure it out. ive already thought about what id do if i had this type of situation presented to me. i can hold my breath for over 3 mins static and over 1 minute while using my muscles. id drag the dude out of there while holding my breath and begin CPR in this situation assuming i did determine it to be a non flammable "non burny" type of gas. most safety books would tell me im an idiot but id still do it.

[Kentactic]

Heres another good video where a cop is parked in an "unknown gas cloud" and then realizes its a flammable gas and hauls ass out of there just in time.

LP Railroad Tanker Car Explosion in Texarkana Arkansas

"209 you might wanna back your unit up"  ... the dash cam says the car were in is unit 207 so i wonder what happened to unit 209...

[Kentactic]

on a side note going off of walkers story. Theres is no danger of tanks like propane tanks exploding if leaking and ignited. the Air/Fuel mixture goes to 100% gas 0% oxygen right where its coming out of the leak. so its impossible for the ignition to enter the tank and explode the contents. when a propane tank is ignited and leaking the fire department will just let it burn out. putting out the fire will only make a much more deadly situation because the gas isnt being burned off but is mixing with the air around you so if it does find an ignition source then all of the leaked gas will then explode all at once. the only way a propane tank will explod elike a bomb is if its the temperature in the tank is rising due to a near by fire and it raises the pressure in the tank to an exploding point and the pressure release valve has failed so the pressure cant be released... obiouslt this is a very rare situation. so in short the most dangerous leaking propane tank is one that hasnt ignited and is continuing to leak gas into the air around you.

[Outonowhere]

Cudos Colombo, excellent thread!

It goes without saying that if you can get the training then you should, and you should always be aware of your surroundings.  And great response posts guys, good info and stories in here.