Far-reaching new medical guidelines for managing injuries are among the important additions to a revised Code of Practice published by the Water Jetting Association (WJA).
The member organisation for the UK water jetting industry has revised its Blue Code of Practice for the Use of High Pressure and Ultra High Pressure Water Jetting for the first time since 2015.
It is the nineth time the Blue Code, as the document is called, has been revised or significantly amended and then republished since it was first created in 1982.
The WJA also has a ‘Red Code’ for the Safe Working and Use of Water Jetting in Drains and Sewers. It urges members and commissioning clients to consult the codes of practice every time they need to confirm best practice in water jetting.
The new medical guidelines for the management of industrial high pressure fluid injection injuries (IHPFIIs) are based on research commissioned by the WJA and carried out by a team of eminent trauma doctors.
David Kennedy, Director of the WJA, said: “The medical guidelines were first published in 2019. They represent a step change in our understanding of fluid injection injuries and our ability to treat them.
“For that reason, we wanted to include them in our Blue Code as soon as possible. If applied, the guidelines will save lives and reduce the risk of long-term and life-changing serious injury.
“We’ve also gone through the Code of Practice line by line, updating guidance based on latest understanding on best practice, changes to health and safety regulation and legislation, and feedback from our members.”
Other significant changes include the inclusion of a hierarchy of control in an appendix to the section on risk assessment and a new appendix providing extra information and advice about water jetting personal protective equipment (PPE).
