A series of penetrating facial wounds associated with angle grinder use are presented and the management and prevention of these injuries discussed. We present a series of three penetrating facial wounds associated with angle grinder use. The morphology of the wounds sustained using angle grinders tend to follow the shape of the cutting disc; most often curvilinear but may vary slightly depending on the angle of skin entry.
To save time, I will pre-grind a bunch of tungsten electrodes and keep them on my table so I can swap a new one when I contaminate an electrode. “Lost my balance”just for a second” and, since I didn’t want to drop the piece, I put out one arm to steady me and just happened to find my electrode holder the hard way. The scary part was that there was no blood until I started to pull the electrodes.
Because the risk of projectiles can only be minimised and not eliminated, as an angle grinder safety measure to stop injury, you must wear PPE to protect you from the risk of projectiles, especially eye and head protection. You might not be able to stop this, so you should make sure you are in a safe environment to use an angle grinder. In this post, we focused on angle grinder safety issues and different types of angle grinder accidents.
Paul Thomas, 31, was trying to knock through a wall with a nine-inch angle grinder when it “Ran up” the surface and hit him in the face. The builder – who was left with a pool of blood in his hands after the gruesome accident – said his colleagues “Turned green” when they saw his face. Paul was hit in the face by the tool as he renovated a house on September 14.
A man almost had his face ripped off in a freak accident with an angle grinder. Dad-of-two Tony Britton, 29, says he feels lucky to be alive after his face was almost ‘ripped off’ while he was helping a friend work on his car. ‘Once I got home, I had a look at the car and grinder to try and figure out what went wrong and it seems that the cutting disc must have broken down and become snagged which made it grip and bounce the grinder off.
angle grinder injury images Related Question:
What is the most common angle grinder injuries?
The most common sites injured are the head and face. The high speed disc of angle grinders does not respect anatomical boundaries or structures and thus the injuries produced can be disfiguring, permanently disabling or even fatal.
Why are angle grinders dangerous?
Angle grinders can be a dangerous power tool. Kickbacks can result in severe cuts. Discs can shatter or disintegrate producing fragments which may become lodged in the operator’s eyes or other parts of the body, potentially causing a fatality.
How do you stop an angle grinder accident?
You can stop this happening by making sure you are using the right wheel for the material, and have set the right speed. Dull and badly set wheels also increase the risk of accidents from kickback. Make sure you are trained in mounting wheels and change your wheels when they become worn.
Do angle grinder sparks hurt?
Conclusion. In summation, the sparks that result from cutting or grinding metal can be dangerous. Not only can they burn the eyes and skin, but they also can also ignite flammable materials such as wood, paper, or fabric causing a fire.
How common are grinder accidents?
‘The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ Accident Surveillance Systems data ranked angle grinders as the third most dangerous tools, with 5400 injuries recorded annually [2]. The vast majority of these injuries are caused by a shattering of the abrasive wheel [3].
Why are 9 inch grinders banned in Australia?
Note: 9 inch (230 mm) angle grinders have been banned on some work sites due to the increased risk of injury. The increased power and size of the unit will cause more severe kickback and gyroscopic effects (i.e. makes the grinder difficult to manoeuvre).
What are the hazards in grinding?
When operating, the cutting or grinding disc may come into contact with a body part, or shatter and throw off pieces at extremely high speed. An operator could easily sustain cuts, abrasions, burns or eye injuries.
What PPE should you wear when using a grinder?
Wear safety glasses or goggles, or a face shield (with safety glasses or goggles) to protect against flying particles. Gloves, aprons, metatarsal safety boots, and respiratory protection may be required, depending on the work.
What stops an angle grinder?
In fact, the SAF is a pretty standard steel u-lock with a 14 mm shackle, wrapped in a complex aluminium shell. The idea is that the aluminium shell keeps the angle grinder blade away from the steel of the u-lock.
Is grinding steel harmful?
Steel workers are occupationally exposed to inhalation of dust particles containing metallic compounds. Long-term exposure to metallic particles may cause impairment of pulmonary surfactant and lung function and result in chronic respiratory diseases.
What is angle grinder kickback?
Kickbacks. Kickback happens when the angle grinder suddenly thrusts back towards the operator as a result of it grabbing or jamming on the materials being worked on. They are common and kick back injuries have included severe cuts and injuries to hands, arms, legs, and the groin region, as well as facial injuries.
Can angle grinders start fires?
Cutting metal with an angle grinder causes a lot of sparks, however, the sparks that result are not that serious of a fire hazard. The reason being that the sparks emitted (generally) do not get hot enough to ignite, therefore, the chances of an accidental fire occurring are quite low.
Can sparks cause burns?
The flying sparks and hot metal, slag, spatter, hot workpiece, and hot equipment can cause burns. Additionally, arc rays can cause radiation burns .
Can a spark burn you?
Burn Hazard If any sparks land on you, you will most likely experience some sort of burn. Even though one small spark won’t be a big deal, the welding arc produces thousands of sparks that will fly in different directions. Furthermore, you could also experience burns from the heat of the sparks.
Is an angle grinder safe?
They most often spin anywhere from 9000RPM to 11000 RPM, just inches away from your body, face, and hands. So, when you are using an angle grinder wire wheel, grinding disc, or cutting disc, any of them can easily cause severe damage to you or those around you if handled improperly.
