GATES has released the LifeGuard Line-Of-Sight sleeving which is said to improve mine safety.
The supplier says that the system is the first true protection in Line-Of-Sight hydraulic applications.
The LifeGuard Line-Of-Sight sleeving contains 6,000 psi bursts and 3,000 psi pinhole leaks at 100°C for up to five minutes. After redirecting the explosive force down the length of the hose, the LifeGuard sleeve disperses the energy and fluids at the hose ends via carefully designed “channel” clamps. The leaked fluid then allows for fast hose failure detection. The double-layer sleeve effectively shields you against these hazards.
Gates claims that no other flexible connection safeguards your operators, equipment and environment like the LifeGuard sleeving.
CMS insurance over the past eight years have recorded hydraulic incidents in the Longwall Industry, a staggering 62% have been caused by hose and/or fitting failure and resulted in 159 injuries — averaging about 20 per year. A high force leak has the power to pierce the skin and can, in some cases, result in death.
Furthermore, the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy says that pin-hole sized leaks in a hose or pipe will cause a very fine jet of fluid that may be undetectable as a jet, as it's not always noisy and not always wet, such as air. The very fine jet at high pressure will act like a hypodermic needle that may penetrate the skin, depositing some of the fluid. If a person is close to the leak or attempting to find a leak by hand, then there's a possibility of an injury.
Gates claims that awareness needs to be continually raised of the risk posed by a fine, high pressure jet of fluid and specifically needing to be warned not to search for the fine pinhole leak by hand. Equipment operators working within a one metre line-of-sight of a hydraulic system the risks can include personal injury, fluid burns and injection, fires and explosions, electrical shock and mechanical failure.
For more information on LifeGuard line-of-sight sleeving and other Gates hydraulic products, click here.