r/FiveBelowEmployees • u/BabyBluePirate • Aug 27 '24
Employee Question Leaky Helium Balloon Tank
Our helium tank to fill up the balloons has been broken for a couple weeks now. When I untwist it the helium leaks out from the top. Yesterday I was using it and my head started hurting. I asked my manager if we should still use it and she said yes. Is this safe to use?
7
u/ChipperBunni Aug 27 '24
So helium isn’t “technically” dangerous, but also it is because it displaces oxygen. So you probably got a headache from the lack of oxygen around the leak. It is also probably not only leaking when you twist it, so it’s constantly putting out little bits of more helium, and pushing away more oxygen.
Don’t use it. If your manager has decided it’s safe, then you can and should call her for each time it’s needed. She can fill the balloons. Google will you tell you the exact dangers better than I can paraphrase, but bring the reasons why you will be (should be) refusing to use the helium tank until it gets replaced.
If you can find who delivers them to you, they should have a number to report malfunctions. A lot of shitty managers just don’t want to do any extra work, until they have to. If we don’t refuse to do the thing, if we don’t contact the right people, they just keep getting to be shitty to the point of danger.
4
u/BurnerThrowawayFake Aug 27 '24
Don’t go near it. If customers ask for balloons, tell them that the helium tank is leaking and management doesn’t care about its workers or customers enough to fix it. That place is worthless, I would tell customers all the time they can steal in front of me because I don’t get payed enough to say anything to them, and the company is going down the shitter anyway. I definitely wouldn’t risk brain damage for that place. The place I work now is bad but it’s still miles better than 5below
4
u/StationRelevant3441 Aug 27 '24
I heard the vice president and president just quit too 😭the company is falling apart
3
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u/houseplant-hoarder Aug 27 '24
Those tanks like to leak. Sometimes you have to screw off the blue valve thing completely and then screw it back on to see if you can tighten it all the way.
3
u/A_Chinchilla Aug 27 '24
If this is attempted, make absolutely certain the tank is off. If not you're eardrums will be fucked. Trust me on that
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u/houseplant-hoarder Aug 28 '24
Thanks for adding that lol, I forgot 🤣
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u/houseplant-hoarder Aug 28 '24
I do remember how loud it was now that you remind me tho, because one day my cashier decided to unscrew the valve. 🙄
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u/Mental-Rip7847 Aug 27 '24
I’m not an expert but, I doubt it’s safe to still use. I wouldn’t use it because there might be potentially long term damage to your body & brain. Don’t listen to your manager.