Abrasive Cutting Wheel Safety

Allow the wheel to be trapped or pinched in the cut.

Abrasive cutting wheel safety.

The maximum angular exposure of the grinding wheel periphery and sides for safety guards used on cutting off machines and on surface grinding machines which employ the wheel periphery shall not exceed 150 deg. Below the horizontal plane of the wheel spindle. There are a lot of small parts that make up the wheel. The general safety precautions for abrasive wheels apply equally to all wheels used on all classes of portable machine.

Found everywhere from metal fabrication shops to homeowners garages these wheels are very safe when used correctly. Grind on the side of cutting off wheels. Apply excessive pressure onto the wheel so that the driving motor slows down. Always switch the machine off and allow the wheel to stop revolving.

See figures o 12 and o 13. This exposure shall begin at a point not less than 15 deg. They may be used between the wheel and the machine flanges for dry cutting applications. However accidents have occurred because of misuse and abuse of these wheels.

Be sure to check with ansi b7 1 safety requirements before using your allison abrasives grinding or cut off wheels. Grind with a depressed centre grinding wheel at an angle below 30 to the workpiece. Remember there s more to an abrasive wheel than the wheel itself. It is important that all machine guards are secured in place and are adjusted so that the guard is between the user and the rotating wheels.

Portable cut off wheels are among the most common bonded abrasive products in use. The above safety tips are not all inclusive. Wear proper safety personal protective equipment ppe visually inspect all wheels before mounting for possible damage never use gas saw blades with any water or lubricants never hold the material being cut in your hand or with your foot wait until the wheel comes. Grinding machines shall be equipped with safety guards in conformance with the requirements of american national standards institute b7 1 1970 safety code for the use care and protection of abrasive wheels and paragraph d of this section.

The safety code for grinding and cutting wheels is ansi b7 1 safety requirements for the use care and protection of abrasive wheels the code is very specific defining the proper grinding surfaces for each type of wheel and figure 2 shows that the only acceptable grinding surface on a cutting wheel is on the periphery not the sides. Inspecting the wheel and wheel guard is a good first step to take when it comes to safety precautions. The purpose is to have a standard set of icon based safety symbols to be used across north america regardless of manufacturer. Member companies of the unified abrasives manufacturers association uama have adopted a standardized set of safety icons to be used on portable abrasive grinding and cutting wheels.