​What’s a stranger thing than oxygen exploding?

An engineer putting an O2 bottle next to bottles of fuel!

Did you, like me and 35 million other people, watch the last season of Stranger Things?
If so, then did you get annoyed by the scene where an oxygen bottle was used to blow up the Demogorgons/dogs in the hospital? I certainly was – not only did the makers of the show assume oxygen burns, but they even added a “FLAMMABLE” label to the bottle.
It is a common thing in TV and movies where people think oxygen burns.
Unfortunately, even engineers can sometimes make such a mistake.
I recall being involved in a risk assessment at a previous employer that included an inspection of the compressed gas storage cage. There were two parts to the cage – one for combustible gases and one for others. One of the members of the risk assessment group then asked why the oxygen was not in the flammable section. This was not a token member of the team either – like someone from accounts – this was an engineer.
You could argue that we all make mistakes. But when I pointed out that oxygen is not flammable so it should not be in the flammables cage, he looked at me like I was saying something odd.
Then I was seriously unimpressed.
The truth is, we probably did not need separate cages – the storage tanks themselves were very sturdy, and we just needed to ensure they did not fall over or get damaged by other items hitting them – but an engineer in a team dedicated to the safety of the workplace should understand these kinds of things.
This is high school chemistry – combustion needs a fuel and an oxidant (usually OXYGEN!).
I am unsure if this engineer never really learned when studying or if he had been corrupted by mistakes made in movies and TV – as opposed to pointing out the flaws and laughing at those who made it with a haughty disdain like a real engineer should.
Regardless, it shows how important it is for an engineer to have a solid understanding of first principles. So always be brushing up on everything you have learned as well as always learning more.
You could kill people with your incompetence or look a total fool.