OSHA Grinder Safety

 OSHA Grinder Safety: Working with a grinding machine can cause injuries to your hands from cuttings, your eyes from debris, or your lungs from airborne dust particles. To protect against any of these potential injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established several standards for workplace safety when using grinders.

A worker in the KEMYA plant held a small piece of metal with his left hand while he operated the grinding machine with his right. The disc exploded. Several fragments were embedded in his forearm and he sustained cuts to his wrist. 

OSHA Grinder Safety

In another accident in DOOSAN, a worker used the angle grinder on a roof to cut wooden battens. He assembled a wood-cutting disc for this. The blade hit a knot and the grinder machine jerked back. The worker lost control of the machine and broke her leg falling from the deck. OSHA Grinder Safety

Accidents like this happen every day. The accidents in both examples were preventable. How to prevent risks when working with angle grinders? Answering the question is the purpose of today's grinder safety toolbox talk. OSHA Grinder Safety

Grinder Hazard

The angle or grinder machine grinder is an electric (sometimes pneumatic) tool used for cutting, polishing and roughing. OSHA Grinder Safety

The machine includes at least two safety mechanisms: the adjustable wheel guard and the auxiliary handle. It can present other prevention measures, such as anti-reset protection (which prevents automatic start-up after a power outage). OSHA Grinder Safety

The risks of accidents associated with the use of the grinder machine, it must be made clear from the beginning. A grinder machine is a machine as dangerous as it is necessary.

Without considering those related to the energy source —electricity or compressed air—, there are several types of risks linked to the use of the grinder:

• Exposure to noise and vibrations
• Inhalation of dust (from the accessory itself or the work material)
• Burns from fires of flammable materials caused by sparks or heat
• Eye damage from projected particles or disc fragments
• Cuts in any part of the body by direct contact with the abrasive tool or projected parts of it after its breakage
• Falls from height due to loss of balance due to sudden movement of the machine
• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the back, neck, shoulders, and extremities

Angle Grinder PPE Requirements

Since even when all possible protections integrated into the machine are used, there are risks impossible to control, it is necessary to use personal protective clothing when working with angle grinders. OSHA Grinder Safety

Risk	Cause	Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
Eye damage	Projection of particles and fragments	Protection glasses, Face shield
Facial damage	Projection of particles and fragments	Face shield
Respiratory damage	Dust inhalation (from the accessory or part material)	Respiratory protection mask
Cuts and bruises on the hand	Contact the disc. The sudden movement of the machine.	Protective gloves against mechanical risks
Hand burns	Hot surfaces. Fire due to flammable vapours and materials	Thermal protection gloves
Hearing damage	Machine noise, resonance and vibration of the part	Hearing protection
Damage to the torso	Projection of disk fragments	Work apron

 

Portable grinder safety

This is why we decided to present you with a series of recommendations to make your work safer. OSHA Grinder Safety

1. Make sure Permit, job safety analysis and gas test are performed
2. Check the condition of the machine before starting work. Verify that the safety guard is properly installed. If you find abnormalities, do not take risks.
3. Check the work area. Make sure you have adequate ventilation and lighting. Avoid being near explosive atmospheres such as flammable dust, gases or liquids. Remove misplaced objects or objects that may prevent you from carrying out the task comfortably. Make sure you don’t have people near you.
4. Verify that you have all the personal protection elements and make use of them. Gloves, hearing protection, goggles, face shield, suitable clothing, respiratory protection, safety boots, etc. OSHA Grinder Safety
5. Fix the piece to be cut or polished to the workbench, this gives firmness and avoids vibrations in the arms that generate exhaustion and possible injuries.
6. Use the appropriate disc according to the work to be done, whether for cutting or polishing, and select the recommended abrasive grain. Do not use very worn or wet discs. Verify that they are properly adjusted and with the correct couplings.

1. Check the condition of the outlet and the extension cord to be used, so that the connections and cables are not exposed to wet surfaces or have bare cuts or splices. Make sure the proper cable management. OSHA Grinder Safety
2. Before connecting the machine, check the GFCI or ELCB and the voltage of the outlet corresponds to that of the machine. (110 volts or 220 volts)
3. Before starting any work, check that you have a fire watch with a fire extinguisher (in good condition and charged) OSHA Grinder Safety
4. Before connecting the machine to the power outlet, Plug in your brain first, Concentrate on electrical safety hazards, pay full attention to what you are doing, avoid distractions, and do not talk while doing an activity with the machine on. Remember that you have in your hands a tool that can function as a lethal weapon and carelessness can cause serious accidents or death.
5. Check that the power switch on the machine is off before plugging the machine into the outlet. OSHA Grinder Safety
6. Do stretching exercises before starting work and take active breaks during the workday.
7. Maintain proper posture (to avoid ergonomic hazards) when performing the task.
8. When finishing work, remember that the workpieces and the disc used may still be hot due to friction. Be careful not to touch them. Avoid burns.
9. At the end of the work, make sure proper housekeeping means removing the remaining material and depositing it in the place designated for this purpose. Leave the work site clean and free of cables or elements that can cause an accident.

1. In the case of working on pieces of small size or in unstable balance, secure the piece to the vice, so that it does not suffer unexpected movements during the operation.
2. When carrying out work with the risk of falling from a height, always ensure the working posture, since, in the event of loss of balance due to uncontrolled reaction of the machine, the effects can be multiplied. OSHA Grinder Safety
3. Do not use the machine in positions that require it to be held above shoulder level, since in the event of loss of control, injuries may affect the face, chest or upper extremities.
4. Make sure the Grinder machine RPM should be less than the disc.
5. Isolate the power source when removing or installing the disc. Always use the key for disc removal from the machine. OSHA Grinder Safety

Conclusion

Being extremely versatile, the grinder machine is an essential tool in construction. The risks associated with its use are due both to the material worked (metal) and to the tool itself, with the possible breakage of the abrasive disc as an ever-present danger.

Knowing the hazards associated with the type of grinder machine attachment, machine handling and work holding is essential to preventing accidents. For its part, PPE of different categories protects against unavoidable risks: exposure to noise, inhalation of dust, etc.

We know that your work is very important, but even more so your safety and your life.

For more health and safety topics, visit: Innovative Safety Zone

 

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