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Beware of high pressure hydraulic fluids

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candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2008-03-13          152137


Dear friends,

All subscribers to Brendan Casey's free monthly newsletter, Insider to Hydraulics, receive a message in their in-box once each month.

I recently received a message pertaining to hydraulics safety.

The link below will take you to a very graphic photo, which shows what happens to a man's arm when it's exposed to a ruptured hydraulic hose. If you have a weak stomach, please do not click on the following link. Suffice it to say the photo is as bad, if not worse, than you might imagine.

Please folks......be very careful when working around high pressure hydraulic fluid, hoses, fittings, and pumps.

Joel



Link:   What happens when a hose suddenly breaks?

 


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Beware of high pressure hydraulic fluids

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randywatson
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 109 texas
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2008-03-14          152155


Joel,
thanks for the info, I knew it would be bad, but not that bad if you know what I mean.

If that happened through leather, I'd hate to think what it would be like with nothing.

Question to all, would a Kevlar based glove (knife proof) like worn for police work or fire control work, be beneficial in protecting hands in this situation?

second question, if simply driving with bucket up and a cylinder hose split would that release the kind of pressure we are looking at, or would the hose have to be under active pressure at time of rupture, like when curling the bucket? ....


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Beware of high pressure hydraulic fluids

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-03-14          152158


First off, the stuff that Joel is talking about is big serious hydraulic systems.

Now don't get me wrong, a CUT will still produce some good pressure, and if for instance the FEL had a good load on it at the time it went, it could produce some pretty nasty sprays of fluid.

However, if as Randy asked, a line blew on the lift cylinder, the pressure would be relatively low since there is relatively little weight on the (presumably) empty FEL, and the drop would be further slowed by the plumbing involved in the second cylinder which would act to slow the movement.

In order to get the sort of catastrophic results Joel is pointing out you would need either a very large load on the ruptured circuit, or an extremely large pump and power supply, or both, and to be very close to the point of rupture, probably within inches of it. Fluid does not travel very well once it leaves the line, in a very short distance it loses almost all of it's force and velocity.

Bottom line, be very careful, but with the relatively low pressures we would encounter on a CUT, a piece of cardboard run along the line to look for leaks instead of your hand is about all the protection you need.

Best of luck. ....


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Beware of high pressure hydraulic fluids

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candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1932 North Dakota
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-03-15          152165


RandyWatson,

Murf is correct, as usual.

The hydraulic circuits we use on our tractors are rarely as dangerous as those encountered when using a porta-power device. However, many of us own other pieces of equipment that employ highly pressurized hydraulic systems, such as shop presses, porta-power pumps, metal shears, etc.

The greatest danger is when a person's hand is actually grasping a fitting or hose when it ruptures. A secondary danger is the oil spraying into our eyes.

Again, Murf is correct in suggesting that a person should never run his hand along a hydraulic line when looking for leaks. Always use a piece of paper, or cardboard, as fluid under pressure can easily penetrate the skin........or even amputate a finger.

I don't believe Kevlar gloves would solve the problem. It would only make it more difficult for the doctors to remove the bits of Kevlar from the damaged tissue.

Joel ....


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Beware of high pressure hydraulic fluids

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-03-15          152183


Not only are hydraulic systems with leaks to be wary of, but also, common every-day things like high-pressure air lines wich can inject air bubbles into the blood stream when they cut flesh open; a power washer which can inject water/soap into the blood AND cut flesh (did it twice on my palm and finger--DOH!); and high-pressure power painting systems which can cut the skin AND inject paint into the blood. All of these can result in bad infections, or brain damage/death just by the fluids alone not to mention ambient bacteria along for the ride. ....


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