Safety is everyone’s responsibility. All day. Every day.
In a manufacturing environment, safety isn’t covered by a one-time seminar or meeting. It’s an ongoing task involving management and operators.
Making safety a priority can add upfront costs to an operation — time and money spent on training or the proper products, for example. But an investment in safety pays off in the long run, resulting in more productive workers who lose less time to accidents and injuries.
Learn more about some tips for safe use of abrasive products and why safety is critical for operator wellbeing and productivity.
The cost of unsafe practices
Unsafe practices happen in many shop environments. While an operator may not be injured every time an unsafe practice occurs, the potential for injury is always there.
Some unsafe practices pose a greater risk of injury than others. An operator using a grinding wheel while wearing gloves and short sleeves has the potential to be hit with sparks on bare skin. While this situation isn’t recommended, it’s not likely to cause serious harm or injury. Compare that to incorrect product usage that causes the product to come apart and send debris flying. That unsafe practice has the potential for serious injury to the operator and others.
When abrasive products are used unsafely or improperly, it can result in several negative consequences:
- Personal injury: Operators or others in the work area can be seriously injured if a product breaks and causes high-energy debris.
- Increased costs: Operations may have to deal with the cost of worker’s compensation when someone is injured on the job. Companies may also see a loss of revenue if the injury results in downtime or slowdown. This is true even for minor injuries that cause an operator to leave their work area for a short time.
- Reduced productivity: The injury of one worker can have a ripple effect that decreases productivity in the entire operation. This can have an impact on throughput goals or the ability to complete jobs on time. Even if an operator isn’t injured, but they change the way they use an abrasive product because they are not wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for example, this can affect productivity. If it takes twice as long to grind a weld due to the angle of approach, it costs money.
Common safety mistakes with abrasives
Among the most frequently used types of abrasives, there are several common mistakes that can result in an unsafe environment.
Cutting wheels: Many operators don’t realize that the type of tool guard they should use differs depending on the type of cutting wheel being used. When using a Type 1 (or flat) cutting wheel, ANSI specifies that the guard should come over the top of the wheel covering 180 degrees of the abrasive wheel periphery and both sides of the wheel. This is referred to as a half-moon guard. Often these guards must be purchased separately from the tool, since Type 27 guards are typically the standard provided with purchase.
- Flap discs: One of the most common safety mistakes with flap discs is when operators try to use these products on their underside or grind on their edges. This can rip the flap from the backside of the disc. Never use a flap disc on its edge unless the product is specifically designed for that application.
- Wire brushes: Operators will often position a knot wire brush like they do a grinding wheel, using the brush on its edge. But wire brushes aren’t designed to be used this way, so they won’t work effectively, leading to wire breakage. Instead, orient the brush so the tips of the wires are striking the metal and doing the work. Also, don’t push down too hard with a wire brush, which can bend the wires and cause long-wire breakage.
