Post-Workshop Surveys Tell a Grim Story About the Overall State of Fluid Power Safety in the United States.

Most of the companies I work for either manufacture machinery that utilizes fluid power or use fluid power in one form or another. Let's not forget that fluid power is not limited to systems that transmit power by pushing on a confined liquid. In many of the more familiar types of fluid power systems, the fluid is not confined, e.g., spray-paint guns, pressure washers, and pneumatic guns. Let's face it, devices that discharge pressurized liquids to the atmosphere by design pose the most serious threat to workers. 

Ironically, even though fluid power systems have for decades caused untold numbers of debilitating injuries and deaths, state and federal agencies have not yet inducted fluid power into their safety "hall of fame." Their impotence does, however, earn them a place in "hall of shame."

As long as fluid energy is contained, it doesn't pose much of a threat. However, if unharnessed, it can cause a wide range of severe injuries, some of which include burns, oil injection, blindness, lacerations, and dismemberment. 

A board of directors manages most companies. The boards' fundamental purpose is to ensure the company's prosperity by collectively directing the company's affairs while meeting the appropriate interests of its shareholders and stakeholders. One of the company's most vital matters is to oversee the health and safety of its workers. 

The board of directors typically hires a team of professionals to execute this vital role. The responsibility of worker safety is usually vested in safety managers, engineers, and supervisors.

Safety supervisors develop protocols for worker safety, ensure their companies meet state and federal safety regulations and arrange for workers to receive state and federally mandated safety training.

Safety supervisors also "market" safety to workers in the form of safety posters and placards. One of the most popular safety posters you will see in lunchrooms and factory walls is "Safety is number 1." Some safety supervisors go so far as to put mirrors above the sinks in restrooms that say, "Safety begins with me."

Many companies frame the board of directors mission statement and hang it up for workers to see. One will usually find a statement about the board's sentiments about worker safety. Here is an example of one I took a photograph:

Note: As a matter of interest the company that had this statement on the wall owned literally hundreds of hydraulic systems. Not a single one of them had the means to safely "vent trapped pressure."

Engineers ensure that safety is the nucleus of machine design. They are also tasked to develop safety specifications for outsourced work and services and also ensure machinery and equipment comply with state and federal codes. 

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring they hire competent workers that can perform assigned tasks safely and efficiently. They must also work in concert with safety supervisors to ensure workers receive the proper safety training. A good supervisor will quickly recognize when a worker is not adequately trained to perform a task. Also, a supervisors responsibility is to ensure workers have the correct tools, fixtures, and equipment needed to perform their work safely.

My surveys reveal that when it comes to fluid power safety, there is a total disconnect with how executive management, safety personnel, engineers, and supervisors perceive safety and the actual state of safety. 

Ironically, the results of my survey would be no different if I surveyed the past winners of the "America's Safest Companies" awards. 

Here, once again are the results from one of my recent post-workshop surveys. I asked sixteen mechanics the following questions:

1. Have you ever compromised your safety or the safety of others while testing hydraulic components?

83% - "yes."

2. By what percentage did the workshop improve your knowledge of hydraulic safety?

86% - 100%

7% - 90%

7% - 80%

3. Have you ever replaced components that were not defective?

92% - "yes."

Comment - Unnecessary work increases workers susceptibility to incidents.

4. Can you estimate how much money you have wasted in unnecessary component replacement?

? Thousands; $200,000.00; $50,000.00; a lot; $70,000.00; $100,000.00; way too much; too much to count.

Comment - Wasted money causes companies to cut training costs.

5. Can you recall the longest downtime your company experienced due to a mechanic's poor troubleshooting skills?

? 3-weeks; several days; 3-weeks; 3-days; 1-week; 5-weeks; 5-weeks; 2-days; months.

Comment - When production is down, supervisors are apt to overlook safety in the interest of production.

6. Estimate the amount this workshop will improve your ability to troubleshoot hydraulic systems and components safely and effectively:

100%; 98%; 99.99%; 70%; 90%; 100%; 100%; 100%; 70%; 95%; 100%; 100%

Student's comments:

? "Have learned that buckets cannot be properly calibrated."

Note: Irresponsible instructors teach mechanics to troubleshoot hydraulic components by discharging oil to the atmosphere.  

? "Excellent class. Learned more about hydraulics in 5-days than I have in 30-years of being a mechanic." 

? "Wish courses like this were available earlier in my career." 

? "I'm walking away from the class 100% more positive on hydraulic safety and troubleshooting."

? "Just wanted to say thank you for the eye-opening experience. I will take this knowledge of safety and testing hydraulic components through my life." 

Conclusion:

1. Executive management must move swiftly to close the gaping hole in their safety net. Even though OSHA's ignores fluid power safety incidents related to fluid power have severely injured and killed untold numbers of workers. 
2. America's technical colleges MUST take the lead in teaching students how to safely with hydraulics. Also, I strongly urge America's technical colleges to "censor" the books and manuals they give out to students. The worst are allegedly those produced by Womack Educational Services and Amatrol.
3. Engineers MUST make safety the nucleus of hydraulic system design. Over 99% of hydraulic systems are inherently unsafe by design. Also, 100% of hydraulic systems are not designed to facilitate maintenance. 
4. The results of the survey would have been no different if safety supervisors and managers conducted it. Can you honestly continue to ignore the elephant in the room? 
5. I strongly urge safety managers to move swiftly to provide fluid power safety training for workers that work on and around any type of fluid power system - even pressure washers and paint guns. 
6. Supervisors will be well advised to stop untrained workers from working on and around fluid power systems until they receive the appropriate training. 

This article is not meant to sell my workshops. I can teach anyone that is interested to teach fluid power safety. My workshops are free for instructors that work for tax-payer funded colleges.