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Video: Witness the power of a high-pressure hose break

The 2023 North American Manure Expo contained more than a half-dozen new elements, from new formats of equipment demonstration to social events.

Also part of the event – and a truly “explosive” finale – was a rapid release high-pressure hose break.

The event featured a manure hose being filled with air up to a pressure point of 90 pounds per square inch. Onlookers watched (from a safe distance) as the pin was pulled and the hose released all that pent-up pressure in a wild and whipping frenzy. The full impact of the demonstration was captured via drone. The hose was actively moving for approximately 25 seconds and left clear signs of its destruction in the ground.

Segment host Dave Eisentraut of Eisentraut Ag Services told the crowd a single up-close encounter with a high-pressure could easily be someone’s last, as the impact of a hose (or material expelled from the hose) can cause life-altering or fatal injuries.

“I found this demonstration very impactful,” says Expo co-chair Jerry Clark. “It demonstrated the power and danger of hose application systems and how everyone working with high-pressure manure systems needs to take this equipment seriously.”

Fellow safety host Isaac Lemmenes, a product specialist with Nuhn Industries, says in his previous job as an applicator, he he had many near-misses, some of which “to be honest, should have had worse end results. Others are not that fortunate.”

This article is part of the 2023 Safety Week series.

This article is part of the 2023 Safety Week series