Hose Safety Restraint Types and Selection
Hose safety restraint products drastically reduce the risk of injury from a hose coupling failure, if selected and sized appropriately. An unchecked pressurized hose can be deadly, even at moderate pressure. Selecting a mismatched hose restraint system to an application creates a false impression of safety where hidden hazards may be harmful to operators and bystanders alike.
There are many styles of hose safety restraints and many modified versions that we design for various applications. We load test all of our restraint products and factor in safety ratios to ensure that the material breaking strength exceeds our hose working pressure recommendations. (to learn more about our static load rating to hose pressure calculations, there is a whole separate post here).
Selecting an appropriately matched system is the first step towards a safe hose operating environment. It is also imperative to have proper installation, education, and regular inspection of these devices to ensure compliance and jobsite safety.
A properly matched hose restraint system will:
Withstand the high force incurred during a hose failure event (all components).
A system is only as strong as its weakest link. Securing a hose restraint using inferior hardware will de-rate the entire system to that hardware rating.
If a restraint can slip out out of a hose or off of what it is secured to, it is of no protection, and can even become a projectile further increasing risk of injury.
Minimize hose blow back travel.
Too long of a restraint can allow a hose to fly around as if it were unsecured.
Restraining a system in the direction of the operator allows the hose, coupling, and restraint to harm that operator or anyone in that work area.
With hazardous or high temperature media, the hose must be secured in a way that minimizes it’s material reach and pressure during a blowout event.
Be checked regularly to insure that it can protect as well as upon it’s original installation.
Our products are tagged with the pressure ratings and appropriate warning labels. Check that the installation matches the restraint approvals.
Corrosion and weathering will reduce the restraint system’s static load rating, making it’s protection rating unknown. The safest choice is replacement.
Nylon hose restraints should be replaced every 2 years in outdoor installations & be checked regularly for any fraying, burns, spills and abuse.
Replace all components of a hose restraint system after one hose failure event. Hidden damage can weaken and reduce their effectiveness.
Hose Whip Check Cables
The original restraint for AIR hose applications
Hose safety whip check cables are designed for low to moderate pressure air service (200 PSI rating with a 5X safety ratio) on pneumatic tool & supply lines. These economical cables should be installed with no slack, and come in hose-to-hose, and hose-to-tool end loop styles. A hose whip check cable is designed to fit a range of hose sizes. A 3/4-inch hose connected to a 1-inch hose can utilize the same cable size; the spring loops allow adjustment while maintaining a snug fit.
Hose-to-tool versions must have a location on the tool to fit around without slipping if the hose were to fail. A poorly fitted whip check cable that can slip off of the tool or hose assembly will not have any benefit in a hose failure event. Hose safety whip check cables are also offered in stainless steel (with bronze ferrules). Inspect your whip check cables regularly, especially in corrosive environments and replace at sign of first wear. A worn or corroded whip check safety device may snap under the force of a hose failure event. Hose Whip Check Cables are an inexpensive option that can be replaced routinely when needed.
Choker Cables
A Hose Safety Whip cable designed for the 2020’s
Hose choker cables are a heavy duty / higher pressure upgrade from the hose safety whip check product. These restraints fit to an installation similarly but can also be customized to your hose application and hose diameter for a snug fit. The loop ends, while still adjustable to meet varying outside diameters, fit a smaller range and should be ordered per hose size (notify us of your hose ID and OD, and if it will need to open over a larger coupling to install). The off the shelf item is designed to fit the smallest hose ID in it’s range and will be very tight on larger diameters in the range. The loops ends utilize a custom nylon spool that will cinch the cable tighter during a failure, further mitigating spills and fluid travel. All of our Hose Choker Cables come tagged with a permanent metal placard stating the hose diameter and corresponding pressure rating for fluid and for gas service (air and gas rating is half of the fluid rating due to the hazards in compressed media).
The use of rubberized or self-fusing tape can be beneficial on hose with a slick urethane cover to build a retaining lip so that the loop cannot slide off or out of place with regular vibration and in a hose failure event. While choker cables protect to a higher pressure range, they too must be inspected regularly and replaced when signs of wear or aging exist.
