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Can riot-control water cannon be lethal?

Authors :
Lei, Yinze
Xie, Jing
Wang, Zu'an
González-García, María
Chen, Pengwan
Rittel, Daniel
Source :
International Journal of Engineering Science. Jun2024, Vol. 199, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

A riot-control water cannon is a large, supposedly nonlethal apparatus that uses pressurized water to control and disperse crowds. However, riot-control water cannons may cause personal injury if directly aimed at the human forehead, for example. Therefore, we systematically analyzed, via a numerical model, the spatio-temporal evolution of the equivalent pressure of a water cannon and its influence on the human body dynamic response, especially considering the head and neck body regions. The simulation results suggest that 10 m is a critically dangerous working distance because the impact of a water cannon can lead to skull, cervical vertebra and brain injuries. In addition, compared to side/back impacts, frontal impacts are much more dangerous due to a more extensive range of head movement. Oblique impact induces rotational movement on the human body, resulting in a significant risk of injury. A quantitative injury risk analysis is presented to provide safety guidance for water cannon usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00207225
Volume :
199
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
International Journal of Engineering Science
Publication Type :
Periodical
Accession number :
177064642
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijengsci.2024.104060