Hydraulic Fluid Spills Hydraulic fluids are materials used to transfer pressure from one point to another. They are used in machines that hold things, turn, lift, pull and push. Hydraulic fluids are often used for car transmissions, brakes and power steering.
What are the different types of hydraulic fluid spills?
Hydraulic Fluid Spills. The three main types of hydraulic fluids are mineral oil hydraulic fluids, polyalphaolefin hydraulic fluids and organophosphate (OP) hydraulic fluids. Hydraulic fluids can be spilled in a variety of ways, such as leaks in machines that use them, brake fluid leaks, or leaky storage tanks.
What happens when you spill hydraulic fluid?
No matter the particular function, when hydraulic oil is spilled it can cause a huge mess. Fresh hydraulic fluid often has a yellow tint, and when used the fluid can become murky leading to a high chance of staining whatever surface it’s been spilled on.
What should you do if you spill hydraulic fluid on your lawn?
Prevention is the best medicine, but if you hydraulic fluid has already spilled on your lawn, a quick response may help your lawn. In vehicles where parts move up and down, hydraulic fluid aids in the process by providing lubrication and lowering the stress of high-pressure systems.
What is hydraulic fluid contamination?
Hydraulic fluid contamination is when foreign particles, debris or moisture pollute your system's hydraulic fluid. Any type of contamination of hydraulic fluid can cause severe damage to hydraulic systems.
How do you clean up a hydraulic fluid spill?
Using a broom, spread the OS Oil Absorbent Powder throughout the spill, which will produce a rubber compound. Collect the combined hydraulic oil and OS Powder and dispose of it in a normal trash receptacle. Gather the excess OS Oil Absorbent Powder and put it back in the bag for future use.
Is hydraulic fluid hazardous?
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to hydraulic fluids occurs mainly in the workplace. Drinking certain types of hydraulic fluids can cause death in humans, and swallowing or inhaling certain types of hydraulic fluids has caused nerve damage in animals. Contact with some types of hydraulic fluids can irritate your skin or eyes.
What are the 4 types of hydraulic fluid?
They are available as oil-in-water emulsions, water-in-oil (invert) emulsions and water glycol blends. Water-based fluids can provide suitable lubrication characteristics but need to be monitored closely to avoid problems.
What volume is considered a small spill?
Small spills, of a volume which does not exceed the capacity of a standard small spill kit (1-4 gallons), can be cleaned up by trained staff within the department. Large spills are to be handled by EHS staff. All spills must be reported to EHS.
Can you touch hydraulic fluid?
Overall, most hydraulic fluids are not particularly dangerous. However, they are not meant to be touched directly, swallowed, or inhaled. Used hydraulic fluid can contain metal fragments and waste materials collected during the time of use.
What does hydraulic fluid smell like?
When oil or hydraulic fluid contaminates the air supply system, you will notice an unpleasant and unusual smell (“fumes”). Oil fumes are often described as smelling like “dirty socks,” or as being musty, moldy, or foul. Hydraulic fluid fumes often have a distinctive acrid odor.
What is the most common hydraulic fluid?
mineral oilThe most common base stock for modern hydraulic fluid is mineral oil, which is referred to as a Group I base oil. Other types of base stock may be required for specialty purposes and may include fluids such as propylene glycol or silicone oils.
Why water is not used in hydraulics?
The water will reduce the strength of lubricating film and hence internal or external leakage will occur. Also, the water molecules will result in oxidation/corrosion of metal surfaces. The low boiling point and freezing point of water is another drawback of using water as a hydraulic fluid.
What is the first rule of hydraulics?
Pressure is equal to the force divided by the area on which it acts. According to Pascal's principle, in a hydraulic system a pressure exerted on a piston produces an equal increase in pressure on another piston in the system.
What are the 3 spill classifications?
Releases (spills) can be categorized into three distinct groups in terms of emergency recognition: Releases that are clearly incidental. Releases that may be incidental or may require emergency response, depending upon circumstances. Releases that clearly require emergency response.
What are the two types of spills?
There are two types of spills that you may run into: Simple Chemical Spills and Complicated Chemical Spills. Simple Chemical Spills are small, confined, and present minimal hazards. You can clean these up. Neutralize or absorb the spill.
What is considered a significant spill?
Significant spill means a net discharge from a wastewater utility of at least five thousand gallons of untreated or partially treated domestic sewage that could cause a serious adverse impact on the environment or public health.
Is hydraulic fluid an environmental hazard?
Hydraulic fluids can enter the environment from spills and leaks in machines that use them and from leaky storage tanks. If spilled on soil, some of the ingredients in the hydraulic fluids mixture may stay on the top, while others may sink into the groundwater.
Is hydraulic fluid a fire hazard?
Hydraulic oils are not generally considered a serious fire hazard, because they have high ignition temperatures. This amounts, however, to a false sense of security, since spraying hydraulic oil will burn just as fiercely as other hydrocarbons.
Is hydraulic oil considered a flammable liquid?
Hydraulic fluids for the most part are considered to be much less flammable than middle distillate fuels. Petroleum-based hydraulic fluids have high flash points, while water-based hydraulic fluids (because of their high water content) are definitely nonflammable.
