Whiplash/Striking occurs when an unrestrained hose fails and hose moves rapidly back and forth until energy release.

• A. Burns
• B. Pollution
• C. Injection injury
• D. Whiplash/Striking

Answer: (D)

The concept being tested is the hazard that occurs when a high‑pressure hydraulic hose is unrestrained and fails, releasing its stored energy as a rapid whipping motion. When a hose is pressurized, it stores energy like a stretched spring. If the hose ruptures or becomes detached, that energy is released quickly and converts to kinetic energy, causing the hose to snap back and forth with dangerous speed. This whipping can strike nearby people with serious blunt trauma, lacerations, or other injuries, even away from the point of failure. That’s why this scenario is described as whiplash/striking—the injury mechanism is the sudden, violent movement of the hose itself. This differs from burns, which come from heat, pollution from leaked fluid, or injection injuries from a puncture, which involve fluid entering the body. To prevent it, hoses must be properly restrained, guarded, or shielded, and lines should be depressurized and secured before maintenance or disconnection.