SAFETY IN THE PLANT KEEP SAFE when the pressure’s on Terry Davis explains why hydraulic hose maintenance should be taken very seriously B
eing an inexpensive component, it would be easy to assume that failure of a hydraulic hose should not have serious consequences.
That is, however, far from the case. Resulting financial losses can be considerable but over and above that, from a health and safety point of view, the impact can be quite catastrophic. Hydraulic systems can contain up to
2,000 litres of oil carried through pipes and hoses and pressures exceeding 100 or even 200 bar, and frequently at very high temperatures. So if a pinprick hole or small area of wear caused a leak, what could happen?
Even a hole measured in millimetres can quickly compromise the integrity of the whole system and in fact, the entire quantity of oil can drain out of a damaged hose within just 20 minutes. Simply replacing that quantity of oil could cost in excess of £1,000 and it may not be a straightforward process as few lubricant suppliers keep large volumes in stock. On top of that, there is the associated downtime, cost of clear- up and even the threat of environmental fines should oil escape down drains. But what if someone happens to be standing beside - or over - the hose when it fails? Although the financial consequences could be considerable, the cost in human
terms could be even greater. While many modern hydraulic systems sit within a bund to collect waste oil, bursts can be unpredictable; the oil may spurt out at an angle missing the bund altogether and, if a worker is within its trajectory, life- changing injuries could result. To put the level of threat in
perspective, a guidance document1 produced by the British Fluid Power Association states that any fluid injection injury - that is an injury in which the skin has been penetrated - must be treated as a medical emergency. Fluid injection injuries typically
involve pressures in excess of 6.9 bar (100psi) punching a hole in the skin
Hydraulic systems carry such great volumes of fluid that even small leaks can prove to be catastrophic to the overall system
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52