TS : Angle Grinder & Wheel Safety

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Chapter : Tools Safety

Angle Grinder & Wheel Safety

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Angle grinders are used for metalwork and fabrication such as grinding down welds. They are commonly used in workshops, construction, service garages and auto body repair shops. Angle grinders can be dangerous due to the high rpm involved, sparks and bits of metal that fly off as they cut and the need to remove guards to make awkward grinds.

The most common injuries suffered when using a grinding wheel are foreign body in eye and hand abrasions. Failing to wear adequate eye protection because "this will only take a second" or "somebody forgot to leave the glasses on the hook above the grinding wheel and I'll have to find another pair before using the grinder" is the main ingredient in an accident waiting to happen. 

Following the safety policies and rules that have been established will greatly reduce the possibility of being injured while operating a grinding wheel. 

Small metal shavings flying off a grinding wheel are often traveling over 200 miles per hour over a distance of less than 18 inches. The old baseball adage of" you can't hit what you can’t see" certainly holds true for anyone who thinks eye protection isn't needed.

Hazards to watch for:

1. 

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   Most angle grinder injuries are from metal particles lodging in the operator’s eye.
2. Kickback, where the disc is thrust away from the object it is grinding, can result in severe cuts to hands, arms, head, torso and legs.
3. Discs can shatter or explode, sending pieces flying across the work area.

Safe procedures to follow:

• Wear wide vision goggles, or safety glasses and a face shield.
• Always use the correct type of disc. Make sure the disc speed limit (rpm) is greater than the angle grinder operating speed.
• Ensure the guard and handles are secure.

• 

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  Ensure the correct flange and locking nut are used for the type of disc. Otherwise the disc can shatter at high speed.
• Ensure the disc is not defective or damaged. 
• Allow the grinder to “run up” to operating speed before applying it to the job.
• Hold the grinder against the work piece with minimum pressure so the disc doesn’t “dig in” and cause it to kick back.
• Never bump the grinder on to the work, or let the disc hit any other object while grinding.
• Keep the grinding disc at a 15 to 30 degree angle to the work.
• Ensure the work piece is held firmly in a bench vice when appropriate.
• Keep the work at waist height during grinding.
• Stop the grinder regularly to rest your hands and arms.
• When not in use, disconnect the power and place the grinder on a bench with the disc facing upwards.
• Never put a grinder down until the disc stops rotating.
• Disconnect power before changing discs.
• Never use a cut off wheel for grinding or a grinding disc for cutting.
• Dispose of any disc that has been dropped. Cracked or weakened discs can shatter in use.

HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH GRINDING WHEELS

1. Failure to use eye protection by the operator in addition to the eye shield mounted on the grinder
2. Incorrectly holding the work.
3. Incorrect adjustment or lack of work rest.
4. Wrong type, poorly maintained or unbalanced wheel or disk.
5. Grinding on the side of the wheel not designed for grinding.
6. Taking too heavy a cut.
7. Applying work to too quickly to a cold wheel or disk.
8. Grinding too high above the wheel center.
9. Failure to use wheel washers (blotters).
10. Vibration and/or excessive operation speed which leads to a bursting wheel or disk.
11. Using bearing boxes with insufficient bearing surface.
12. Using spindles with an incorrect diameter, or threads cut so that the nut loosens as the spindle revolves.
13. Installing flanges of the wrong size with unequal diameters or unrelieved centers.
14. Incorrect wheel dressings.
15. Contacting unguarded moving parts.
16. Using controls that are out of the operator's normal reach.
17. Using an abrasive saw blade rather than a grinder disk.
18. Failure to run a wet wheel dry (without coolant) for a period of time before turning off the machine. 
• A wet wheel can become unbalanced if the coolant is allowed to accumulate on a portion of the wheel. 
• This unbalanced condition can cause a wheel to disintegrate upon restarting.
19. Using an untested, broken, or cracked grinding wheel.

 Conclusion:

While angle grinders have several serious hazards, safe use will minimize those hazards. Let’s review the major points that apply to our work here and my expectations.

 

 

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