There is currently no hydraulics course available that satisfies the requirements of OHASA and the Mine Health and Safety Act and where employers can address safety issues in the workplace.
SAFPA has introduced an hydraulics course which concentrates on safe working methods when working with hydraulic systems. This one-day course is designed to be either an induction course for someone new to the industry or a safety course for people who are not primarily hydraulic or fluid power technicians but work from time to time on machinery containing hydraulic components. It includes video presentations showing safe working practices, as well as a demonstration of hose being manufactured from the raw components.
On completion of the course the candidate should have a good basic grounding and be able to work safely with hydraulic hose and connectors. The following elements are covered:
Basic hydraulics
* Understanding what is meant by the terms, pressure, force and area and how these three factors influence fluid behaviour.
* How to determine hose size; how changing the three variables flow rate, hose bore size and fluid velocity affects each one; the difference caused by a change of fluid temperature and fluid viscosity; demonstration of a basic hydraulic circuit diagram to show typical components used to make up a circuit.
* Contamination; why cleanliness is important to the customer; what steps can be taken to minimise contamination levels.
Health, safety and environment
* Health and safety legislation; duties of the employer and employee.
* Definition of competency.
* Five steps to risk assessment.
* Safety considerations relating to hose assembly and installation and the dangers of hose failure.
* Site and workshop safety.
* Good and bad practice for health and safety when working with hydraulic systems.
* High pressure injection injuries, detecting pinhole leaks in a hydraulic system; three short DVDs showing the dangers of injection injuries and the importance of correct and prompt diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
* How to avoid injection and burn injuries; what other safety matters should be considered.
Hose and connector identification
* The importance of understanding the application; useful factors to consider.
* Hose sizing.
* Industry standards for hose: EN, ISO and SAE.
* Hose end terminations; material types and end terminations commonly used in the fluid power industry.
* Hydraulic fluid types.
* The industry standard method of measuring hose assembly lengths.
* Cutting the hose to length; the importance of a good, clean cut.
* Skiving, both internally and externally.
* Preassembly of one piece and two piece couplings.
* Angular orientation and hose bias when the hose assembly has two angled connectors.
* Crimping and swaging; correct die selection; machine setting; correct positioning of the hose assembly within the machine; measuring the crimp diameter; reducing the crimp diameter if necessary; ensuring that the operation has been completed correctly.
* Typical sample inspection plan for volume hose assembly manufacture.
* Pressure testing of hose assemblies; ratios based on working pressure and application.
* Cleaning and protecting of hose assemblies prior to supplying to the customer.
Hose assembly
* Correct installation of adaptors and hose assemblies.
* Good and bad practice for installation; bend radius; natural hose bias; reducing damaged caused by abrasion, heat, kinking and twisting.
* Environmental conditions which can cause hose and connector degradation.
* Good and bad practice when tightening up connectors.
Hose and connector failure
* Reasons for hose and connector failure; how to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of failure occurring
* Re-ending hydraulic hose assemblies; do not mix and match; the stance of SAFPA and other bodies in the fluid power industry on these two important topics.
A high quality, personalised course book is supported by four short DVDs, three relating to fluid injection injuries and the other relating to the manufacture of hydraulic rubber hose.
Attendees will receive a completion certificate and will be registered on the SAFPA national data base. The course can be presented at the workplace if required.
| Tel: | +27 11 061 5000 |
| Fax: | 086 589 2158 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.safpa.org.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about SA Fluid Power Association (SAFPA) |
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