Safety Tip of the Week – Pedestal and Bench Grinder Safety

Secure both pedestal and bench style grinders securely to the floor or workbench to prevent movement during usage. Store grinding wheels carefully on racks in dry places, and visually inspect them for warping, chips, cracks or other damage before installation.

Check the following before using your grinder:

1. The wheel guard enclosure should cover most of the wheel, the spindle, and the wheel mounting hardware. Some of the wheel must be exposed to allow grinding access, but the maximum access space between the horizontal work rest and the top of the wheel guard opening should be no more than 65 degrees of the wheel.
2. The horizontal work rest should be adjusted to within 1/8-inch of the wheel. This reduces the risk of wheel breakage caused by an item being jammed between the work rest and the wheel.
3. The tongue guard is an adjustable safety plate that is attached at the top of the wheel guard enclosure and can be moved closer to the wheel as its diameter decreases from wear. The distance between the tongue guard and the wheel must not exceed 1/4-inch in order to minimize exposure to flying fragments in the event of wheel disintegration.
4. A transparent hinge-mounted face guard should be attached over the exposed wheel surface area to provide additional protection from particles thrown off the rapidly spinning disk.
5. Personal protective equipment includes safety glasses and a face shield. Your face needs protection as much as your eyes.
6. Do not wear loose fitting clothing that could become caught in the wheel.

    

WHERE DANGER LINGERS…WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!