Hose integrity, inspection and management

Following in logical succession to the Association’s complementary ‘BFPA Foundation Course in Working Safely with Hydraulic Hose and Connectors’ and ‘BFPA Hose Assembly Skills Training Programme’, this latest course builds upon the knowledge already gained, extending it into management-related areas such as inspection, analysis, identification, registering and recording of hydraulic hose and related equipment. 

The Hose Integrity, Inspection and Management Training Programme sets out to establish a benchmark for training people responsible for hose inspection and management. As part of the one-day course, trainees are provided with their own personalised training manual featuring detailed colour images and diagrams, together with easy-to-follow technical guidance. Key themes covered in the new course include: 

•  Hose life expectancy

•  Risk analysis

•  Competence by way of a robust competence assurance system

•  Identify, inspect & record.Hose register – recording of a hose assembly prior to it going into service

•  Visual hose assembly (installation) inspection check list.

During training the attendee will be fully assessed. Once the course has been completed a high-quality course book will be personalised and presented to the attendee for him/her to keep for future reference. Then, following the all-important registration to the BFPA database, a formal certificate will be issued. 

Continuing the successful format of the Foundation and Skills courses, the BFPA is now in the process of franchising the Hose Integrity, Inspection and Management Training Programme to a number of experienced private training companies and institutions, as well as to independent freelance trainers. Trainees will then be able to attend the course at their own site location or at the trainer’s own premises. Some of the larger fluid power organisations have already assimilated both the Foundation and Skills courses within their own internal staff training regimes, and are looking to do the same with the new course. 

The BFPA is also talking to other trade associations whose members regularly use hydraulic hose and related equipment with a view to encouraging these societies and their members to adopt the Association’s trilogy of courses as their recognised standard in hose awareness. 

The BFPA’s CEO Chris Buxton commented: "The BFPA introduced the Foundation course back in 2010, and this was then followed by the Skills course in the following year. Since their introduction these courses have proven to be a major success; attracting around 2000 trainees from a wide variety of industry sectors and establishing a recognised standard in hose best practice.

"Now, with the introduction of the Hose Integrity, Inspection and Management course, we have further enhanced the training package to include all core issues surrounding the efficient inspection, analysis, identification, registering and recording of hydraulic hose. We are confident that this new course will prove as popular as its predecessors, both of which continue to prove invaluable assets for personnel involved in the use, installation and maintenance etc. of hydraulic hose.”