The user manual for you machine and/or accessories contains a number of relevant danger symbols and information about safely and efficiently using your pressure washer.
Please read it thouroughly before using you equipment.
Whilst a lot of the safety points mentioned here and in the manual are simple common sense, they can be easy to forget whilst you are in the middle of a job, and there may be some safety information included that you did not know!
The following regards some basic safety points of pressure washing:
Check that power cables are securely connected, dry and safe from any bodies of water. This is especially important when using an extension cable.
Check that there is no visible damage to the high-pressure hose and that the gun/accessories are attached correctly.
Always start spraying in a safe direction, i.e. towards the ground, or away from cars/glass and of course people and animals. A nozzle that is not attached correctly can come loose at start-up, damaging whatever it hits.
Wear good work clothes, and preferably rubber boots or sturdy shoes, so that you do not injure yourself along the way if you are washing the ground. Backsplash, pebbles or the like can makes it risky to flush without eye protection, so keep this in mind too.
If there are children nearby, you should also take extra care to put the child lock on the gun every time you put it down.
Also remember that it is safer to have a long hose up on the roof, than to take the whole machine with water hose and electricity all the way up. It can have fatal consequences if a heavy machine falls down onto someone below, or takes the user down with it.
Remember to read the user manual to be absolutely sure you are clued in on what to do before you start washing.
As fun and satisfying as high pressure cleaning can be, it is important to remember that pressure washers are powerful tools, and are therefore potentially dangerous if misused.