Jetter Safety Tips
Jetters can be dangerous things – over 3000 psi is pretty powerful. Most established drainage engineers will already know the majority of this, but if you’re starting out in the trade, here’s a little reminder of some of the key safety points to think about.
- A public exclusion zone is essential, preferably using barriers
- Ensure that any authorised persons wishing to enter the exclusion zone only do so when the jetter is off – if anyone should enter, jetting should immediately stop
- Make sure that a sufficient risk assessment has taken place – not only could the pressure cause damage, any chemicals used could also result in injury
- In most situations, wearing PPE is one of the only practical means of reducing risk to a level that’s acceptable. This includes: Safety helmet, hearing protection and face shield, waterproof gloves, heavy duty waterproof overalls, safety boots with metatarsal protection.
- All equipment should be checked every time it is used, and formally on a weekly basis by managers. This should include:
- Hoses/Couplings – in appropriate condition for the job and have no kinks, tears or bulges.
- Jetting Lance – trigger mechanism should be free from debris and never locked or wedged in the ‘on’ position. Lance should be a minimum of 1 metre long for standard operations
- Whole jetting unit – any external damage. Special look at supply cables, connections, junction boxes, switches. All electrical systems and their associated components are watertight
2021-07-23 -