Hydraulic fluid injury

[J_J]

If you want an analogy, consider a 3000 psi pressure washer with the bullet stream nozzle on the end, engine running full power. If say your kid was playing around and put the nozzle against your leg and pulled the trigger, It would probably inject a pint of water under your skin and muscle. and would cut, tear or split your leg. That would be bad enough, but do something similar with hydraulic fluid, that would be really bad. Now they have to get all the hyd fluid out, plus any shin/muscle that was injected. Nasty bad as in that picture. In that picture, you can see about where the fluid was injected. That 3000 or greater psi was just there and burst at the weakest point.

 

[Charlesaf3]

I'm hoping our machines don't produce the kind of pressure that caused that accident ??

I had a damaged fitting and it did spray out but didn't seem that powerful, didn't try to feel it though.

JB.

We're in the same league - 2000 to 3000 psi depending. That's a heck of a lot of pressure

 

[/pine]

airless paint sprayers can cause similar injuries...you can never be too careful especially when working in close proximity to others...

 

[patrick_g]

Yeeeikes!

Gosh, I always thought a glove and rag were safe. What would have had to do to be safe JJ?

It's not rocket surgery you know.

But it might be Brain science.

Pat

 

[ampsucker]

kubota bx runs at 1850 psi. i assume the bigger machines just go up from there.

can anyone explain the dangerous situations more clearly? like for example, when i attach the FEL or backhoe, i always jiggle the controls back and forth after the engine is off. that should relieve all pressure, right?

so in other words, there is no way a quick connect fitting could do any damage or explosively decouple as long as the engine is off and there isn't any weight pushing down on the hydraulics.

and if i notice a leak, i know not to locate it by feel, but to use cardboard or something. examine hoses regularly for dry rot or bulges and replace immediately. never work on a fitting that could be under pressure, etc....

any thing else us newbies to hydraulics should be aware of?

amp

 

[pitt_md]

Even leather gloves could not prevent this. Man was using hydraulic tool, and the line burst at the crimp line.

No way around it. That's going to leave a mark!

 

[Charlesaf3]

kubota bx runs at 1850 psi. i assume the bigger machines just go up from there.

can anyone explain the dangerous situations more clearly? like for example, when i attach the FEL or backhoe, i always jiggle the controls back and forth after the engine is off. that should relieve all pressure, right?

so in other words, there is no way a quick connect fitting could do any damage or explosively decouple as long as the engine is off and there isn't any weight pushing down on the hydraulics.

and if i notice a leak, i know not to locate it by feel, but to use cardboard or something. examine hoses regularly for dry rot or bulges and replace immediately. never work on a fitting that could be under pressure, etc....

any thing else us newbies to hydraulics should be aware of?

amp

There might be more, but strikes me you'll stay out of trouble with that list.

No pressure if the engine is off and you've released it by working the controls I believe, and the issue is the pressure (even "only" 1850 is plenty!) And if no pressure no problem. Be worried if you see a mist though - that's probably coming from a pinhole leak. And pinholes are the big issue, especially if you are near them. I've blown multiple hoses on attachments while in the seats, and while I wouldn't argue in favor of doing it, you are very likely out of the danger zone in the tractor seat. Though its simply amazing the damage an exploding hose can do. Very frightening.

 

[Jacobi]

I'm an ER RN and have seen my share of nasty wounds, but that's pretty dramatic! At this rate, I'm never going to want to operate the darn thing.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I would consider putting that ballistic nylon woven fabric tubing around the hose at every fitting. It would help protect the fitting in general and in failure would break up the fluid jet.
larry

 

[J_J]

Most of us don't get in that situation, that burst open that mans hand. I have one of the tools I believe he was using. It is a hydraulic impact wrench. If you held it in your hand, even with gloves on, If that hose burst at the back side of the fitting, it could almost cut your hand off. They said he was lucky he didn't lose his hand, but I guess they got most of the fluid out and did skin grafting, etc. You can not forget about hot hyd fluid. 180 - 200 degree hyd fluid can almost cook you well done, and if it is in your face, you in big trouble.