Snakes and High Stakes
One of the strangest sights that I never expected to see was a boa constrictor wrapped from shoulders to waist around my smiling daughter. I should explain that she was interning at a safari park for her wildlife biology degree . . . nevertheless, the thought still makes me grimace. Little did I know she’d go on to form a close attachment with a grey rat snake at her next job. Kids!
Even if the thought of snakes doesn’t creep you out, it’s the sight of a snake giving that angry fang dance that’ll send a shiver down your spine if you’ve got an ounce of self-preservation. That “he’s-gonna-hurt-me” motion is reminiscent of another danger that lurks in your industrial world and the world in which your customers operate – I’m referring to hose hazards that can unleash frightful injuries upon people.
Improperly applied or misassembled hoses in industrial applications can result in lacerations, punctures, amputations, burns, and high-pressure injection injuries. A flailing hydraulic hose creates slip and fall hazards indoors and demands remediation activity when spills happen outdoors. Equipment suspended at a height can fall on workers below if a hose fails. And because some fluids are flammable or explosive, hose failure can also mean risk of fire.
It is with these dangers in mind that NAHAD – The Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution has instituted Hose Safety Awareness Week, which is occurring this very week – Sept. 10-16 – as the magazine makes its way to your mailroom. Throughout the week, distributor members of NAHAD have been actively sharing and promoting safety best practices with their own customers. It seems fitting for the entire industrial distribution sector to also be mindful of the critical safety issues associated with the myriad hoses all distributors and customers come in contact with. Precautions include: working only with certified suppliers, rigidly adhering to all proper inspection and maintenance requirements, and thoroughly training all employees who work around hose assemblies.
“With new people joining our industry and joining the workforce with our end users annually, it is incumbent on us to continually provide messaging and training that supports industry best practices and guidelines to ensure hose assembly safety, quality, and reliability,” says 2023 NAHAD President Dave Heckler. “By raising awareness of the potential hazards associated with hoses, and how to prevent accidents and injuries, we can keep workers safe and their operations running efficiently.”
Folks, I encourage you to listen to my Hot Seat interview with NAHAD Executive Director Molly Mullins – you can find it under Resources at industrialsupplymagazine.com. She underscores the great significance of the Awareness Week and the powerful work of NAHAD members to continuously ensure the safety of end users. Meanwhile, have a look at the editorial messages on page 36 from three hose/ assembly manufacturers for more insights on this product category. You’ll consume quite a lot of practical and profitable content on your way there, too. I sincerely welcome your feedback.
Thanks for reading.
Kim Phelan
kphelan@directbusinessmedia.com
Kim Phelan
Editor
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Industrial Supply magazine. Copyright, 2023 Direct Business Media.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
