Posted By lewes I know its a long shot but im after some Pressure Washer Injury Photo's. Our guys are not wearing PPE and im after some scare tactics. So im looking for skin blistering/lacerations, eye injuries and the like. Has anyone got any ??? Thanks for your input

Posted By Annamarie Velic Hello, I don't have any photo, but if you Google using "pressure washers injury" you will find some interesting stories. I would also like to add to the discussion by asking if anyone out there knows about threshold pressures at which personnal injuries from exposure to high pressure washers escalate from bruises to cuts to potential amputations. I am working for a company where we recently had an ijury caused by a high pressure washer gun malfunction. Although the cause is still being investigated (most likely material fatigue or incorrect design), we are thinking of inventory of all high pressure washers and setting a threshold at which the company should invest into automated/enclosed and interlocked systems wherever feasible. I think it is no longer necessary to use 3000atm or higher washers as handheld devices. So if anyone has heard of any study which would describe injury risk based on pressure rating, please let me know. So far all I could find was that for example German legislature requires employees to wear steel toe shoes for pressure washers rated above 250 atm. This would mean that at pressures higher than 250 atm, the water stream would likely penetrate skin and also regular shoe leather. Thank you, Annamarie

Posted By Alan Nicholls Lewes This come back to instruction and training. Shock tactics may work but I doubt it. Give the operators a spot of re-training, including how to take care of the PPE that has been issued. There are safer methods of cleaning. Consider ICE BLAST technology can be cheaper quicker and more Environmentally friendly. Regards Alan N

Posted By apjw unfortunately i can speak from my own experience of these type of injuries. whilst carrying out some hydro-demolition works a few years ago (before i moved into health and safety full time) i was hit in the wrist by a high pressure water jet, the pain was un imaginable, it felt like i had been given a high voltage electric shock, to cut things short i was in hospital for 8 days underwent 3 operations and was told by the surgeon to expect the worst and to expect to lose my right arm at the elbow! fortunatley due to the skill of the surgical team and the fact that the wounds did not get infected i didnt lose my arm - however i was on a drp for 5 days, had to undergo intensive physio therapy for 12 weeks and had to learn how to write again and basically how to use my right hand all over again. i am still to this day severly affected by the injuries i sustained and have lost power and function in my right arm, my right thumb has hardly any feeling in it at all. having suffered these injuries myself i did a bit of research into these type of injuries and found out that as little as 100 psi can penetrate the skin and the muscle tissue which in turn can lead to potential amputation type injuries. i suggest you do a google search to find out more with regards to the severity of these type of accidents and injuries. take a look at the water jetting industry website for further information with regards to these type of injuries also.