Water Jet Cutting And Personal Safety

Water jet cutting machines that can be fitted in the garage, or private workshop are becoming a little more common.

Investing in a unit such as this might seem tempting – the ability to cut parts quickly and accurately without the need to contact a specialist.

However, the power of water jets is such that safety considerations must always be paramount.

A real concern is that the dangers are not fully appreciated because of a view that ‘it is just water’. People may be used to their pressure washer, but this is water pressure on a whole different level.

Not to put too fine a point on it, a professional water jet cutting machine can cut through thick metal – fingers do not stand much of a chance.

The damage is also often akin to blast damage, rather than a pure cut – the trauma of a gunshot.

Specialist equipment must be worn – Kevlar-reinforced gloves, but also knee pads, elbow pads and more.

Debris could fly off and cause injury, especially with a set-up altogether more amateurish that a specialist would use.

Goggles are essential, and so too ear defenders. Water jet cutting can be very noisy and without proper ear protection, there is the danger of long-term damage to hearing. Ear damage creeps on over time, it is not a sudden exposure to a loud noise, instead the damage of regular exposure to loud sounds.

Goggles of course prevent damage from debris to the eye – the water jet cutting process may be inert, but that the garnet will still be extremely harmful to the eye if it hits at speed. It might be compared to driving at speed on a dusty road on a motorbike, with no visor.

A further concern would be damage to the machine – leaks for instance that could cause explosions or water jets to escape at unexpected angles.

Water jet cutting is highly specialist.

Many people, if you asked them if they would have a laser in their garage to cut stuff, would say ‘of course not!’ However, water jet cutting is many times more powerful.

It is not just water, it is a force that can slice through bones, create deafness over time and do untold damage to the eyes should debris accidentally be fired towards the face.

This is why we would always recommend using specialist providers – those who do water jet cutting and nothing but water jet cutting and so every aspect of the process is perfectly planned for the job at hand.

Work with the UK’s leading Water Jet Cutters

At TMC, we are a water jet cutter who serve the whole of the UK and increasingly Europe too, with clients across the content trusting us to work on their projects.

Despite our success, we remain a company that focusses on every client and work on projects of all sizes. If you think water jet cutting might be of use for your project, please do get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

Call us on 01625 610 441 or use our Contact Form.