Introduction
Whether they are portable or fixed, grinding wheels are designed to operate at very high speeds. If a
grinding wheel shatters while in use, the fragments can travel over 300 miles per hour. The potential for
serious injury, material damage and other losses from these shooting fragments is great. To ensure that
grinding wheels are safely used in your workplace, know the hazards and how to control them.
Hazards
Grinding wheels can pose many health and safety hazards:
Health hazards
Breathing in dusts can cause respiratory problems
Contact with lubricating oils and metallic dusts can irritate the skin
If compressed air (used with air-powered grinders) enters the bloodstream, it can be deadly
Vibration can cause vibration-induced white finger
Noise can damage hearing and be stressful
Electric shock can kill
Safety hazards
A wheel that shatters can seriously injure the operator and those working nearby
Shooting fragments of a wheel can injure the eyes and face
Contact with a wheel can cause cuts and scrapes
If a portable grinder is dropped, it can injure the legs and feet
Sparks can cause burns
ABRASIVE (GRINDING) WHEELS
WSPS.CA