Is hydraulic fluid cancerous?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and EPA have not classified mineral oil hydraulic fluids, polyalphaolefin hydraulic fluids, and organophosphate ester hydraulic fluids for carcinogenic effects.
Incident description
While the vessel was discharging a cargo of grain, it started to rain heavily requiring the closure of the cargo hold hatch covers as is customary for water sensitive cargoes.
Analysis
The leak was found to originate from a small pinhole in the hydraulic pipe, which was protected with anti-corrosive tape. There was no indication of improper maintenance and it was thought that the leak occurred either due to a manufacturing defect or moisture somehow becoming trapped inside the tape which could promote hidden local corrosion.
Lessons Learnt
Leaks from hydraulic systems associated with cargo hold hatch covers, cranes, pumps and other deck machinery are a common cause of oil spill incidents
What percentage of hydraulic failures are caused by contamination?
Any type of contamination of hydraulic fluid can cause severe damage to hydraulic systems. In fact, it's been found that more than 75 percent of hydraulic system failures can be directly traced back to dangerous contamination levels in the hydraulic fluid.
How to reduce hydraulic fluid contamination?
While you can't totally eliminate contamination from a hydraulic system, you can drastically minimize contamination levels through the use of a carefully planned out reduction strategy. Your strategy should take into account the environment, the GSE components and the operating conditions of your hydraulic system. Focus on developing a strategy that is feasible and that supports the design of your system. The following are some steps you can add into your inspection checklist and predictive maintenance routine to help reduce overall hydraulic fluid contamination levels.
What Are the Sources of Fluid Contamination?
In order to effectively prevent hydraulic fluid contamination — and the damage it can cause — it's important to understand the various sources of fluid contamination. Because at the end of the day, contamination can occur almost anywhere. But if you know when and where it's happening, you can take the right steps to correct and minimize any contamination.
What is particulate contamination?
Particulate Contamination. Abrasive particulate contamination includes contaminates like sand, dirt or metal flakes. This type of contamination can score precision-machined parts in your ground support equipment, which may lead to the failure of hydraulic pumps and motors. Particulate contamination also increases the risk of cavitation, or the formation of small vapor-filled cavities.
How to prevent moisture in hydraulic fluid?
To combat minimal contamination, you should properly store and handle hydraulic fluid to reduce moisture. This means ensuring lids are tightly secured, containers are stored on their sides to prevent water from collecting on the top and hydraulic fluid is kept at a consistent temperature to prevent condensation.
What are the different types of hydraulic fluids?
Types Of Hydraulic Fluid Contamination 1 Particulate Contamination. Abrasive particulate contamination includes contaminates like sand, dirt or metal flakes. This type of contamination can score precision-machined parts in your ground support equipment, which may lead to the failure of hydraulic pumps and motors. Particulate contamination also increases the risk of cavitation, or the formation of small vapor-filled cavities. 2 Non-Abrasive Particle Contamination. Non-abrasive particle contamination includes things like shredded elastomeric seals or chemical byproducts. These contaminates are equally as damaging as abrasive particulate contamination. It can result in clogged parts and stuck valves, causing issues when trying to control flow and pressure. Non-abrasive particle contamination also increases the likelihood of cavitation. 3 Moisture Contamination. When moisture reacts with the additives in your GSE's hydraulic fluid, problematic chemical reactions can occur. This can include corrosion and issues with the hydraulic fluid's elasticity and performance. And when water is trapped in the hydraulic fluid during pressure changes, the risk of cavitation can spike.
What to do when hydraulic fluid is open?
When opening a closed hydraulic system, take care to keep hoses and fittings clean and free of debris. It's also a good idea to use lint-free rags. Be sure to use and maintain filters to prevent any internally generated contamination.
What happens when hydraulic fluid leaks into the ground?
Be sure to operate and maintain machinery and equipment in areas of good ventilation. Environmental contamination may result when hydraulic fluid leaks into the air, ground and groundwater. It is important to take precaution when working with hydraulic machinery and equipment, especially during quick connect and quick release applications.
What is hydraulic fluid?
Hydraulic fluids are used in machinery and equipment to provide power for completing work tasks across a broad range of industries. Hydraulic fluid becomes pressurized when sending power to various attachments used for lifting, digging, pushing, pulling and many other processes. Many industrial operations, agricultural processes, ...
Why is it important to maintain a reliable hydraulic connection?
Worker safety is a top priority in all industries, thus maintaining reliable and leak free hydraulic connections is critical to preventing catastrophic injuries. Exposure to hydraulic fluid poses many serious health risks. Exposure can occur during quick coupling and quick release applications, when switching out equipment attachments, performing routine maintenance or during accidental leaks due to quick coupler failure in pressurized applications.
How to treat eye irritation?
Immediately wash any exposed skin with soap and water. Eye exposure may cause serious irritation and should be flushed with water immediately. Ingestion may cause severe burns, poisoning, internal bleeding, loss of limbs and even death.
Can you be exposed to hydraulic fluid?
