Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > A cautionary tale

[rockhopper]

My boss came up to see me today and told me that he had an accident during the weeked. He'd been pressure washing his patio when the lance appeared to block. Like a fool he turned the lance around and looked down the end just as the blockage cleared. He got the full water pressure in his face. The jet hit him about 5mm away from his right eye and literally peeled back the skin as far as his ear and from his hairline down to his chin. The poor guy looks like he's had a car crash and gone though the windscreen. He was so lucky not to loose his eye.

Be careful folks, these things are not toys.

[NBs996]

Nasty things they can be.
I had a much more frightening incident yesterday... it took some paint clean off my V-piece

[Ains.]

Bet his on anti-biotics and all sorts, even pressure down as low as 100 psi can blow dirt through your skin and into your bloodstream. Instant blood poisoning.
Lance end pressure on even a medium sized pressure washer can be as high as 3000psi.
Nasty stuff, in fact I've banned 'em on this boat coz people do exactly what your boss did or worse use 'em as water cannons on each other.
Just as well it wasn't a steam cleaning set to boot.

Ains.

[Carbon749]

Once took big chunks of paint and pin stripe off the tank of my first bike

Did the same a few years later on the front bumper of my car. Water jet hit some stone chips and just lifted the paint off .... glad it was a company car

Never use one on a car or bike now.

[ScottyB]

Even worse case scenario is if it is HP jetting and air bubbles get into the system, can be fatal.

Fingers crossed he makes a full recovery.

Regards

ScottyB

[Spen]

And he's the boss??

[rockhopper]

The same boss who fell off a step ladder while pruning some bushes and broke three ribs and his collar bone!

He looks quite good considering what happened. He's mostly glad that he didn't damage his eye. Gonna have one heck of a scar though.

I knew high pressure air can be dangerous but i didn't realise quite what hp water could do.

[Spen]

I saw a water powered coal cutting machine many years ago, this impressed me a lot, basically a pressure washer which blasted the coal off the face!!
Water can't be compressed so it gives a very strong jet under pressure.
It was ripping coal off as easily as a DECMT. (Double Ended Conveyor Mounted Trepanner). Super powerful machines.

Recently saw a similar thing, basically a pressure washer with silicone particles in the water, this was cutting through 3 inch steel with amazing accuracy. And quick. Computer controlled nozzle, amazing bit of kit. Would have liked one myself, just didn't have the 2 million quid in my pocket at the time........... Now if it had been a couple of weeks later.......

[philthy]

Please advise him never to take up shooting will you?

[Davieravie]

Or orginising Firework displays!