Hydraulic hammers are complex pieces of machinery, unlike the residential equipment you may have at home. These versatile pieces of equipment can be extremely dangerous if not operated and maintained properly. Mainly, hydraulic hammers are attached to some kind of excavator. Similar to other excavator attachments, a hydraulic hammer has many hydraulic hoses and connections that make it much more complex than the machinery an average person uses. Hydraulic hammers are used when other tools cannot get the job done. With their strong grapples and claws, they can crush objects into smaller, more manageable sizes.
Safety is the number one priority when operating all machinery, but is especially important when operating hydraulic hammers or breakers, as they have the strength to destroy or crush just about anything and can cause serious harm to individuals and property that is left in their path. An experienced operator and spotter must work as a team to safely operate the machine. There are many dangers associated with hydraulic hammers, but the biggest has to be blank firing, which is when there is no material or object to be crushed by the hammer. This causes the main piston to fire and sends a shock wave throughout the rest of the machine, potentially causing damage to the machine and injury to people on the ground. This is just one of the things that can go wrong when using a hydraulic hammer, we’ve outlined some more below.
Gorilla Hammers are experts in the hydraulic breaker and hammer industries. For more information about our wide range of products and parts or for any questions about hammers or breakers, contact us at 888-814-6745 or sales@gorillahammers.com.