Workers can become exposed to hydraulic fluid when using or maintaining equipment. Precautions must be taken as various levels of exposure to hydraulic fluid may have serious consequences including:
Can hydraulic fluid be flammable?
Hydraulic systems under high pressure can produce a fine mist or spray which could be extremely flammable. It is important to keep any sources of ignition clear from hydraulic applications. Sources of ignition could be sparks created by metal to metal contact, high temperatures, and electrical discharges in addition to open flame. Explosions due to hydraulic fluid igniting may cause serious injury and death.
Can you use multiple hydraulic lines at once?
Many processes which utilize multiple hydraulic lines at once benefit from multi-coupling plates. Multi-coupler plates quick connect and disconnect multiple lines at once with the lift of one lever. In one simple movement, you can quick connect and release multiple lines to significantly improve productivity while allowing workers to perform work tasks and equipment maintenance much more efficiently and safely. Stucchi has designed multi-coupling plate systems which have proven to significantly improve productive and safe applications.
What happens when hydraulic fluid falls on turf?
When this happens and hydraulic fluid falls onto turf, it usually results in grass death.
How does hydraulic fluid work in lawn mowers?
In vehicles where parts move up and down, hydraulic fluid aids in the process by providing lubrication and lowering the stress of high-pressure systems. It moves through lines in larger turf-maintenance machines, such as triplex mowers, tractors, and aerators that use hydraulic lift systems. Unfortunately, even when new, these lines are sometimes susceptible to breaking or bursting, or sometimes to popping a seal. When this happens and hydraulic fluid falls onto turf, it usually results in grass death.
Why does grass die when it comes in contact with hydraulic fluid?
Because spills usually occur when lawn maintenance vehicles are actively moving over the lawn, and are therefore running and extremely hot, the hydraulic fluid that comes into contact with the grass is often very hot itself, sometimes as hot as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Beyond that, however, the hydraulic fluid is simply toxic to grasses. Hydraulic fluid spills on the lawn also interfere with photosynthesis and respiration, which prevent any grass that was did not die on contact from growing.
Can hydraulic fluid be used to kill grass?
Dish soap, for example, helps to speed the degradation of hydraulic fluid, which can reduce the amount of time actively harmful liquid is in contact with the grass. Still, leaving hydraulic fluid in the soil can cause permanent contamination that can affect the growth of all future grass in the area, possibly killing it. The best idea is to dig out the contaminated soil and replace it.
Can you reseed lawn with hydraulic fluid?
Unfortunately, hydraulic fluid is quite poisonous to turf grasses, so you won’t be able to reseed that patch of lawn without somehow leaching out the toxic fluid or else removing and replacing the soil entirely.
What happens if you spill hydraulic oil?
No matter the particular function, when hydraulic oil is spilled it can cause a huge mess. Fresh hydraulic fluid often has a yellow tint, and when used the fluid can become murky leading to a high chance of staining whatever surface it’s been spilled on.
How does hydraulic oil cleanup work?
Rather than simply picking up oil from the surface of a spill, OS products work to completely handle the entire spill. Using the science of microencapsulation on a microscopic level, hydraulic oil is surrounded within a silica matrix and neutralized. This means that the entire spill along with its accompanying characteristics of the stain and odor are eliminated on the spot. There’s no need for more than one product and the spill can be handled in a fraction of the time it would normally take to clean.
Why is hydraulic oil important?
Due to the importance of hydraulic oil for the functionality of a variety of machines, it would be beneficial to understand how to properly perform hydraulic oil cleanup in the event of a spill. Hydraulic oil or fluid, as the name suggests, is used as the means of power transfer in a hydraulic mechanical system. However, hydraulic oil has a slew of other purposes depending on the machine in question such as acting as a lubricant, being a medium for heat transfer or special functionalities like modifying the friction of certain parts or providing fire resistance.
Where to dispose of hydraulic oil and OS powder?
Collect the combined hydraulic oil and OS Powder and dispose of it in a normal trash receptacle.
How to contact the federal government about an oil spill?
All it takes is a single telephone call to the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.
Who is required to report oil spills?
Any person in charge of vessels or facilities that discharge oil in such quantities is required to report the spill to the federal government. EPA provides several exemptions from the oil spill reporting requirements.
What is a superfund RQ?
For releases of hazardous substances, the federal government has established Superfund Reportable Quantities (RQs). If a hazardous substance is released to the environment in an amount that equals or exceeds its RQ, the release must be reported to federal authorities, unless certain reporting exemptions for hazardous substance releases also apply.
What is a violation of water quality standards?
Violate applicable water quality standards; Cause a film or "sheen" upon, or discoloration of the surface of the water or adjoining shorelines; or. Cause a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines.
Does the EPA report oil spills?
Oil Spills. EPA has established requirements to report spills to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. EPA has determined that discharges of oil in quantities that may be harmful to public health or the environment include those that:
Is oil discharge required under the SPCC?
Reporting an oil discharges may also be required under the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule. For more information on reporting oil discharges, please see: Oil Discharge Reporting Requirements: How to Report to the National Response Center and EPA.
