FLUID POWER SAFETY INSTITUTE™ - Maintenance Safety Bulletin

(Ref. No: MSB-005)

What's this Maintenance Safety Bulletin about?
A porta-power is possibly the most overlooked component in the fluid power industry from a safety and training point of view - let's talk about porta-power safety!

Who needs to pay attention to this Safety Bulletin?
Everyone who, in the course of their work, uses a porta-power.

Tell me more!
The reason why porta-power safety is generally overlooked is probably because a porta-power is such a simple device!

It consists of nothing more than a miniature hand-operated pump with an onboard tank.

The operation of a porta-power is simplicity itself - just connect and pump!

Don't be fooled! This tiny, unassuming little pump has the ability to pump up to pressures reaching 10,000 PSI (690 bar), and this makes it a mechanism not to be reckoned with!

There have been untold numbers of porta-power accidents (lost time), and who knows how many non-injury accidents (NIA's).

Here are just two case histories associated with porta-power accidents:

Case History #1
A millwright was using a porta-power and a ram to lift a relatively heavy weight.

When the ram had extended just a few inches, a connector unexpectedly failed. As the oil discharged from the broken connector at high velocity it caused the hose to whip violently, and struck him in the face.

He was treated at a local hospital for a severe face laceration and bruises. He received numerous stitches to repair the wound.

Case History #2
A diesel mechanic was attempting to remove a bearing from a shaft with a porta-power assisted bearing puller. The puller was part of a bearing removal kit that was supplied with the porta-power.

The victim fastened the puller assembly to the shaft and began to pump the porta-power lever to operate the bearing puller assembly.

The bearing reportedly showed no signs of moving, and the porta-power lever became increasingly difficult to push - it needed more leverage.

He placed the porta-power on the ground, knelt down beside it, and pushed down on the lever with both hands, using his entire upper body weight. After a few strokes of the lever, the bearing/shaft assembly unexpectedly failed. The parts and pieces of the bearing puller flew in all directions.

A piece of the puller struck the victim in the face. He was rushed to the hospital with extensive bleeding from the face.

He suffered severe face lacerations, and an eye injury. He was treated for broken orbital bones around his eye, and a detached retina.

What did these victims do wrong?
While they both had reportedly used a porta-power many times before their respective accidents occurred, neither of them had received proper training on how to use a porta-power, or instruction about porta-power safety.

In addition, neither of the porta-powers in these examples were properly equipped for safe operation.

The victim, in the example, suffered his accident because the connector unexpectedly failed. However, it was determined during the subsequent accident investigation that the connector was fabricated out of black-pipe - it was rated for a maximum operating pressure of 250 PSI (17 bar)! The question remains, how did it find its way onto the porta-power?

During the investigation it was determined that the accident was caused by a series of errors, most of which were caused by inexperience! The most alarming fact was that none of the maintenance personnel, or the victim, could differentiate between a black-pipe connector, a 3000 PSI (207 bar) connector, or a 10,000 PSI (690 bar) connector! Another unfortunate error, was that the porta-power was not equipped with a pressure gauge.

And finally, the victim, because he had no formal fluid power training, could not relate pressure to force output, and visa versa. The little he knew about fluid power he learned on the job!

The victim in the second example was at an equal disadvantage: He also had never been trained; thus he could not relate pressure to force.

In addition, the porta-power he was using at the time of his accident, was also unfit for safe operation. It too did not have a pressure gauge.

What immediate action must I take to avoid this type of accident?
The first, and most pivotal step, anyone can, and must, take to avoid accidents of any nature is empowerment - training!

Trained personnel know what important seps they must take before doing any job!

Before using a porta-power of any type, and for any reason, follow these important general safety procedures:

Prepare yourself -

1. You must be trained so you can proficiently "audit" the porta-power for safety.

2. Wear safety glasses with side shields and a facemask when using a porta-power.

Prepare the work area -

1. Make sure the work area is clean and free of clutter.

2. Clean up any oil spills that might cause a slip hazard.

3. Secure the porta-power, so it cannot fall on your feet.

Prepare the porta-power -

1. A porta-power is generally capable of handling pressures up to 10,000 PSI (690 bar) - THIS IS EXTREME PRESSURE - MAKE SURE THE PORTA-POWER IS IN OUTSTANDING WORKING ORDER!

Before Use:

1. Inspect the porta-power for physical damage or abuse. If you see any outward signs of damage, red-tag it, and advise the supervisor/safety department. It must either be repaired by a competent/trained person, or replaced.

2. If the porta-power has been modified in any manner, other than by the manufacturer, it MUST be put back into original working condition by a competent/trained person, or discarded.

3. Check the oil level BEFORE USE - fill, if necessary, with the recommended oil. Before adding oil, retract the ram or accessories, to prevent overfilling the reservoir.

Overfilling from the ram or accessory could cause the reservoir to rupture due to overpressure. This could lead to severe injury or death.

4. Install a pressure gauge - As a critical safety precaution, a porta-power MUST be equipped with a pressure gauge to allow the operator to monitor pressure while it is in use.

It is not advisable to install a permanent gauge, because a porta-power generally gets subjected to a fair amount of abuse, and the gauge could easily get damaged.

The gauge installation need not be tedious. There are a variety of high-pressure gauge connectors that are available to make the installation of a master gauge effortless - without spilling any oil!

CAUTION!

The gauge port MUST have a pressure rating equal to, or greater than, the pressure rating of the porta-power.
The pressure gauge MUST have a scale of at least 10,000 PSI (690 bar) or greater.

5. Inspect all the connectors. They must be able to withstand pressures up to 10,000 PSI (690 bar).

If necessary, permanently mark them so they are easily identifiable.

