Motion Control’s editor recently had the opportunity to attend SAFPA’s hydraulic hose safety training course. Safety is a huge issue in mines and factories, yet there has not until now been any hydraulics safety course available. SAFPA’s course on Working Safely With Hydraulic Hose And Connectors aims to address this problem.
This one-day safety course is aimed at foremen, supervisors, OEM artisans, end-users and anyone involved in the assembly and supply of hydraulic hose and connectors. It 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 with machinery containing hydraulic components. Here‘s a taste of what the course covered.
Presented on this occasion by Russell Gill, the course was highly interactive, with plenty of war stories and anecdotes based on Russell’s 27 years of experience in the hydraulics industry. Delegates were also able to interact and swop notes about their own personal experiences with hydraulics safety.
The day started with an introduction to the principles of hydraulics, giving an understanding of the hazards and dangers associated with hydraulics, the huge pressures involved and the critical role that hose plays in any hydraulics system.
Tips on how to choose the correct hose size were followed by an emphasis of the importance of controlling hydraulic system contamination to prevent failures (70 to 80% of hydraulic failures are caused by contamination).
Russell then explained the elements of the OHS Act and each side’s responsibilities in keeping the workplace safe. The section on Five Steps To Risk Assessment covered typical risks in the workplace and how to assess them.
Then came safety considerations for assembling hydraulic hose (never mix and match), the dangers of hose failure, and the right and wrong way to find and fix leaks, followed by good and bad practices in site safety.
The showing of a graphic DVD brought home the dangers of oil injection injuries, gave practical advice on how to avoid them, and highlighted the importance of seeking urgent medical attention. This was followed by an explanation of industry standards for hoses, the correct selection of hoses and hose end terminations, hydraulic fluid types, and reasons for hose failure.
The course is very flexible and easy to relate to and can be adapted to the audience of the day. On that particular day many of the delegates already had some experience in hose assembly so Russell focused more on technical aspects, but could also have put more emphasis on hose and connector terms and the right and wrong ways to safely assemble and install a hose (useful for end users). Attendees also received a high quality course book and a completion certificate.
Poor training is the root cause of most workplace accidents, and overall the course gave a very good understanding and awareness of the hazards associated with hydraulic systems and the precautions to be taken to keep the workplace safe.
For more information contact CTR Secretariat, +27 (0)11 888 7163, [email protected], www.safpa.org.za
| Tel: | +27 11 061 5000 |
| Fax: | 086 589 2158 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.vdw.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about SA Fluid Power Association (SAFPA) |
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