Guidance on the use of whip checks (hose restraints)

Summary

In the event of a pressurised hose or hose fitting failure, the escaping gas or liquid and subsequent hose whip effect has the potential to cause severe injury to personnel and damage to equipment.

Although hose whipping incidents may be caused by the accidental severing of pressurised lines, such incidents most often occur when hoses become detached from hose-end fittings or when the hose end fittings themselves fail.

Incidents involving pressurised hose-end fittings becoming detached, and then whipping out of control due to missing or unsuitable whip checks, have highlighted the need for diving industry guidance on the use of appropriate pressurised hose restraints.

This guidance replaces Information Note IMCA D 03/11 which has now been withdrawn.

Contents

• Introduction
• Background
• Aims
• Application
• Types of Hose-End Restraints
• Methods of Anchoring Restraints
• Coupling of Hoses
• Summary
• References
• Appendix 1 Selection Guide for Suitable Whip Checks
• Appendix 2 Formulas
• Appendix 3 Failure of High-Pressure Gas Charging Hose

Version history

October 2023 Rev. 0.1 – Acknowledgement of information source

July 2020 – Initial publication