The snake strikes again!

According to a newspaper report, one person is dead and another person injured after an incident at a paper mill. According to the police, the incident involved the release of hydraulic fluid that was under pressure. The report gave no specific details about the accident.

From the point of view of stored hydraulic energy post lockout, a mill is a veritable minefield. All hydraulic systems in mills throughout the country are nothing more, and nothing less, than "snakes waiting to strike," when an unsuspecting person doesn't have the ability, post lockout and tagout, to detect if there is stored hydraulic energy, and loosens a connector, which is under pressure. Even if they could detect pressure, they could not remove it without having to "dodge a liquid bullet."

"Hydraulic safety doesn't just happen it has to be vigorously pursued."