Toolbox Talk: Hand Grinder Safety
One worker, who momentarily lost control of an angle grinder with a cut disc, received a serious cut on his hand, embedding a piece of steel, and nicking a tendon in his finger. In addition, with the resulting infection, he narrowly avoided losing his entire finger. The infection and the risk of losing the tendon caused the incident to become lost time, with the employee needing a PICC line (IV) in his arm for several weeks.
In another case, one person was blinded when a cut disc blew apart and a section of the disc broke through the worker’s face shield and safety glasses. The investigation revealed that the cut disc was only rated for a 6,000 RPM tool while air die grinders average 18,000 RPMs.
We’ve all seen what they can do to steel and concrete. When used without precise attention and care, grinders can quickly cause significant damage to flesh and bone. Be careful!
How to Protect Yourself:
Inspect the wheels before installing them and before using the tool. Discard and replace excessively worn disks.
Know the RPM rating of the disk and the tool. NEVER use a disk that doesn’t match the RPM rating on the tool.
Ensure that wheels fit freely on the spindles and remain free under all grinding conditions.
Ensure that abrasive wheels have hoods or guards to protect from flying fragments of a bursting wheel.
Ensure those guards are mounted in proper alignment with the wheel to protect the user.
Ensure all contact surfaces of wheels, blotters, and flanges are flat and free of foreign matter to avoid projectiles.
If there is a bushing in the wheel hole, ensure that it doesn’t exceed the width of the wheel, and doesn’t contact the flanges.
Be mindful of the “spin down” time. Let the wheel come to a stop before setting the tool down.
Always wear your PPE! Hard hats, safety glasses, face shields, and protective gloves should be worn at a minimum.
