New OSHA rule banning screw type hose clamps

Bob - MI

Well-known Member
Insurance carrier recently did a walk-through and mentioned that OSHA has banned the use of screw type hose clamps on industrial air and water lines. Reasoning is that if they ever get loose the end may fly off and hit someone. Crimp connectors are the direction now so we have to take every line apart in the building and replace the clamps.

I have never seen a screw clamp come loose but I'm only 63 years old and been working in shops since I was 10.

Any of you guys ever see one come off?
 
I agree with you but I've not had much luck applying common sense to OSHA rules. But the ruling has been around for a few years. I attached a screen shot of a violation report from 2013 showing they were after those screw type clamps back then. (FYI violation reports are public domain, no private info protection). In my opinion an improperly crimped ear tab clamp has the same risk but of course you can't tell by looking at it. Screw type clamps are an easy cite for the inspector looking to fill his report.
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I banned the wire type with a screw running through them in my shop YEARS ago ! LOL. I fought way to many of them rusted fast trying to remove them. No way any of those were ever going to just fly apart.
I use the stainless steel worm gear type. And I have yet to see one of those fly apart either ? But then I'm not using them on industrial air or water lines that could run high pressure.
 
The only place I've seen one break other than overtightening is on the hose between the turbo and manifold on a 4430. No pieces escaped but sure let the boost go with a bang and whistle.
 
Thanks for the info. Interestingly as I read the violation report we have had 2 voluntary OSHA inspections since that date and neither of those guys mentioned the clamps.

Here we are all asking 'what's next".
 
I try to leave a discharged fire extinguisher sitting around so they have something to find. And since extinguishers actually fall under the local fire marshal all they do is give me a warning. Otherwise they keep looking until they do find something!
 
Hi sorry to rain on your parades Yes I have seen hose clamps come off an airline fitting in my shop and yes the nice brass quick disconnect did become a missile, it went past my head just as I picked the hose up to plug a tool in!. I have a hose in there now that once in a while I tighten the clamp to, It either needs a crimp end fitting or buy a new hose.

To be fair I will also tell you I have had a brand new hose with the factory crimp ends start leaking below it's maximum safe pressure. When I unplugged the hose I pulled on the fitting and it came right out the hose. My conclusion was if that hose had been operating at higher pressure it would of blown the end right out to. When the hose went back to the supplier he started on I did something wrong with the hose air pressures, without to much effort I pulled the one out the other end right in front of him, instant end of arguing right there !.

Regards Robert
 
It is nice to know that the nanny state is taking care of us down to the most minute detail.

How did we ever survive in the past?

Dean
 
Bob-MI 99.9% of the time I do not agree with osha. Yes hose clamps will loosen up over time. Don t ask me how I know. RB
 
Yeah. There's a difference in inspectors, too. Years ago when I was with a public school, an insurance inspector nitpicked every fire extinguisher in the district. Next year, a different inspector didn't even look at a fire extinguisher.
 
(quoted from post at 14:26:52 09/14/17) I try to leave a discharged fire extinguisher sitting around so they have something to find. And since extinguishers actually fall under the local fire marshal all they do is give me a warning. Otherwise they keep looking until they do find something!
had a very experienced & wise old boss that always said, "leave them a rabbit to chase!". :lol:
 
I have a scar on my face from an air hose coming off and started whipping. There was several workers close by so I dove in and grabbed the hose and the hose clamp hit me on the side of the face. I am sure the clamp didn't come loose but whoever put it on didn't tighten it down enough and it just popped off. Not something in all my years in the factory that happened but a very few times. We use a lot of clamps on water lines and they come loose more often from the same reason of not being tightened enough when doing several in a hurry. All of our molds have water hoses for cooling. All of my water and air hoses have screw type hose clamps.
 

A air hose with a screw style clamp will blow that end off its just a matter of time seen it many a time.. I keep new hoses when the end gets worn to where it needs repair I replace the hole hose...

I am guilty tho :cry:
 
Don't see how you got by this long. The plant I used to work at got busted by osha a couple of decades ago for that. If I remember correctly it was only high pressure lines then. I've seen quite a few blow over the years but they were on 100 ft lines that got drug, thrown, and ran over pretty often. The band is much safer.
 
It's seems this isn't a new rule, and it's much more generic: "Hose and hose connections used for conducting compressed air to utilization equipment shall be designed for the pressure and service to which they are subjected." For the same reason you're not allowed to use PVC pipe for compressed air. Now, if you can find a manufacturer's spec that says their hose clamps are designed for use on compressed air lines, you would be in the clear. But I seriously doubt you're going to find such a spec. Certainly not for 59 cent Chinese hose clamps.
 
The main hazard is the hose coming loose from the barb, taking the clamp with it.
Using other clamps, for instance the crimp type, does not help much if any at all. IMHO.
 
Those things fail all the time usually from stripping out or the screw rusting, they aren't really rate for much over 50 psi. Industrial sites are pretty picky for air hoses, I know 25 years ago if you didn't put the locking clip in the hole for twist lock 1" air hoses you were in trouble. Certainly no screw clamps were allowed anywhere except low pressure hydraulic return lines.
 
