Operational procedures
What are the general working instructions?
What are the general working instructions?Having selected the working method, taking into account the information above, it is important to take into consideration some aspects of how the water jetting team should be organised during the operation:
- The whole team must understand their role and must have received the specific instructions for the job before work commences.
- When the operator is not protected by a screen, the water jetting operation should be controlled by a qualified supervisor.
- Generally, the automated water jetting team will consist of 2 workers:
o 1 automation operator
o 1 pump operator
However, the one-person operation is permissible in certain circumstances. If the cabin provides good protection and the operating location is furnished with an emergency stop device, then it is not necessary to have an emergency stop operator.
How should the emergency stop be managed?
An emergency stop must be present on every automated water jetting system and working area, and before starting any job, it must be inspected and tested for proper function.
When, during the operation, a dangerous situation arises, the emergency stop must be activated immediately by a certified person, who can be the same person operating the water jetting equipment, from his cabin by remote control if such cabin is furnished with an emergency stop device, or a different qualified person, whose job will be managing the emergency stop. In such a case both members of the teams must be coordinated and must have agreed on a communication protocol prior to the beginning of the operation.
How should be done the communication between workers during the operation?
Effective communication between members of the water jetting team during operations is extremely important to perform the work safely and efficiently.
The communication system that is going to be used during the execution of the work must be agreed upon by all of the members of the water jetting team before starting the operation.
One extended way of communicating is by using hand signals, as noise levels during water jetting operations and the nature of the protective equipment, e.g., hearing protective equipment, being used limit voice communication. If hand signals are used, clear signals for each step in the operation of the equipment (start the pump, raise the pressure, lower the pressure, shut down the pump, etc.) shall be agreed upon by all workers.
In recent times, very effective radio communications are being introduced in the market. Their use is not generalised yet, but it is being used more and more in water jobs.
What special precautions should be taken when working with automated equipment?
In addition to the usual precautions to be taken when carrying out water jetting jobs – which are already outlined in this document, and for further information, the EWJI’s “Guide about health and safety in water jetting” – the following two issues should also be considered.
Industrial cleaning operations often involve chemicals – the products being cleaned. In these situations, it is vital to ensure the equipment is compatible with these chemicals according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Otherwise, the equipment could be damaged during operations, and potentially an accident may occur.
On the other hand, it should be noted that in ATEX zones – where automated cleaning operations are almost the only option – not all equipment is valid. It is only permissible to use automated equipment in ATEX zones if the manufacturer has specified that it is suitable for use there. A note should also be made that there are several types of ATEX zones, which means that the machine to be used must at least be suitable for that particular zone.
Links
Access the full publication here:
Help us to improve
If you have a suggestion about this content, detect any typo or simply want to send us comments or proposals, you can use the following form to contact EWJI.
