Compressed air can be very helpful for powering pneumatic tools and for transferring nonflammable liquids. You can even use it for cleaning equipment if you follow strict safety procedures. But, compressed air is also dangerous.
How could plain old air be hazardous? Consider this:
- Compressed air can pop your eyeball from its socket.
- If directed at the ear, it can puncture an eardrum and cause deafness.
- Bubbles of air can enter the bloodstream and cause a fatal aneurysm.
- People have died because their bowel ruptured as a result of pressure as low as four pounds per square inch (psi).
It’s not the air itself that is dangerous, but the pressure that makes it particularly hazardous. That’s why OSHA only allows the use of compressed air for cleaning machines and equipment under these conditions:
- The nozzle must have a 30 psi restriction valve and be dead-ended. This will keep the air pressure low and allow air to escape if the nozzle contacts your skin. Never use a compressed air hose for cleaning without the restriction valve.
- The lower the pressure, the less dangerous the usage—even 10 or 15 psi may be sufficient.
- The compressed air nozzle should never be pointed at someone else or yourself to clean off chips or dust. The chips or dust can be driven into your skin with possible fatal results. Use a brush or vacuum instead.
- Use gloves and safety glasses when using compressed air to prevent contact with fast-flying chips and dust.
One word of caution for would-be pranksters—air guns and hoses should never be applied, even jokingly, to any part of the human body. Fooling around with air hoses has been known to cause serious injuries and deaths. It may seem like an amusing joke to play on someone, but the results are just not funny!