With regard to safety and the article “Whatever It Takes” (Cleaner, November 2008), attention should be called to the main photo. Briefly, we in the industry need to promote proper, responsible use of high-pressure equipment.
Several safety issues are violated: lack of suitable operator face protection, lack of suitable body protection, routing the hose in a body area with no hose containment and restraint or whip check, lack of area warning signs and barriers, and operating the unit with a clearly visible high-pressure leak at the hose connection to the gun.
Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is required at all waterjetting and waterblasting operating pressures. In this 15,000-psi application, it is extremely dangerous to operate without proper PPE. It is accepted industry practice that PPE needs to be used at all operating pressures, and that beginning at 7,000 psi, adequate protective clothing must be used.
Further, I call attention to the WaterJet Technology Association’s Recommended Practices for the Use of Manually Operated High-Pressure Waterjetting Equipment (July 2005). It recommends:
• Safe operation by not operating equipment with visible leaks
• Protective body and hand protection and clothing
• OSHA-compliant protective equipment and head, ear and eye protection
• Hose shroud at the gun operator
• Hose whip restraints at all coupling and hose connections
• Warning and Danger signs and barriers in the work area
• Other detailed operational procedures and safety considerations
As an industry we need to promote safe use of equipment and related accessories.
Sincerely,
Chuck Johnson
Senior Project Engineer
Putzmeister America
