Safety Alert regarding non-Hilti boosters of inferior quality

Hilti powder actuated fastening systems have been successfully used on construction sites around the globe for over 60 years.

Safety of personnel is essential for us. Inferior quality boosters can burn uncleanly and create a build-up of unburned powder inside powder actuated tools. In rare and extreme cases, a buildup of unburned powder from inferior-quality cartridges may result in explosion of the tool, which may lead to serious injury to the operator as well as bystanders.

Hilti long ago established technical specifications to secure high quality standards for its cartridges and avoid dangerous levels of powder build-up. All Hilti cartridges are tested to these specifications to ensure they can be safely used in Hilti powder actuated tools. Hilti has no control over the design, manufacture, testing or modification of non-Hilti boosters. It is therefore not possible for Hilti to continuously monitor and test all boosters in the market to ensure they will work safely in Hilti tools. As a result, we re-emphasize the recommendation contained in the Hilti Instruction Manuals to only use Hilti cartridges or cartridges of suitable quality in all Hilti powder actuated tools.

At a minimum, cartridges must:

• Either be confirmed by their supplier for successful testing according to EU-Standard EN 16264:2012;
• Or bear the CE conformity mark, as mandatory in the countries of the European Union effective July 2013

Note:

• All Hilti cartridges for Powder Actuated Tools are successfully tested according to EN 16264
• EN 16264 tests are system tests of specific combinations of cartridges and tools, and they are performed by certified bodies.
• Tool designation, name of certified body and system test number are printed on the cartridge packaging.