I use screw clamps on my blast cabinet and have never had a hose come off. I also have a NAPA life time guaranteed air hose. That hose has had at least ten crimped ends replaced.
 
Different deal, but the crimp on clamp on my fuel hose let go. Was only a year old. Sure looked flimsy. The worm gear clamp I put on it has been holding well for 6-7 years now.

Depends a little more on quality, than on actual type of clamp used?

Paul
 
we used to have a milk inspector around here that would find some dumb thing to mark on inspection sheet like door don't fit tight or water faucet leaked.
a guy said to him way do you mark these things his reply was if i don't find something the federal guys will think i'm
goofing off and will look at EVERYTHING.
a friends wife always had milk house to tip top order milk inspector would often look out milk house door and say looks good to me and leave
 
Come off?
Yes, but I used a different remedy. A strip of metal attached to the end, under the clamp and cinched. Easiest when coupling two hoses together.
 
Full disclosure, I work for a company that makes rubber hose for all kinds of applications.

I see all kinds of problems with worm gear clamps on air hose. Compressed air is dangerous and I don't want any part of air hose burst or failure of an end. The SAE spec for hose clamps is 84 pages long, covers 32 different styles of hose clamps, is poorly written, and hasn't been updated in years. There is way too much variability and little intricacies in worm gear and other hose clamps that people don't think about. Used a crimped on end using ends and crimp specifications from the manufacturer. It's an engineered connection that can have a severe failure mode.
 
And if anyone has $78 burning a hole in their pocket you can buy SAE J1508 from the SAE website to peruse.
 
Except the shoddy ones from U NO WHERE that the threads are not deep enuff to engage the
band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
If they made your insurance carrier nervous, he's doing you a favor by mentioning they need to be changed. Those worm drive hose clamps are only intended for low pressure applications like automotive cooling systems and drain/sewer lines. They do get used for temporary repairs until the right parts are available. Who would build an entire new system with them on every connection and how did it pass an inspection?
 
(quoted from post at 19:27:18 09/15/17) All that is important to them is to hurt American manufacturing.

Yep for sure that is it ! Sheesh ask me again what is wrong with this country?
 
(quoted from post at 19:44:10 09/16/17) If they made your insurance carrier nervous, he's doing you a favor by mentioning they need to be changed. Those worm drive hose clamps are only intended for low pressure applications like automotive cooling systems and drain/sewer lines. They do get used for temporary repairs until the right parts are available. Who would build an entire new system with them on every connection and how did it pass an inspection?

And they don't do a good job on coolant hoses...
 
> Speaking for myself they are probably responsible for 90% of injuries I've had in my career.

Interesting statistic. And what percentage of the injuries you DIDN'T have is OSHA responsible for?
 
?All that is important to them is to hurt American manufacturing.? That?s what you actually believe, or are you just venting some of the anger and paranoia that comprises your outlook? Is it a conspiracy, or do you believe the mission statement of OSHA comes right out and says, ?It is the mission of OSHA to hurt American manufacturing?? Are the Chinese behind it? The Russians? Or is it that you believe that only people who share your beliefs love America, and people who don?t agree with you hate America and want to see it destroyed? I disagree with you 100%, and yet I love America and want America to prosper, and I also want workers in America to be safe and not be injured in the workplace. Do you believe that the workplace would be safer if there were no rules and no inspections, and the well being of workers was totally dependent on the owners? concern about them? If that?s what you think, you need to think harder.

Stan
 
That clamp is not intended for air hose connections, BUT, it isn't so much that the clamp comes loose as it is the clamp works it's way into the hose thus you have a loose clamp. IH went through great pains with those clamps on the air cleaner hoses on tractors and went a clamp with a inner shield to prevent it from digging in and they worked great.
 
We had an extension cord running to a piece of machinery we were building in the middle of our shop floor. Fire Marshal wrote us up. Wanted "permanent" wiring. I tried to tell him we'd be shipping it in a few weeks and it was therefore "temporary". Didn't matter, he had to cite us for something. So after he left we pulled a few bulbs out of some exit signs so next visit he could write us up for "something" easy.
 
Work in a tiestall barn and you will find those things always come loose off water buckets which always have to start leaking as soon as you walk out the barn and fill gutter and manger with 100's gallons of water. Can tighten the same one several times and change it and know its not very old just to watch it leak again and be a turn or 2 loose and crimping a end on a airhose is not a big deal.
 
OHSA RULES against the use of worm drive clamps has been in force for years.. For decades, I have refused to use an air hose "held together" with those carcass cleavers.. Even if the clamped hose connection never fails; an impact wrench or other air tool can fall off a truck frame or work bench. When it hits the floor, suspension arm, or whatever, the fitting NEXT to the clamped connection stands a good chance of failure. The end results would be the same; with the carcass cleaver whipping around........ Seen it happen more than once.. Definitely not for Me; I bought a hose end crimper to do the job correctly. Over the years, with the backing of that rule; I have "forced" the retirement of many of these unsafe air hoses.

Don't get Me started on crappy extension cords...
 

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