Traditional pipe cutting poses many high-risk and dangerous conditions for staff working in the water network and construction industries. The incredible power behind hand-held pipe-cutting tools, designed to cut through thick material quickly can become potentially lethal within the blink of an eye.
These tools are vulnerable to the violent pressures unleashed when the blade of a saw jams inside a cut. These forces are quite tough and often impossible to control leaving the operator or bystanders at risk of potentially lethal injury from such an uncontrollable saw. Working regularly with these hand-held tools of this capacity exposes a liability to a wide range of hazards that no amount of supervision, instruction, or training could prevent.
While some hazards are a lot more common like a sudden kickback of a heavy saw or a blade break, others are slightly less noticeable when you aren’t looking for risks. Loud noise, toxic fumes and dust, and the vibrations from saws won’t always cause immediate injuries but can cause the body harm if endured for a length of time.
Kickbacks, Pushbacks, or Pull-ins
These sudden and potentially fatal forces are often difficult to manage even for experienced operators. Such incidences occur when a spinning blade strikes a resisting obstacle in a concrete pipe for example causing the blade to jam up or kick back suddenly. Likewise, when the material being cut moves slightly, pinching and jamming the blade bringing the blade to a sudden and violent halt. These sudden and unpredictable forces can wrench the saw from its place, sometimes ripping it from the operator's grip creating a threat to the operator and those around them.
Blade Damage
This incident is usually witnessed when relying on a saw blade with a wrong diamond-cutting bond. In these cases, the cutting diamonds are held together too hard, and it causes a delay in the cutting process that blunts the surface diamonds. To maintain momentum, extra force is applied, increasing the probability of a push-back, kick-back, or pull-in. If a force is applied when the blade is blunt and an obstacle is hit it can bend the blade, cutting incorrect or offline grooves or make the blade violently vibrate, wobble, shatter, or fragment which can often catapult up causing harmful incidents.
Toxic Fumes and Hazardous Dust
On worksites, in pits and trenches where workers are surrounded by fumes and dust, a lack of proper ventilation can be the cause of sickness and lost time. Sewage emissions, petrol motor exhaust fumes, and other toxic gases not only create unsafe working conditions for operators but have been known to explode if ignited. Likewise, when performing dry cutting and drilling operations, harmful clouds of dust like silica dust are produced that can cause major health issues if no measures are taken to prevent it. It is estimated that 230 people develop lung cancer each year because of past exposure to silica dust at work.
Operator Fatigue
Often experienced while using traditional pipe-cutting tools as the loud and physically demanding tools are often used for long hours. These tools are usually heavy and the pipe cutting takes time consequently putting strain on the operator's arms, back, and shoulders causing long-lasting or permanent back issues for workers. The operator also experiences arm and full body vibrations radiating from the machinery that can impact the nerve system, joints, and circulatory system if no preventative measures are used. Likewise, high decibels of noise can cause headaches, migraines, and damage to hearing if exposed for a prolonged period.
Modern & Safe Pipe Cutting Methods
While there are many dangers associated with traditional pipe cutting, modern and safer methods are becoming more available. Ensuring reliable, controlled water to the Australian Water Industry, our Wachs Pipe Cutting Saws are designed to the highest of standards and built for safe and efficient operation.
Wachs Diamond Wire Saws strap securely onto the pipe eliminating the danger of kickback accidents while the Pinch Proof Technology along with the guillotine shape and style prevents any offline cuts and blade jams. With consistently smooth cuts and a quick, easy setup and operation, workers no longer are required to endure long hours of physical labour and exposure to harmful fumes and dust, minimizing operators’ fatigue.
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