Eye injury caused by hydraulic fluid intrusion.

Hydraulic fluid mishap in one district
prompts safety reminder in another

A hydraulic fluid injury in mid-January prompted one district to reach out to employees about the importance of using safety goggles in the field and shop when handling air hoses and other items that have hydraulic lines.

In true family fashion, where an incident to one member affects the other members as well, it was a neighboring district (D3 in Southwest Iaho) that sent the safety info to its employees after hearing of the scare.

The story goes like this:

A D4 (South-central Idaho) employee was changing out the ram on a snowplow when the hose came loose and sprayed hydraulic oil up his body and into his eyes.

The employee was wearing safety glasses, but when the fluid hit his body, he jerked back, causing the glasses to move and allowing the hydraulic fluid to get into his eyes.

He flushed his eyes with water for around a minute, but still had discomfort, so he ended up getting checked by a doctor. After the checkup; the doctor released him with some over-the-counter eye drops, and he was cleared to return to work.

“It’s a good reminder to be careful,” said D3 Safety Compliance Officer Eric Copeland. “Even if you have measures in place, you might need to refresh them occasionally.”

In the aftermath of the incident, Copeland sent this information out to employees in his district:

HYDRAULIC OIL
Health hazards: Serious eye damage/eye irritation
Signal word: “Danger”
Hazard statement: Causes serious eye damage. Also harmful to aquatic life, and has long-lasting effects.

PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT:
Prevention: Avoid release into the environment. Wear eye protection/face protection.
Response: If in the eyes, rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses if safe to do. Continue rinsing. Immediately call poison control or a physician.

Anyone working around hydraulic equipment should:
- Always wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses and gloves, but be aware that high-pressure fluid can penetrate even heavy welding gloves.

- Never assume the hydraulic system is depressurized just because a machine is turned off. Lines or accumulators can hold residual pressure for weeks or even months, even with the engine turned off. Consult the operator’s manual for the specific depressurization procedure for that machine.. There is no definitive way to tell if a system is fully depressurized, however, so always be cautious.

- Never use your hand – even wearing a heavy glove – to grab a hydraulic line or search for leaks. Always place the far end of a long object such as a piece of cardboard, wood or steel in the suspected path of any fluid stream to localize a leak.

Video (Warning: Graphic)

Published 03-13-20