Safety Tips For Using A Surface Grinder

A surface grinder is a type of grinding machine which utilises a wheel covered in an abrasive surface, usually diamond or carbon based, that is used to carry out precision grinding jobs on various materials such as metals and plastics.


When using a surface grinder safety procedures must be followed. This protects workers from serious injury and also protects the rights of workers and employers should an injury occur. If someone is injured using a surface grinder at work and it is found that the correct safety procedures were not carried out, it can adversely affect both the employer and the employee and can lead to loss of compensation for staff and heavy fines for owners.


For this reason company owners should ensure that safety equipment is used and staff should also be responsible for their own safety and remain vigilant.
When using a surface grinder safety goggles must be worn. Grinding materials such as metal and plastic can cause small pieces to fly off the wheel. These pieces can reach huge speeds of over 200 miles an hour and can cause untold damage if they hit the eye, even leading to blindness.


Often workers do not put on safety goggle if they are carrying out a quick task but this can often be more dangerous than larger jobs as workers tend to be more hasty if the job is not going to take long and will pay less attention to how they are using the machine. Employers should ensure that all staff make it a habit to put safety goggles on before carrying out any task whether or not the task will take a short or a long amount of time.


A s well as injury to eyes, workers are also at risk from hand injuries. These can occur when safety guards are not used on wheels and can be extremely damaging. Wherever possible, wheels should always be protected by a safety guard which can avoid injuries to hands and also gives further eye protection as the guard will catch the majority of materials that may fly off the wheel.


One extremely important element of safety is the speed of the wheel. If the wheel is travelling too fast it can cause the materials being worked on to react differently to grinding and can make them more brittle and prone to breakage. The speed of the wheel should never exceed the safe limit.