WORK EQUIPMENT - 14.10.2020

Operator killed while high-pressure jetting

Following the death of an operator using jet-washing equipment, an employer has been fined £2 million. What are the dangers of using this machinery and what should you look for when hiring a contractor for this task?

Flexi lance

The accident happened on 18 June 2017 when a contractor’s employee was working in the paint shop at Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing site. The high-pressure equipment, which is capable of delivering water at up to 20,000 pounds per square inch (psi), was being used to clean out paint residue from waste pipework. Joseph McDonald (J) and another worker were operating the powerful machine with a flexi lance attached. A flexi lance is a hose and nozzle that attaches to the jet washer and is drawn into the pipework, blasting water and cleaning the pipes as it goes. Unlike a standard jet-wash lance, these are flexible and almost impossible to control when not inside a pipe. In this case it appears that the flexi lance came out of the end of the pipe while still under pressure, whipping back and striking J. Despite colleagues attempting to resuscitate him, he died at the scene.

Risk control measures

It was found that J’s employer, Leadec Ltd (L), had failed to put in place sufficient risk control measures for this dangerous type of work. It pleaded guilty to breaching s.2(1)Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £2 million plus costs of £30,000.

Dangers of jetting work

Any high-pressure jetting equipment can cause severe injury or death. It’s a highly specialist type of work because of the immense risks involved. The equipment can penetrate the surface of the skin causing serious injuries at just 100 psi. The risk is therefore not confined to the type of impact injury described in this case. Quite commonly accidents result in contact by the jet with an operator’s skin, causing an injury similar to a gunshot wound. When this occurs there’s also a high probability of infection because of contaminants being driven deep into the surrounding tissues.

Safety devices

This type of jet washer is usually operated by a foot pedal. The operator using the lance should be in full control at all times, i.e. directly operating the foot pedal and not relying on another person to shut off the device if things go wrong. The equipment can also have a pressure regulator fitted to it to ensure that maximum pressures for the attachments cannot be exceeded. Another important safety feature is an anti-ejection device. This is simply a collar that fits onto the end of the pipework ensuring the flexi lance can’t shoot back out unexpectedly. In this case, the HSE found that no pressure regulator or anti-ejection device was in use at the time of the accident. Training and supervision were also found to be insufficient.

What if you’re hiring?

As a client you could be liable if you engage a non-specialist contractor to do this type of work, particularly if it all goes wrong.

Tip. Look for evidence of competency, e.g. membership of the Water Jetting Association (see The next step ). Check that the company holds the category of membership relevant to the work you want to undertake.

For a link to the Water Jetting Association member list, visit https://www.tips-and-advice.co.uk, Download Zone, year 19, issue 03.

High-pressure jetting can cause serious injury if the lance goes out of control or the jet comes into contact with human skin. If hiring, check for evidence that the firm is competent, e.g. through membership of a relevant trade body and staff training.

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