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SAFETY IN THE PLANT


innocuous at fi rst and are often shrugged off or dismissed. T e British Fluid Power Association’s (BFPA) Fluid Injection Injury Emergency handbook states that a pinhole leak in a hydraulic hose can eject fl uid at speeds in excess of 180m (600ft) per second and a pressure of as little as 6.9 bar or 100 psi – in some circumstances – is enough to puncture the skin, with greater pressures delivering even greater penetration and more severe injuries. T ese injected substances pass through subcutaneous tissue and can enter tendons and deep into the hand or body, depending on the injection point. T e person injured may initially feel a slight sting and simply blame it on steel reinforcement from a failed hose or an insect bite, but within a very short space of time, pain levels will elevate, indicating that more serious repercussion will occur, should immediate and, indeed, correct professional help not be sought. For injuries where the fl uid entered the bloodstream, the prognosis is just as dangerous, as the body simply does not have a mechanism for ejecting fl uids like these and, if left untreated, this tiny pin- prick injury can result in amputation and, as a result, serious long-term health and employment issues. Septicaemia or legionella may also result these types of incidents.


UNDERSTANDING RISK Although these types of injuries are not very common – an average of 1 in 600 cases of hospital-reported hand injuries, according to a US hand surgery manual – there is no excuse for an employer and its employees not to know what to do should an incident occur. Indeed, the Health and Safety Executive backs this up in its RR976 Research Report, explaining, “Although the reported instances of injury through hydraulic injection are comparatively rare in the UK, the potential severity of the consequences to the injured party dictate that understanding, acknowledging and mitigating the risk of injury through hydraulic injection, is essential for any individual or commercial organisation utilising hydraulic systems or equipment.” T e risks still remain high, however, with the Fluid Power Safety Institute (FPSI) in the USA quoted in an article in Construction Equipment magazine, saying: “More than 99% of people who service, repair and troubleshoot hydraulic systems have been subjected to the exact dynamics that trigger a high-pressure-injection injury.


Although not very common, fl uid injection injuries can be highly unpleasant


T e ‘liquid bullet’ however, either missed or defl ected off its target. If ‘hydraulics’ were a recognised occupational hazard, and thus fell into a category for near-miss reporting, we would be at catastrophic levels.” Most engineers working in high-pressure


systems are acutely aware of the risks. Almost all training regimes point out the danger and teaching is often accompanied by videos showing the potentially destructive nature of faulty hydraulic systems. But, as mentioned before, the human factor comes into it when working out in the fi eld. Simply moving a hose out of the way, or tightening a coupling perfectly normal tasks can result in an injury; and to further exacerbate the issue, most of this close-up manual work is performed using the leading hand, so it is this that is aff ected, further compounding the eff ects of the injury.


HOW TO REACT So, the obvious question is what should take place immediately following a suspected injection injury? T e aforementioned Fluid Injection Injury Emergency handbook from the BFPA contains a process fl ow in the appendices that highlights the steps that need to be taken. In the fi rst instance the working area should be made safe, to prevent further injury. After this, the emergency services should be called and fi rst-aid treatment given, including gentle cleaning, immobilisation of the limb or appendage and elevation into a comfortable position. T e guide is at


pains to point out that patients should not be given any food or liquids as surgical procedures may be required. Further appendices explain that the point of injury must be noted and handed to the medical staff , along with full personal details of the patient, including the time of the injury and the injected media. Due to the scarcity of this type of injury, the fi nal appendix off ers guidelines to medical professionals – who may not have experience in this arena – based on input from a number of diff erent learned sources, all of which have been shown to demonstrate a more positive prognosis. Behind all of this is the need for due- diligence, training and awareness. Any fl uid power training course should contain safety modules that demonstrate the risks associated with working with fl uids under pressure. Employees need to be aware that taking shortcuts, or circumventing procedures is simply not acceptable and the consequences need to be illustrated. A photo showing the after eff ects of a fl uid injection injury should be enough for people to gain even more respect for what can be an incredibly dangerous situation. T e human factor means that these injuries will still occur, but their profound eff ects can be off set to a certain degree with the proper education, support and, of course, incident-related remedial action. Most leading suppliers, backed up by the BFPA, off er in-depth training and can help companies to develop procedures and practices that can defi ne how these incidents are dealt with, so ignorance will never be a good enough excuse


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