Risks with high-pressure hydraulic tools that are still

"Risks with high-pressure hydraulic tools that are still ignored!"
Nearly all industrial workshops use high-pressure hydraulic tools for their maintenance (that is to say whose
pressure lies between 700 and 1,500 bar, that is to say between 700 kg and 1.5 tonnes per cm²). This type of
product includes a range of different equipment: cylinders, pumps, spanner wrenches for large-diameter nuts,
nut-splitters, cable cutters, spacers, etc. In short, tools designed for specific tasks which the human hand
cannot do by itself.
Unlike other equipment such as forklift trucks, for example, there are no qualifications, periodical checks,
specific accident statistics, or regulatory framework for safely handling these type of machines. Faced with a
lack of information or regulatory framework, companies sometimes neglect to take hydraulic risks into account,
particularly with respect to their unique users' manual. These risks can, however, result in serious
consequences which can involve the liability of not only the head of the company but also that of the team
leader.
The unique users' manual aims to answer the various issues encountered concerning professional risk
assessment. According to clause L. 4121-1, "the general safety requirement incumbent on the employer must
lead them to take all necessary measures to ensure and protect workers' healthy and safety". The unique users'
manual is designed to enable an employer to take stock of data and results in order to identify clearly the
various dangers to which workers are exposed, to conduct a concrete risk analysis but also to find proposals
and solutions to inhibit these risks, and to make all this information accessible to everyone. In other words,
every company should be up to date with the content and thoroughness of its unique users' manual; if not, the
employer may be held liable in the case of an accident whose true risk had not been appropriately assessed.
Moreover, lack of information is
the cause of numerous errors
which are made when using
equipment - and this can relate
either to maintenance or to the
use of this equipment. In the case
of equipment which is generally
quiet
and
slow,
it
can
nevertheless involve very high
quantities of potential energy;
even so, there may not be any
external signage drawing the
operator's attention to this
potential risk, and users are not
trained or even informed about
these
potential
risks.
Furthermore, even though this
equipment may be used often, its
maintenance and storage are
often neglected.
EXAMPLES OF THINGS NOT TO DO
Among the errors that can be observed these days, a particular mention
has to be given to how hoses are handled, as often they are not put away
properly, are left lying around to be exposed to sunlight, abrasions, cuts,
burns, or are crushed etc. Yet a damaged hose can deteriorate to the point
of exploding or firing oil into the skin or muscles and thus resulting in
serious injuries.
Sometimes, when a hose is obviously damaged, some operators have the
ill-advised idea of joining on another tube themselves. This, again, is a
common error and one that may result in serious problems later on. These
hoses are purpose-specific and must be able to withstand 700 bars or more
from the high-pressure hydraulic machine. The current standard rates at
700 bar when in operation, 1,400 bar in tests, and 2,800 bar at breaking
point.
This is why SPX HT has designed a carrying case that allows hoses to be
tested every time a risk assessment is undertaken. Operators are thus not
only trained about risks, but also reassured about the condition of their
equipment.
An international manufacturer of tools and hydraulic systems, SPX Hydraulic Technologies has recorded these
type of misuse and imprudent actions at more than 90% of user companies. The risks involved with highpressure hydraulic machines are all too real, however, and may lead to serious injuries (amputations, for
example) and to fatalities. The consequences of these accidents are diverse (crushing, small parts being
projected, oil ejection, etc.) and the causes are generally linked to the state of the equipment, improper usage,
or the work context, etc. The most alarming thing that SPX HT observed is undeniably the following: lack of
information and preventive measures relating to the real risks involved with hydraulic equipment accidents
Press contact: Julien Mahieu – TARA – [email protected] – +33 (0)1.49.30.10.70
is the cause of numerous accidents. Hydraulic systems are all too often seen as reliable and robust sub-units
requiring very little upkeep and maintenance. Yet many tools have become obsolete, or are just worn out.
Maintenance is only ever carried out to prevent any risk of malfunction, rather than for crucial safety reasons.
For example, the danger with a pressurised oil leak is never clearly appreciated, even though ejected oil is
capable of penetrating any protective clothing and immediately results in tissue infection. Such accidents are
numerous and always result in emergency services being involved, yet they cannot prevent subsequent
problems. In the same way, wearing out and poor upkeep can result in a hydraulic system ejecting metallic
parts, which immediately become extremely dangerous projectiles. The three main causes of accidents
resulting from hydraulic risks are the following: the user not knowing the tool, lack of information about the
real dangers of hydraulic equipment, and the lack of adequate maintenance. In these three cases, many
serious accidents could have been avoided by training and prevention.
It is consequently in order to avoid these kinds of failures that SPX HT decided to design risk awareness
modules targetting companies in the industrial sector. According to the programme, a training session lasts
between two hours and a full day. After a fact-finding visit, SPX HT designs a plan of action, and determines the
main areas to be tackled in accordance with the problems it has observed and the people who need training.
The 5S method is a Japanese
management technique whose goal
is to increase each worker's
productivity and effectiveness.
-
Seiri (clearing away)
-
Seiton (storing)
-
Seiso (cleaning)
-
Seiketsu (standardising)
-
Shitsuke (being meticulous)
SPX has designed different tools for this and set up aids in 21
languages. The awareness programme has already started in
the USA and in Europe and is beginning to be developed in the
United Kingdom. The content of the training concentrates
mainly on the basics, but it can be expanded in accordance
with the equipment that each company uses, through
presenting the specific risks involved with a type of
equipment, for example.
SPX also gives out a great deal of advice about storing and
maintaining different tools with methods inspired by the
Japanese 5S method, which is where the operation name of
5S+1 comes from (the +1 refers to safety). Safety posters and
a storage system are also proposed for high-pressure hoses
together with a visual check-list, as well as small safety cards
which operators can keep in their pockets to always have
information at hand.
Christophe Bouvet,
SPX Executive Director for the EMEA region
www.spxhydraulictech.com
Press contact: Julien Mahieu – TARA – [email protected] – +33 (0)1.49.30.10.70