The Effects of Accidental High Pressure Injection of Mineral Hydraulic Oil

The photograph below is a graphic example of the need for awareness of the hazards of hydraulic oil under pressure. Don't even bother scrolling down if your stomach turns easily. Use this photograph to get your employer or company safety training officer to initiate training in the safe use of hydraulics and the precautions that must be taken, not only in the aircraft industry, but in general maintenance such as on forklifts, nifty-lifters, hi-abs, and any application involving hydraulic rams or valves, particularly if welding is involved.

For every 1 degree in heat that you apply to trapped hydraulic oil,
the pressure rises 50- to 60-pounds-per-square-inch.


LEGAL NOTE
The names and particulars of this case can be supplied to legitimately interested parties, in order to verify authenticity. This contents of this article, including photographs, are the sole property of the subject and can be used in the interests of health and safety only. Please feel free to use this article in that context, as long as you are not profiting commercially. Drop me a line, not to ask for permission, but just to let me know. I appreciate that the work is reaching a larger audience because of you. Using HTML to link to images on my server so that they display on your page is expressly forbidden. Contact me at dmac.hands@btinternet.com

Date:  03 March 2004
To:  dmac.hands@btinternet.com
Subject:  Hand injury

Hi
Sorry it has taken so long to send you this but I could not find the disc at home and I had to get this out of the company Health and safety dept.

This photo was taken about 7 days after the accident and after 3 operations under general anaesthetic and a couple to undo the stitches and have a prod about in the ward-type operations.

The oil was OM 15 an aircraft mineral hydraulic oil, in a pressure test rig. The rig was holding pressure at 6000 PSI when a pipe spilt and a fine jet of oil hit the palm of my hand. It just felt like being punched in the palm hard.  Half an hour later I was in hospital, 2 hours later the pain killers were going in intravenously, 5 hours later I was under general anaesthetic, having the first of 5 major operations on the hand.

You can use this photo how you see fit, so long as it is to promote health and safety.

Earlier Injury Photographs Here

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