Hydraulic Press Operation

The Hydraulic Press Operation SOP (SOP-HYP-001) outlines critical safety procedures and hazard management practices for operating hydraulic presses. This document is essential for operators, supervisors, and safety officers to mitigate risks such as projectile failure, crush injuries, and hydraulic injection injuries. By adhering to this SOP, organizations can ensure compliance with relevant legislation and protect the health and safety of their workforce.

• CATASTROPHIC PROJECTILE FAILURE — broken bearing race, snapped pin, or shattered component fragment ejected at high velocity → fatal head and chest injury
• Crush injury between the ram, work, and bed; pinch points at the dies
• Hydraulic injection injury from a leaking high-pressure line → severe tissue damage requiring surgical exploration
• Component slip off the supports during pressing, falling onto operator
• Manual handling injury from heavy components, dies, and supports
• Press structural failure if loaded beyond rated capacity
• Eye injury from ejected fragments, swarf, or oil splash
• Slips on hydraulic oil leakage onto the workshop floor

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and applicable state/territory WHS legislation
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Cth) — Part 3.1 Plant
• AS 4024 series — Safety of machinery
• AS/NZS 4024.1 — Safety of machinery — General principles for design
• AS/NZS 60204.1 — Safety of machinery — Electrical equipment of machines
• AS/NZS 3760 — In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment
• AS/NZS 1337 — Personal eye protection (Class F or higher impact rating)
• AS/NZS 1270 — Acoustics — Hearing protectors
• AS/NZS 2210.3 — Occupational protective footwear
• AS/NZS 1801 — Occupational protective helmets
• Safe Work Australia — Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia — Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks
• Hydraulic Press Pre-Use Checklist (associated document)