Preventing High-Pressure Injection Injury: A Hazard of Hydraulics and Pneumatics

Abstract

[Excerpt] A high-pressure injection injury involves air, fluid, or solids forced into the skin by high pressure. Typically these occur when we feel for leaks with our fingers, such as when air or hot hydraulic fluid is forced into the skin by high pressure from a leak in a high-pressure line. Another example is the painter using a paint gun with so high of a pneumatic pressure that it twisted around in his hand and injected paint and solvents into his abdomen. So many of these injuries happen in the hands and fingers when feeling for leaks, but there have been cases such as someone searching for leaks with the tongue (ouch!), or listening for leaks producing an injury into the side of the face, or being struck by a detached hydraulic hose whipping around in the air.