In my last hydraulics bulletin, I talked about the somewhat controversial issue of regulating the hydraulics industry in a similar way to electricians. When I wrote about this issue in my Inside Hydraulics newsletter, a lot of members sent me horror stories. This one is a classic:

“Your article reminded me of an incident with one of our customers several years ago. One of the functions used a screw-in cartridge pressure-reducing valve which I suspected was malfunctioning. Since the customer had a spare cartridge, I suggested he use it to see if it was the cause of his problem. He asked me if he would spill much oil when he removed the cartridge and I told him it wouldn’t be much…

“He called back later to tell me that the new cartridge fixed his problem, then really let me have it about the amount of oil spilled, that it was all over him, his loader, and the shop. When I told him that shouldn’t have happened, he said: ‘Why man, that pump puts out 40 gallons a minute.’

“I was speechless. Our manuals warn that maintenance should only be performed with the engine off and after checking for residual pressure. When I recovered I asked him why he would remove a valve with the engine running. It took a few seconds but then he said he never thought of that. While this story is somewhat amusing, the consequences of his actions could have been disastrous.”

Yes indeed, if it wasn’t so serious it would be funny. But this next story is not amusing at all. At one of my Hydraulic Breakdown Prevention Workshops, one of the attendees told this tragic story:

A technician had tried to release a quick lock type of fitting while it was still under pressure. Apparently, he managed to get the pin out before the escaping jet of high-pressure fluid hit him — just under the chin in an upwards trajectory.

There’s no need to share the gory details with you, but suffice it to say he was killed instantly. It’s a sad story. Of course, not everyone agrees with my position on this issue.

“I disagree totally with your comment that only electricians should be allowed to do any wiring. I see no reason why I should pay an electrician to drive 30 miles one way to do a five-minute job that I could do just as well myself. And I’m talking three-phase power. Electricity is not that complicated.”

Maybe this is the logic the deceased had in mind as he was pulling the pin out of the quick lock fitting. But since the pressure jet blew half his head off, we’ll never know for sure.

I operate on the assumption that if you’re reading my stuff, you’re over 18 years of age. And as a grown-up, far be it for me to tell you what to do — or whether you’re competent to work on hydraulics, electrics, or anything else.

Just don’t get maimed or killed by ignorance.

Yours for better hydraulics knowledge,

Brendan Casey