SAFETY IN THE PLANT
Fluid injection: the causes and action plan behind reducing life-threatening injuries
INJURIES A
lthough fl uid injection injuries are not very common, they can incur life-changing or even life- threatening damage if not dealt with
correctly. Prevention is always better than a cure, but if the worst does happen, would you know what to do? UK industry, in general, is astonishingly
well legislated, especially in terms of health and safety. Labour laws, societal evolution, contemporary human resource practices and an increasingly more litigious and punitive environment have all led to the development of ever more stringent rules, regulations and procedures relating to human interactions with machinery and plant equipment. T e problem is – and this is endemic with almost all legislation – humans are fallible and will always fi nd a way to make their lives easier, jobs faster or more hassle- free, even if it means bending the rules a little. In some circumstances this is often ignored, as it may actually develop into more
Adhering to rules goes a long way in preventing injuries
effi cient procedures; but when it comes to health and safety – where people’s well-being and even their lives are on the line – these rules should never be considered pliable. In general, most employees are aware of what is dangerous and what the implications are from not following the rules. Electricity is a great example, where even a simple, innocuous static shock can
Due diligence is required to avoid painful injuries
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make the most hardened engineer think twice about touching a metal surface. Gravity is another. Everyone knows you don’t stand under an unsupported load, or work under a machine propped up with bits of wood. T ese fears are innate and are learnt in other walks of life, mostly from childhood onwards. But there are other risks in industrial environments that are not part of our regular life experiences; and it is about these that we must be the most cautious and, indeed, exercise elevated levels of training and education. A case in point would be fl uid injection injuries in fl uid power applications, although these may also be encountered when using grease guns, pressure washers and paint sprayers. Domestic use is hard to govern, but in industrial settings the issues revolve around education, adhering to the rules and making sure that people not only understand the implications, but also know what to do should a fl uid injection injury occur. Fluid injection injuries can be desperately unpleasant and even fatal in some situations. T e problem is that some can appear
PREVENTING FLUID INJECTION
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