What’s New at WJTA — WJTA to Review, Update Strategic Plan
The WaterJet Technology Association’s strategic plan was last formally updated in 2015 and has helped layout the mid- and long-term goals of the organization.
One area of focus from the strategic plan was the development of more stringent ‘best practices’ guidelines to help educate waterjetting and vacuum loading stakeholders in safe and effective use of the technology.
The last few years have seen in depth committee revision to both the WJTA’s waterjetting and vacuuming recommended practices manuals, with another update to the waterjetting document forthcoming this year.
Another goal from the strategic plan has been the development of an operator training and certification program. Significant work has been invested in developing the process, framework and course content with a full launch projected for this year. Work on a vacuum operator certification will soon be undertaken as well.
Other goals have centered around ensuring the association’s financial stability, designing an impactful annual tradeshow and updating the association’s information delivery to include stronger e-mail, digital and social media offerings.
The association’s current mission and vision statements can be viewed on the WJTA website at wjta.org/wjta/Strategic_Plan.asp.
WJTA 2019 Conference Proceedings Available Online
The technical whitepapers from WJTA’s 2019 Conference & Expo have been released to the general public at wjta.org/wjta/Conference_Proceedings.asp. The papers represent original research and case studies from both industry and academia covering a range of topics from technical modeling to medical applications and more.
One whitepaper of interest for providers of high pressure cleaning services was “Safety Considerations for Low Pressure Cleaning Applications,” which presented experimental data on jet impact damage to PPE and skin simulants from equipment in the “pressure washer” range of pressures and flows.
Other papers looked at topics such as jet impact at large standoff distances, waterjet cleaning standards for coatings removal, surface treatment with liquid CO2, and the “Feasibility of Soft Tissue Preparation Using High-Pressure Water Jet Technology” which was recognized with the conference’s Best Paper Award.
WJTA began posting conference proceedings publicly online in 2013 in order to support the development of fluid-jet theory, technology, applications and safety. WJTA’s conference proceedings also represent a historical record of industry milestones dating back to 1981, including the first paper detailing high pressure abrasive waterjet cutting technology. Abrasive waterjet machining is now a centerpiece of many commercially significant manufacturing applications.
WJTA 2020 Educational Program
An outstanding program of speakers and topics is under development for the upcoming WJTA Expo, November 10-11, in New Orleans. The educational Boot Camp sessions have been a staple of the expo program since the tradeshow launched in 2010. The Boot Camp sessions are standalone, half-hour presentations on topics of interest to contractors, manufacturers, asset owners and other industry professionals. The organizing committee has developed a range of topics including turnarounds, safety, field leadership, waterjetting, hydro-excavation and more. A complete list of sessions and speakers will be released very soon.
The program also includes an update to the Asset Owner Session Track, a new program in 2019. This set of educational talks is designed specifically for asset owners – the representatives of plants, refineries, oil and gas, municipal infrastructure, and other sites where high pressure waterjetting is performed by contract workers. The full program is being developed and approved, with preliminary topics including preplanning, data collection, case studies, design for cleanability and more.
Exhibit Space Available at WJTA 2020
After a successful tradeshow in 2019, with increased attendance and a revamped show schedule, vendor companies are reserving their exhibit space for 2020. The WJTA exhibits are open to any industry stakeholders including manufacturers, suppliers and contractors involved in waterjet cleaning, cutting, demolition and excavation; vacuum loading and excavation; tank cleaning and other related service lines.
WJTA Hydroblaster Training
WJTA’s training and certification program for high pressure hydroblasting operators is continuing to progress towards a complete rollout. The computer based WJTA Hydroblaster Foundational Training is currently available through the Association of Reciprocal Safety Council (ARSC) network throughout much of the United States. The Foundational Training is a presentation of WJTA’s waterjetting best practices with multiple choice verification quizzes throughout and is designed for operators of high-pressure water cleaning equipment. The Foundational Training requires recertification every three years, so that updates to industry safety practices and technology can be communicated through the workforce.
An additional hands-on “Field Verification” program is being piloted on a limited basis and will launch soon throughout the country with instruction and skills verification on high pressure shotgunning, line moleing, flex lancing and rigid lancing, as well as job setup, inspection, and completion, all led by WJTA-certified trainers.
WJTA Industry Best Practices for the Use of High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment
The review and revision of WJTA’s best practices guidelines for high pressure waterjetting has concluded, and the WJTA Board of Directors has approved revisions to the document. The new manual is projected to publish in the second quarter of 2020.
The new edition will include updated pictures and imagery and will publish in full color with a refreshed design. Many of the recommendations from the previous edition have been moved or regrouped to make the document easier to use.
The best practices apply to the operation of all types of high-pressure waterjets as normally used in construction, maintenance, repair, cleaning, cutting, hydro-excavation and demolition work. The use of ‘high pressure’ refers to waterjetting done at an operating pressure of 5,000 psi or greater, or at pressures below 5,000 psi where the horsepower or water volume present hazards.
