Safety Flash
Injury: Failure of subsea HP water jetting gun
Injury: Failure of subsea HP water jetting gun
- IMCA
- Safety Flash
- IMCA SF 07/11
- DivingInspection and MaintenancePressure Systems
- Dropped objectsMechanical failurePressure systems
- Diving operationsInspection and maintenance
- Hand tools
- Pre-use checks
- Subsea
Summary
A diver sustained a minor left-arm injury when a protective rear barrel unscrewed and fell from an underwater high-pressure water jetting gun. Inspection found worn threads. Handling-related loosening and inadequate pre-use tightness checks were identified as possible contributors; similar guns were subsequently modified. The water jet caused no injury or damage.
Classifications: Dropped objects; falling objects; DROPS.
Classifications: Mechanical failure; equipment failure.
Classifications: Pressure systems; stored pressure; pressurised systems; pressurized systems.
Classifications: Diving operations; diving; commercial diving.
Classifications: Inspection and maintenance; asset inspection; equipment maintenance.
Classifications: Hand tools; hand-held tools; handheld tools.
Classifications: Pre-use checks; pre-use inspection.
Classifications: Subsea; underwater worksite.
Summary
Following publication in IMCA Safety Flash 05/11 (Diver safety – high pressure water jetting), which reported an incident where an injury sustained by a diver after the subsea failure of a high pressure (HP) water jetting gun, a Member would like to draw attention to a similar earlier incident.
IMCA SF 07/11. Themes: diving, inspection and maintenance, pressure systems.