The Water Jetting Association is marking its 40th anniversary by inviting more contractors and service users to join its drive to promote water jetting excellence across all industrial sectors.
The WJA, the UK’s trade association for the water jetting industry, was founded by a group of 21 contractors during a meeting held in the Metropole Hotel at Birmingham Airport on 9th October 1980.
Since then, it has gone on to build an international reputation for promoting water best practice across all industries, including petrochemicals, drainage, marine maintenance, highway maintenance, industrial cleaning and manufacturing.
WJA President Ron Heward said: “The WJA was founded specifically to promote safety and that purpose is still central to our mission today. Our codes of practice are recognised internationally for setting the highest standards.
“Our members – contractors, equipment suppliers and trainers, plus many others – have played vital roles in promoting change for the better in the water jetting industry, and we’d like to invite others to join us in this valuable work.”
The WJA has two codes of practice – the ‘Blue Code’ for industrial high pressure and ultra high pressure water jetting, and the ‘Red Code’ for sewer jetting – which the Health and Safety Executive use as a reference for water jetting practice. This is vital as operational water jetting pressures can now reach 60,000psi (4,138bar).
The WJA is also the biggest provider of water jetting training across all industrial sectors. John Jones, WJA Vice-President and Chairman of its Training and Safety Committee, said: “WJA water jetting courses give contractors a benchmark upon which they can develop their in-house training and skills development, and give operatives a recognised qualification, accredited by City & Guilds.”
Two new courses have been added in 2020: a competent water jetting qualification that provides additional assurance of an operative’s capability; and a management and leadership course for people overseeing water jetting.
In 2019, the WJA also issued new Water Jetting Injury Management Guidelines, based on ground-breaking research it commissioned from a team of eminent NHS trauma physicians.
For the first time, the guidelines include an algorithm for effective injury response, from giving first aid to hospital treatment, which promises to save lives and reduce the long-term impact of injury.
The research findings have been published in the European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, so the good practice can be shared with medical specialists throughout the world.
Contact the Water Jetting Association: tel: 020 8320 1090, email: [email protected], web: www.waterjetting.org.uk.
