Danger Potential from Hoses with
Modern High-Pressure Compressors

Credit/Quelle: A.S.T. Bochum

1 Almost perfect running of hoses on a construction site

Credit/Quelle: A.S.T. Bochum

2 Hose layout with plenty of potential for improvement: the fixing is faulty, the hoses are curved too tightly and are not restrained

Credit/Quelle: A.S.T. Bochum

3 Well secured with hose breakage securing cable, which however could be a bit tighter

Credit/Quelle: A.S.T. Bochum

Credit/Quelle: Lüdecke GmbH

4 Hydraulically crimped ferrules (orange, below) are recommended instead of the clamps used so far (yellow, above)

Credit/Quelle: Lüdecke GmbH

5 Typical breakage test on copy (left) and original (right) in direct comparison

Credit/Quelle: Lüdecke GmbH

The use of compressed air is daily practice on many construction sites, whether above or below ground. Modern compressors deliver higher operating pressures than it was usual a few years ago. Dealing with such machinery and equipment has become routine in many places, but this can easily lead to dangerous situations or even accidents with injuries. The following article describes this often underestimated problem in detail, and offers possible solutions and methods for the safe connection of hoses to modern high-pressure compressors (Fig. 1).

On some European construction sites, there have been a number of accidents in the last two years involving the connection of hoses to high-pressure compressors – sometimes with serious injuries. This makes it an urgent matter to make clear the danger potential from the sometimes very unskilled handling of hoses with high-pressure compressors (Fig. 2).

High Temperatures with High-Pressure Compressors

Problems have mostly occurred connecting 2“ hoses to modern high-pressure compressors, which can operate with pressures of up to 40 bar. In these cases the standard solution with hose clamps, which...