THE DANGERS OF POWER WASHING YOUR OWN HOME OR BUILDING

Power washing a home or office building is a great way to remove stuck-on dirt and debris from the home or building exterior to make it more sanitary and increase its curb appeal. However, it is important to leave power washing to the professionals. If you are thinking of renting your own power washer and embarking on a DIY power-washing experiment, realize that the use of power washers by unskilled professionals can be very dangerous.

In fact, in the year 2017 alone, over 6,000 people were admitted into emergency rooms due to injuries they suffered while using power washers. While many only needed emergency medical treatment, almost 15 percent of the injuries suffered were so severe that hospitalization was required.

Read on to learn the dangers of power washing and how to avoid them.

Skin Injuries 

Of course, you likely know that a power washer projects water with extreme force. After all, this force is what allows the water to break up the dirt and debris on the exterior of a home or building and rinse them away so quickly and easily.

However, you may not realize that this stream of water is projected with so much force that it can injure skin on contact. A force of just 100 psi, or pounds per square inch, is required to break human skin. Water from a power washer meant for home use can project at a force of 1,500 to 4,000 psi.

This means that if the stream of a power washer accidentally hits your skin or the skin someone standing nearby, it can cause immediate skin damage in the form of a laceration that requires immediate medical treatment.

Compartment Syndrome

While some injuries that occur due to contact with the stream of a power washer are isolated to the skin alone, if the water from the power washer projects more deeply into the tissue under the skin, it can lead to a serious medical emergency called compartment syndrome.

Compartment syndrome occurs when water, air, and/or debris get lodged into tissues after they are projected under the skin by the extreme force of a power washer. This can lead to severe infection of muscles and other tissues. If the infection is left untreated, it can lead to the need for amputation of an affected limb or even death.

Electrocution

Many people have died of electrocution when using electric power washers. It may sound surprising, but mixing water and electricity is always hazardous. While many electric power washers are equipped with GFCIs, or ground fault circuit interrupters, to prevent electrocution, many people plug power washers into extension cords which limits the effectiveness of the GFCIs. Cords can also become damaged during use of a power washer, which further increases the electrocution hazard.

This electrocution can occur when damaged power cords come into contact with the same wet grass you are standing in while power washing.

Injury from Accidentally Projected Objects

Even if you take great care to ensure the stream of water a power washer projects does not come into contact with any people, you may accidentally project the stream at a relatively lightweight object in the yard. This can cause the object to soar across the yard and hit a person or animal with extreme force that can cause severe injury.

Also, if you try to clean items in your yard with the power washer, such as patio furniture, you may end up projecting the items across the yard instead of cleaning them, depending on the psi of your power washer and the weight of the object you are attempting to clean.

While power washing can remove tough, stuck-on dirt and debris from the exterior of your home or office, it is best to leave the job to professionals who are well-trained in power washer safety. Contact Crestview Property Maintenance  for all of your power washing needs.