Can pressure washers cause injury?

The strong spray from a pressure washer can cause serious wounds that might first appear minor. Wounds that appear minor can cause a person to delay treatment, increasing risk for infection, disability or amputation. The fast, strong spray can throw objects that strike and injure others who are close by.

Can a pressure washer cut through bone?

Once you hit 2,901 PSI, you will fully penetrate all layers of the skin, effectively reaching the fatty tissue layer. It takes 7,542 PSI to fully cut through bone, so thankfully, with a traditional pressure washer, you won’t likely see your finger cut off just from the pressure washing incident.

Is pressure washing hard on your body?

By Jim O. The high pressure put out by a pressure washer can easily cut through flesh and cause very serious injuries. Pressure washers cause high-pressure water injection, which is extremely dangerous. These injuries many times result in amputation or severe nerve damage.

Can a pressure washer break skin?

A pressure washer’s powerful spray is hazardous when misdirected, strong enough to damage skin in an instant. Lacerations are the most common injury, followed by bruises, punctures, and eye injuries.

Should I wear a mask when pressure washing?

Eye protection is especially important when pressure washing a vertical surface because the blowback will be at eye level. At the very least, you should wear glasses, but goggles or even a full face mask are better for maximum safety.

How do you treat a power washer injury?

Pressure washer injuries tend to involve the lower extremities and abdomen and usually require a form of surgical intervention such as debridement of tissue and, in severe cases, amputation. The need for surgical intervention is heightened when inorganic compounds are present in the wound.

How much pressure does it take to break skin?

In order to breach the human skin the ejection pressure has to be at least 100 pounds per square inch (psi)8 while most high-pressure guns and injectors reach pressures of 2000 to 12000 psi3. The puncture wound is small, inconsiderable and not distinct.

What happens if you pressure wash your foot?

Pressure washer injuries, like other high-pressure injection injuries (including paint, gas, air, and grease), can inject gas or liquid into the surrounding and underlying soft tissues increasing risk for infection.

How dangerous are pressure washer injuries?

As disaster clean-up efforts are underway, pressure injection injuries from use of pressure washers may increase. The seriousness of high pressure injection injuries is generally underestimated. The wounds often appear benign, but these injuries can result in serious infection, disability and amputation if not treated appropriately.

How much pressure does a pressure washer use?

Many people underestimate the power of a pressure washer. Serious and even fatal injuries can result when using pressure washers improperly or if basic safety measures are ignored. The two main types of pressure washing machines are electric and gas. Electric machines emit water at pressures exceeding 1,000 pounds per square inch (PSI).

How to treat a pressure washer-related injury?

To treat a pressure washer-related injury: 1 Wash your hands with soap and water. 2 Place pressure on the wound with a clean cloth or towel to help stop bleeding. 3 Once bleeding has stopped, run clean water over the wound. 4 Gently clean the wound with soap and water, and place a dry adhesive bandage over it.

Can pressure washer injuries cause compartment syndrome?

Pushing Down on Me, Pushing Down on You: The Underlying Danger of Pressure Washer Injuries Although high-pressure injection injuries may only leave small superficial wounds, they can create widespread multilayer soft tissue injuries, deep-space infections, and lead to compartment syndrome. What’s your first move?