Water Jet Safety

Pressurized Water

• Pressurized water that flows from the water jet seems safe, but in fact the stream is powerful enough to cause serious harm if not handled properly. Also, safety issues arise for shops who try design their own water jet parts without understanding how to regulate water pressure.

Hands

• The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association recommends that an operator of a jet machine never place their hands in a tank while the machine is in operation. Planning out the job ahead of time is one of the best ways to avoid injury.

Slats

• Water jet safety issues usually are derived from slats which support the materials that are being cut by the jet. These slats tend to become sharp and jagged over time. Care must be taken when loading materials on and off the slats. FMA also recommends walking across boards as opposed to slats when removing cut materials.

Water Jet Cards

• Treating water jet injuries are unique because they have unusual characteristics. Doctors treating these wounds need to know exactly what kind of substances they're dealing with in order to effectively help the injured patient. Water jet cards are available for jet cutters that list all of the substances involved with the job that they were performing before injury.

Safety Rules

• Other safety rules for water jets include wearing protective eyewear, using a lifting device to move materials on stats, using hearing protection, keeping guards on, closing covers and implementing lockout/tagout procedures when performing maintenance on the machine.