6. When making connector or hose substitutions the pressure rating MUST be correct and verifiable.

7. Never weld or modify connectors. "Homemade" connectors are totally unreliable and can fail at any pressure.

8. Check the hoses for physical damage. Any hose damage could adversely compromise its structural integrity and cause it to fail unexpectedly.

High Pressure Gauge Connector

Pressure Gauge Installed

As the work begins:
When the porta-power is ready for use, and all connections are properly secured, watch for oil leaks as the pressure begins to rise.

If there are any oil leaks at all, regardless of how small, cease operation immediately, and red-tag the porta-power (the smaller the leak, the greater the hazard).

Continued operation with a pinhole leak could cause an oil injection type injury, which could lead to serious injury or death.

Prepare the actuator or accessory!

1. Check the pressure rating of the ram (actuator), or accessory (e.g. bearing puller).

2. Check the pressure rating of the connectors on the ram or accessory.

3. Check the ram or accessory for physical damage or leaks. If there are problems DO NOT USE IT - RED TAG IT!

4. Don’t let any connector (on the porta-power, ram, or accessory) face you directly. Turn it to one side or the other.

If the hose or a connector fails unexpectedly, the ram will transform into a weight-loaded accumulator, and force the fluid out of the actuator with immense velocity.

A stream of oil that is pushed through a small opening by extremely high pressure could quite easily emulate a steel rod flying through the air.

5. If you are going to use a porta-power accessory such as a bearing puller, inspect it carefully.

Make sure it has a pressure rating equal to or greater than the porta-power.

Inspect the accessory for physical damage. If there are any signs ofl damage or abuse DO NOT USE IT - RED TAG IT!

If it has been modified in any way, or welded, DO NOT USE IT.

WARNING!

Never make or use, substitute parts for a porta-power, porta-power ram, connectors, hose, or accessories.
Improperly made, substandard, or defective parts could be subjected to forces and pressures that could cause them to fail unexpectedly.
These failures could lead to severe injury, death, or substantial property damage.

During operation:

1. While you are operating a porta-power glance at the pressure gauge from time-to-time. It will give you an idea about the status of the task.

For example: you are in the process of using a bearing puller assembly to remove a bearing from a shaft. You observe the gauge, as you gradually stroke the lever, and the gauge indicates the rate, and amount at which the pressure increases.

You notice that the bearing breaks loose and begins to slide on the shaft at approximately 2000 PSI (138 bar). The bearing continues to move as you continue to operate the lever.

The bearing moves a few inches and suddenly stops moving. You notice that the pressure starts to increase beyond 2000 PSI (138 bar), and climbs to 3000 PSI (207 bar) - YOU MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY, THIS INDICATES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM!

Because you have the benefit of the pressure gauge to indicate to you what pressure it took to break the bearing loose, you have the ability to know that something is amiss.

The bearing may have stopped moving because it encountered a visually undetectable burr on the shaft, or the shaft may be slightly bent.

Without the pressure gauge, the pressure could have unknowingly reached as much as 10,000 PSI (690 bar).

The resultant forces applied to the components, other than the bearing puller assembly, could quite easily have resulted in an unexpected failure with catastrophic results!

WARNING!

Operating a porta-power, without knowing what the pressure is, can result in a catastrophic failure that can leads to severe injury or death.

While a porta-power and bearing puller assembly are rated for 10,000 PSI (690 bar) and can adequately accommodate the resultant forces, the bearing and shaft assembly may not be. This could lead to an unexpected failure, which could lead to severe injury or death!

2. BE ALERT - Never take your eyes off the task at hand. If something should occur, you may need to take immediate action.

Conclusion:
Summary - General porta-power safety precautions:

1. Only qualified, authorized personnel should operate, adjust, repair, or install a porta-power and/or accessory.

2. Any posted warning decal/s MUST be replaced if unreadable.

3. Do not use a porta-power or an accessory, if it is damaged, modified, or in bad condition.

4. Do not use the hoses as a carry handle or to move equipment to which it is connected. Stress may cause the hose to weaken and fail.

5. Do not overtighten the connectors. Overtightening can cause premature thread failure. It may also cause high-pressure connectors to split at pressures lower than their rated capacities.

6. Do not subject the porta-power, accessories, and/or hoses to potential hazards such as fire, extreme heat or cold, or heavy impact.

7. Do not expose the hose to sharp surfaces, twisting, bending, kinking, or incompatible fluids.

8. Release the pressure before removing or tightening any connectors.

9. DO NOT connect the porta-power to a system that is powered by another pump. Backpressure from the other pump can cause the reservoir to fail unexpectedly.

10. Always release the pressure slowly.

11. Store the porta-power and accessories in a clean area. This will aid in keeping contamination out when making connections, and also when filling with oil.

12. Use a porta-power, ram, and accessories strictly for their intended use only.

NOTE:
The information in this maintenance safety bulletin is not intended as a substitute for any operation, safety, caution and/or warning notice provided by the respective component manufacturers.

These are guidelines only. Refer to the specific component manufacturers literature for safety and operation information about their specific product(s).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be advised that we will be releasing a video titled, "Porta-power Safety" in the near future. We are now accepting pre-release orders.

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Waiver of Liability -

The Fluid Power Safety Institute™ does everything possible to ensure that the information and drawings contained in this safety notice are accurate, and the suggested procedures are deemed safe and reliable.
However, these are general recommendations only and might not be applicable to all situations.
You MUST have your engineering department in conjunction with your safety department read these recommendations and make the necessary changes for your application.
The Fluid Power Safety Institute™ is not responsible for actions taken by untrained and/or unauthorized persons.
Trained, authorized persons only should do ALL fluid power system service, repair, and troubleshooting.