Safety Tips For Operating Your Company's New Hydraulic Flange Spreader

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If your company recently purchased a new hydraulic flange spreader to make fixing pipeline easier, then it is important everyone who works with the tool knows how to safely operate it. Since hydraulic flange spreaders are under thousands of tons of pressure and can be fatal if not safely operated, using them according to the manufacturer's specifications is essential. To this end, follow these safety tips for operating your new flange spreader:

Tip: Correctly Tighten and Seal All Hydraulic Hose Connections Before Using the Flange Spreader

Before operating your new hydraulic flange spreader, your employees need to understand exactly how to correctly tighten and seal all of the hydraulic hoses. Hydraulic hoses should be connected and tightened by hand. No one should ever overtighten the hydraulic fittings because this can strip the fitting's threads and lead to failure. If a hydraulic hose's fittings fail while the hoses are under pressure, then they will be launched in the air and can injure someone. To avoid this fate, simply tighten the fittings by hand.

Tip: Never Use a Hydraulic Flange Spreader on Unapproved Items

While your new flange spreader is very handy for spreading pipes and pipeline fittings, there are many things it should never be used on because it is not safe. Some of these things include:

  • bulkheads
  • near humans
  • near farm animals
  • near mirrors or glass

In addition, you should never use a flange spreader at home or around children and pets.

Tip: Don't Use a Flange Spreader with a Cylinder that Has Dropped a Load

If someone on your job site was using the flange spreader and it suddenly dropped a load, then it should not be used again until the cylinder is certified to be safe by a hydraulic repair professional. A spreader that drops a load will likely drop another one and this is very dangerous for the tool's operator. 

Tip: Obtain a Copy of the Flange Spreader's Operator's Manual in Your Employee's Native Languages

Finally, since a flange spreader can kill someone of it is not used exactly as designed, it is important for you to give each employee an operator's manual printed in their native language. They should read the operator's manual before being permitted to operate the spreader. Since vital information can become lost in translation, this is very important. You can find the operator's manuals for most common languages on your flange spreader manufacturer's website.

Contact a company like SMP Specialty Maintenance Products for more information.

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25 June 2017

Learning About Safety Equipment for the Industrial Field

Hello, my name is Candace Hunt. Welcome to my site about safety equipment used in the industrial field. Equipment operators must pay close attention to safety while operating industrial machinery. The safety techniques and tools used in this industry are purpose-built and designed to protect workers doing a specific job. I will cover the different types of safety equipment and the correct ways to utilize the supplies. My site will help you understand how employees stay safe while operating large machinery. Please feel free to visit my site daily to learn all you can about these industrial safety supplies. Thank you.