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Safety Awareness Training

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The Water Jetting Association (WJA) Approved Safety Awareness Course

Who is the course for?

The Safety Awareness Course is essential to all of those working in the Water Jetting industry as health and safety within the industry is of paramount importance. Well trained and competent staff will have a greater awareness and appreciation of safe working practices with high pressure water jetting. Councils, insurance companies, water utilities and major contractors demand that staff have correct and current training and hold valid Certificates.

The Safety Awareness course is essential as it is a prerequisite to our other courses. The certificate lasts for three (3) years. After three years, another Safety Awareness course must be taken and passed in order to re-validate other course certificates.

Are there any prerequisites?

There are no prerequisites.

What is involved?*

This is an entry-level course and is a mandatory one-day class-based course covering all main areas of water jetting operation and safety, including types of water jetting, water pressure and flow rates, risk assessment, and the use of safety clothing.

This is a theoretical classroom-based course.  At the end of the day there will be a question paper with 20 questions with a pass mark of 75%.

Once the course has been successfully completed participants will be issued with a Certificate and photocard which are valid for three years and are issued by the Water Jetting Association (WJA).  The Certificate and Photocard are recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and are City and Guild Accredited (C&G).  These are valid for three years and the course must be repeated before the Certificate and Photocard can be renewed.  Please note -. If your Safety Awareness certificate goes out of date, for any reason, your other certificates immediately become invalid.  A valid Safety Awareness certificate is required to keep all certificates validated.

Example of the Safety Awareness Certificate and ID card issued by the WJA on successful completion of the course. Please note this is NOT an operational card.

*WJA Safety Awareness Training Course – Contents

1. Registration and Introduction

2. Applications and Machines

Cleaning and surface preparation – surfaces/drain and sewers/pipes/tubes. Jet cutting – precision and volume removal. Effect of varying pressure/flow at the nozzle. Range of jetting machines, configurations and categories (Pressure Washers/General Purpose/Medium-Heavy Duty/UHP/Drain and Sewer Jetters).

3. Legislation and the Water Jetting Association (WJA) Codes of Practice

Health & Safety at Work Act. WJA Codes of Practice, status, use and recognition by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Management Regulations – Risk Assessment, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations, COSHH. Employer/Employee responsibilities. Enforcement Powers. Other relevant legislation – e.g. Environmental Protection Act, Control of Pollution Act.

4. Jetting Equipment – Nozzles

Jet principles – purpose of nozzles, power of water jet, jet pressure/flow characteristics, jet reaction force. Types of nozzle – forward facing, fixed and spinning jets, multi-jet fixed & jet spinning nozzles.

5. Jetting Equipment – Pumps

Pump configuration – standard piston, plunger pump, positive displacement action, operating features, effects of blockages, variation of plunger sizes. Other pump configurations, diaphragm and intensifier types. Drive arrangements, engine/electric motor, hazardous area equipment Water supply/delivery features – filtration requirements, boost feed pumps, pulsation dampeners, jump-jet. Pressure safety relief options – relief valve/bursting disc. Pressure gauge features.

6. Jetting Equipment – Pressure Controls

Dump and dry shut controls, fail-safe/selector versions, direct manual operation/remote operation via electric-pneumatic-hydraulic controls, automatic unloader valve for dry shut, pressure regulators, automatic off-load engine speed control systems.

7. Jetting Equipment – High Pressure Hose

Hose construction and pressure ratings, external and internal damage possibilities, hazards arising from damaged hoses, inspection requirements. Hose end fittings, construction/assembly/testing. Connectors and hose end couplings – types and features. Bore size & flow ratings. Hose for general/high flow/small bore tube and pipe cleaning. Pressure drop due to flow through hose and lances – effect on pressure available at the nozzle.

8. Water Jetting Hazards

Hazards arising – directly from the water jet – from operational regime – from site environment.

9. Water Jetting Injuries

Effects of impact by high pressure water jet, nature of internal injuries caused, action in event of a jetting injury -awareness of possible absence of visual injury and use of WJA Medical Card.

10. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

General principles regarding use of PPE, as a last resort. Main body protection – limits on effectiveness against direct impact of water jet. Protection of head/hands/feet/hearing/respiration. Particular requirements when using UHP.

11. Operational Procedures

Routine care and inspection, site preparations, preparations for operation, team operation. Safety points during operation – use of manual jetting gun/lance, tube/pipe/drain cleaning nozzle/lance/hose combinations & techniques. Safe use of non-standard equipment – e.g. tee nozzle. Site shutdown and antifreeze procedures. Use of DO/DO NOT GUIDE

12. Summary

Review of course content as above, with opportunity for any further discussion before Questionnaire.

Get in Touch…

Contact us today to learn more about our Water Jetting Training Services. You can also book our open courses online, simply select your preferred date on our calendar.