It takes just 100 p.s.i. to puncture or rip your skin. High-pressure pumps, such as hydraulic pumps, can put out pressures from 2,000 p.s.i. to 12,000 p.s.i. While hydraulic oil injection injuries are rare — one in 600 hand injuries, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information — they do happen and can be devastating.
Even something that seems harmless, such as automotive brake hoses, can cause a hydraulic oil injection injury. Even hoses pressure tested to 3,000 p.s.i. can cause an unexpected injury. Since brake hoses deteriorate from the inside, they may be weaker than you think.
A hydraulic fluid injection is the most dangerous injury from a hydraulic hose failure. Often, these injuries appear benign initially and are dismissed as not urgent. Many workers don’t get the immediate medical care they need. However, injected hydraulic oils are highly toxic — so in addition to a physical cut or stab, they poison you.
If you suspect an injection injury has occurred, seek medical attention immediately.
What is Hydraulic Oil Injection?
High-pressure hydraulic fluid can accidentally enter your body through your skin. These injuries generally happen in industrial settings when workers maintain or repair hydraulic systems, such as those found in heavy machinery and manufacturing equipment.
A hydraulic system uses pressurized fluid to power equipment. If the fluid escapes while it is under high pressure, the velocity of the escaping fluid can penetrate your skin. It can cause tissue damage, infection, and necrosis. Even a minor puncture wound that is not immediately treated can cause severe internal injuries.
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for High-Pressure Pumps
Always wear the appropriate PPE when working on or with high-pressure pumps, including safety glasses and gloves. You can minimize the risk of receiving a puncture or tear from a line or pump.
The gloves should be high-quality and puncture-resistant. The safety goggles you choose should not be cheap — they should be of excellent quality to minimize the risk of a stream of high-pressure fluid penetrating them.
You should always offer employee training on the correct use and maintenance of PPE to reduce the risk of hydraulic oil injection injuries.
The most important things to remember: NEVER touch a pressurized hose with your hand, and if you suspect an injection injury has occurred, get to an emergency room right away!
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Even if your injury is small — it can often be as small as pinholes in your skin — seek medical attention immediately. Always take the safety data sheet (SDS) of the injected liquid with you to the emergency room.
The faster you act, the less damage you can receive from the poisons in hydraulic oil. Never squeeze or cut the wound, as this can spread the fluid further into the tissue. Clean the area and keep the damaged limb immobilized while waiting for medical care.
Inform the medical staff that you have suffered a hydraulic oil injection injury when you arrive. Have someone find out as much as possible about the hydraulic system pressure and estimated velocity of the pinhole leak that caused the injury and report the findings to the medical staff.
The longer the period before treatment, the more risk you are taking. At first, injections may feel like a bee sting or wire prick, and the entry area may look like just a pinprick. Do not let this fool you. The size of the entry wound is a poor indicator of the seriousness of the injury.
What looks like a simple puncture wound is, in fact, life-threatening. The area around the injury typically turns red and swells within a few hours. Throbbing and numbness follow. If left untreated, the injury can lead to amputation and even death.
If you suspect an injection injury has occurred, seek medical attention immediately.
Contact Motion & Flow Control Products, Inc.
If you need safety data sheets or other information about our products, contact us at Motion Flow & Control Products, Inc., today.
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Posted by Joni Scott
