Press contact: Julien Mahieu – TARA – jm@tara-communication.com – +33 (0)1.49.30.10.70

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.

"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.

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 high-

pressure 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 – jm@tara-communication.com – +33 (0)1.49.30.10.70

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)

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.

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