Hose Choker cables can be fabricated with a hook end on one side for quick release applications, as well as with field install loop ends which eliminate the need to shut down and drain a system in order to install. Stainless steel cables can be provided for severe applications.
Nylon Safety Cables
Infinitely flexible hose safety systems
Nylon safety restraints offer a versatile hose safety solution that fits a variety of hose installations. Easily adjust the loop ends to fit over a flange or to restrain to a nearby pipe or rail. Select from a range of lengths, excess material can be double looped (figure-8 style) on smaller hose sizes for extra protection. Installation does not require disconnection of a hose line, making this a beneficial option where semi-permanent connections would be time consuming to disassemble. Nylon hose restraints are offered in single ply, double ply, up to 4-ply by custom design, to cover a broad range of pressures and hose sizes. A nylon restraint can also be utilized to secure a Whip Stop or Choker Cable around a piece of equipment, maintaining static load rating across the entire system rather than adding unapproved materials.
Our nylon safety restraint is designed and tested specifically as a hose restraint and not for sling or harness applications. All of our Nylon Safety Restraints are supplied with a tag specifying pressure ratings and safety information, and serial number when specified.
It is important to ensure that the nylon loop will not slide off of a slick covered hose. The use of a rubberized or self sealing tape is recommended on urethane and small diameter hoses to build a retaining lip. Inspect and replace nylon restraints in outdoor service every 2 years or at first sign of deterioration, and always discard if it is involved in a hose failure event.
Further safety and installation information can be found at the following instructional product PDF
Whip Stop
Safety Systems
Locked and shackled for permanent security
The Hose Whip Stop System is designed for maximum protection in high pressure and hazardous applications. This higher price point restraint is made for those applications where a hose failure event could be hazardous to catastrophic. Also known as a hose whip sock, or finger-trap restraint, these devices can be shackled to another whip stop where two hoses are connected, or to a hobble clamp (shown in red). The hobble clamp is then secured by it’s 2 or 4 bolts (depending on size) to a mating or nearby pipe or rail and can be custom sized or hinged for convenience. All of our Hose Whip Stop Restraints are supplied with a tag denoting hose range and pressure rating.
Note that the hobble clamp is sized to what it is clamping to, and does not always correlate to the hose diameter.
Rubberized or self-fusing tape can be applied at the base of the restraint to ensure that it stays in place on the hose during normal vibration as well as in a hose failure event.
The Whip Stop loops can also be customized with longer legs for a greater reach, however be sure to minimize slack which can allow moderate hose blow-back in a failure event. A modified whip stop with loops on both sides can be provided where shorter length hoses do not necessitate separate whip stops on each end.
Hobble Clamp
Hose Restraint System
High pressure, offshore, oilfield, secured.
Hobble Clamp Hose Restraints utilize the same type of hobble clamp as in the Whip Stop System to bolt a steel cable to the wall of a heavy duty hose or pipe. Like handcuffs for your hose, these devices secure one hose to the next even if the coupling comes completely detached. Clamps of two different sizes can be paired to join hoses of varying diameters. The center link can be made in stainless steel or provided from heavy duty chain. The hobble clamp comes as 2 or 4-bolt and as single or double eye (compare clamp in Whip Stop photo above) and can also be hinged for simple reconnection.
Hobble Clamp Anchor Restraints offer a hobble clamp on the hose side and an anchor to restrain to (see photo below), which can either be welded to a point on the equipment or affixed to a flange utilizing the existing nut and bolt for a streamlined secure connection.
Hobble clamp systems are offered by custom quote only to ensure safety and compliance on API and oilfield applications. These heavy duty restraint systems are common in off-shore and oilfield applications and provide versatility where either a Hose Whip Stop cannot be added into an existing line or the pressure calls for a heavier chain or cable.
Flange Anchor Plate secures hose restraints safely to mating flanges
An Anchor Plate is a convenient and secure accessory to connect a Whip Stop, Choker Cable or Hobble Restraint to a flange or fixed weld point. A hose whip stop would utilize two anchor plates per connection. Anchor to the hose assembly’s mating flange utilizing any of the flange bolts already in use (may require longer bolts to account for anchor plate thickness of 3/8 to 1/2 inch. A shackle secures the hose restraint to the flange anchor for a permanent secure connection.