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Looking for Best Practices
A SafetyXChange member is looking for safe work practices for grinders with wire wheels.
She writes: "We had a near miss the other day when an employee of our maintenance department caught his coveralls on the wire wheel. The wire wheel tore through his coveys and scratched his belly. This wheel is about 4" long and jets out even longer when in motion. I have a situation here now with our maintenace department, as they are saying this is what the industry uses. Is this correct? Does anyone have a best practices or a safe working practice on using grinders - with wire wheels that they wouldn't mind sharing?"
If you have any suggestions, please either post a reply to this note or to the thread in the forum.
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I have worked with pipe fitters & boilermakers using the wire wheeled grinders and have only observed potential nearmisses when:
-using tool without guard attached--
-using tool on material that has not been secured, such as bracing material on their body and using free hand to hold onto it--
Safe work practices for the above are obvious, so I am curious to know how this gentleman was using the tool so close to his body to have this happen. Generally, the tool does the work and does not require a great deal of force.
It is also recommended to be wearing full face shield along with safety glasses, if necessary dust mask or respirator depending on material being worked on.
This is what I can contribute, would like to follow other's experience on safe work practices for the wire wheel grinders.
A lot of powered hand tools require proper two handed use, clothes that should not hang into work area and prejob planning.
In this case we do not know if he was "one handing" the job.
Preparation of work space, positioning of word at proper distance should be a habit that is made conscious each time you do this task. Part of a mental hazard assessment.
Most incidents like this are caused by manufacturers recommendations not being used. One hand on tool, not stopping tool before setting it down or like the above person said leaning into work.
As it is easier to write an operation procedure for each accident to remove risks, it seems that one already exists with proper use of tools as written by manufacturer.
It seems other areas need re emphasizing. Mainly, proper steps in using powered tools. Chances are that exists in your books already.
The old radial arm saw is a good example. great diverse tool, but if not trained completely in its dangers and using this knowledge each time, deadly. Instead of training, people seldom use it.
The above comments are all valid. When removing concrete residue from steel forms, these type grinders are often used. The wire wheels can easilly get away from someone when the object being worked on has different surface elevations or planes. It takes someone who is paying careful attention to do this work. Proper and adequate training are essential. Supplying leather or heavy duty plastic aprons are helpful, as the wire wheel will tend to glance off them versus catching up in other types of clothing. The wearing of tattered or loose clothing should also be avoided. John Parkin
I'm not sure by the description if this was a bench or hand held grinder. One thing that stands out as not having been mentioned so far for a hand held (angle)grinder is trigger locks on the grinder. A best practice is to not allow grinders equipped with trigger locks so that should a worker lose control of an operational grinder it would lose power immediately thus reducing its potential to cause harm in comparison to a live 'runaway' grinder.