Safety!!

Safety is the most important component of any hydraulic circuit. If safety protocol and regulations are not followed serious injury or death could result. There are numerous examples of technicians or maintenance workers trying to take circumvent these regulations and resulting in injury. 

 Let’s examine one of these examples. A diesel mechanic was severely injured as a result of an accident he suffered while replacing a hydraulic hose assembly on a front-end loader. He was found crushed between the lift arm assembly and the front axle. He was apparently replacing the hose which transported oil from the control valve to the cap-end of the cylinder. He was positioned in the only location from which the hose could be accessed.

The reason for the accident was because the mechanic thought that if he had the bucket on the ground and the parking break on nothing could move. When he went to unscrew the cylinder to remove the hose he didn’t take into account that cylinders can move due to gravity as well, which is what happened and this intern crushed him in between the front axle and lift arm assembly. The mechanic should have supported the front end load from the underside so that the bucket could have never moved. Safety should be a constant concern on everybody's mind.