Use Compressed Air With Care
Once upon a time, a mechanic had just hand washed some machine parts in solvent, and used a compressed air hose to dry them. Several minutes later, he was rushed to a hospital, after complaining to a supervisor that he felt his body was going to explode. It turns out the compressed air he was using had penetrated a cut on his hand, and had forced air bubbles into his bloodstream. The mechanic recovered, but if the air bubbles had worked their way to his heart, it could have been fatal.
Many workers use compressed air on a regular basis, for various purposes, and they tend to take it for granted, and ignore the hazards inherent in its use. As a result, compressed air actually causes quite a few injuries in the workplace.
While the danger of air bubbles entering the bloodstream is on the extreme side of the hazard spectrum, a compressed air stream can damage an eardrum or eye or inflate body parts.
Workers commonly use compressed air to blow dust and dirt from their clothing, body or hair, but even if the pressure is as low as 20 to 25 psi, if the air is directed toward openings in the skin or body, it can penetrate, causing serious injuries.
In order to prevent accidental injury when working with compressed air, here are some basic precautions to follow:
- It’s best to avoid using compressed air for any type of cleaning.
- If you have to use compressed air, examine all connections before operating the air hose, to make sure they’re tight and won’t come loose under pressure. Also, examine the hose for kinks and holes before turning on the compressor.
- Keep the compressor as clean as possible by covering it with a tarp, and clean it regularly. While cleaning it, make sure the hose is pointed away from others, to prevent dirt from flying at them. Only the operator should be in the immediate cleaning area.
- Hold the nozzle when turning the air on or off, and never kink the hose to stop the air flow.
- Always turn the air off at the control valve.
- When the job is finished, turn off the valves on both the tool and the air-line.
- Keep air hoses out of aisles, where they can be damaged by traffic or create a tripping hazard.
- Never point a compressed air hose nozzle at any part of your body or at another person, especially as a joke. A blast of air could startle another worker into the path of moving machinery, creating an extra hazard.
Obviously, all those working in the area of an air compressor should wear eye protection, and other necessary personal protective equipment.
Of course, air can look like fun, but the force of air coming from an air compressor is strong enough to constitute a hazard in the wrong hands. An air compressor is not a toy.
Tags: Add new tag, in the old days we used to..., injury, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Worker Safety, workplace safety
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