By Jim Fitch and E.C. Fitch
Basic Fluid Power Research Journal
With manufacturers expecting over 1,000,000 product-liability suits annually by 1980, more and more emphasis must be placed on safety and failure prevention. Companies with a poor track record, and which deal with ‘”accident prone” equipment, have little choice if they plan to survive the onslaught of an aroused, safety-minded and suit-conscious public. This paper is the first of a two-part series dealing with safety considerations in fluid-power systems. In this part, a panorama view is presented· of the factors that should motivate the fluidpower industry to take immediate action to ensure that safety is designed into their products. Time is of the essence, and we must get our house in order now.