ANGLE GRINDER AND ROCK SAW USE:HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

DARREN H. TANKE, SENIOR TECHNICIAN IIROYAL TYRRELL MUSEUM, DRUMHELLER, AB, CANADA

~1 H.P. 5” ANGLE GRINDERBLADE PERIPHERAL SPEED:

170 mph (274 km/h)

~5 H.P. 14” ROCK SAW BLADE PERIPHERAL

SPEED: 220 mph (354 km/h)

AT MAXIMUM POWER:

A BLADE FRAGMENT TRAVELLING @ 170 MPH INTO USERS FACE @ 26” AWAY=

0.009 SECONDSREACTION TIME

To err is human. Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)

GORE WARNING

1958 Partner K-12 rescue saw

ANGLE GRINDERS AND ROCK (RESCUE) SAWS: HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT

1945 Black and Decker angle

grinder

GORE WARNING

50 stitches and 25 staples to close

ANGLE GRINDERS

- AMONG HOMEOWNERS, SECOND MOST COMMON CAUSE OF TOOLINJURIES; LADDER #1.

- RANK IN TOP FIVE IN INDUSTRIAL HAND TOOLS FOR CAUSING ACCIDENTS; COMPOSITE BLADES INVOLVED IN MORE ACCIDENTS.

- MOST COMMON INJURIES ARE OBJECTS IN EYE (GRIT, SPARKS, METAL); SECOND ARE SEVERE CUTS TO FACE, LIMBS, AND ABDOMEN.

- FATALITIES WELL KNOWN IN PRIVATE AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS.

- MEDICAL AND INDUSTRIAL SAFETY LITERATURE REVEALSCOMMON MISTAKES LEADING TO INJURIES/DEATH.

ANGLE GRINDER AND ROCK SAW

BLADES ABRADE AND SEVER SOFT TISSUE,

BLOOD VESSELSAND BONES

GORE WARNING

GORE WARNING

GORE WARNING

GORE WARNING

FATAL

GORE WARNING

BLADE PIECE EMBEDDED IN FACE/SKULL; HE SURVIVED

ABRASIVE BLADES CAN CUT DEEPLY INTO BONE

GORE WARNING

1 YEAR LATER; WELL HEALED BUT NOW BLIND IN ONE EYE

RPM RATING OF

DISC/BLADEMUST BE HIGHER

THAN THAT OF

ANGLE GRINDER

USE CORRECTLY RPM-RATED DISCS

EMBOSS RPM RATING ONTONON-CRITICAL PART OF THE

ANGLE GRINDER

ADJUST SAFETY GUARD AS REQUIRED

FINGERS UNPROTECTED FINGERS BETTER PROTECTED

SPOT WELDS ON CHEAPLY MADE

ANGLE GRINDERS MAY FAIL

REPEATED ADJUSTMENTS MAY EVENTUALLY DEFORM CLAMP REDUCING EFFECTIVENESS

OR CAUSING FAILURE

NEVER REMOVE THE GUARD TO MOUNT A LARGER DISC

9” BLADE ON A5”ANGLE GRINDER!

GUARD REMOVED

GORE WARNING

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=K3hF7WFQDuoALM&tbnid=UWdX0kehDT5NKM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FWTF%2Fcomments%2F1b2oip%2F&ei=kQ29UoXyJMf9oASItYKgBg&bvm=bv.58187178,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNGi8Out_3_SGC8JL2atQOvnj7RVuA&ust=1388207737342348

ENSURE BLADES SPINS IN CORRECT DIRECTION

USE THE RIGHT DISC/BLADE FOR THE JOB

A CUTTING BLADE IS FOR CUTTING,

NOT GRINDING

A GRINDING DISC IS FOR GRINDING,NOT CUTTING

A BLADE FOR CUTTING METAL DOES NOT CUT ROCK; A BLADE FOR GRINDING ROCK DOES NOT CUT METAL (SOME EXCEPTIONS)

OFFSET METALHUB

THICK,COMPOSITE

DISC

NO OFFSET HUB

THIN METAL BLADE

IF YOU DON’T KNOW TYPE, DESIGNED DIRECTION OF

ROTATION, OR SPEED RATING THEN DISCARD

DESTROY ALL DAMAGED OR FAULTY BLADES AND

GRINDING DISKS

WEAR HEARING PROTECTION: 4.5” ANGLE GRINDER = 112 dB (LOUD ROCK CONCERT)

WEAR EYE PROTECTION (SAFETY GLASSES AT A MINIMUM), OTHERS SUGGEST FACE-FITTING GOGGLES AND FULL FACE SHIELD

INDUSTRY STANDARDFACE PROTECTION

METAL PARTICLES IN EYEQUICKLY RUST AND COMPLICATE

MEDICAL TREATMENT

http://cdn.viralnova.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/safety_fail_people_16.jpg

DON’T USE DAMAGED BLADES

BLADES WITH CRACKS, CHIPPED EDGES, OR FIBREGLAS MAT EXPOSED SHOULD NEVER BE USED;NOR COMPOSITE BLADES THAT HAVE GOTTEN WET

ARE THERE ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECTS?

RADIATING CRACKS =DRIED OUT?

CRACKEDDISK

AVAILABLEFOR

INSPECTIONAT THIS MEETING:SEE ME

CHECK FOR FATIGUE CRACKS ON TOOTHED BLADES: BASE OF TEETH AND ARBOR HOLE

TWO CASES OF TEETH COMING OFF SPINNING BLADE AND EMEDDING INTO PALEO WORKERS LOWER LEGS

GORE WARNING

DON’T USE BLADES FROM OTHER TOOL TYPES AND…

LAWNMOWE

R BLADE

NEVER, EVER ATTACH WOOD SAW BLADE TO CUT LUMBER OR

TREES

BOTHSURVIVED…….!

NEVER WORK FROM A SEATED POSITION ESPECIALLY WITH

LEGS OPEN EXPOSING INNER THIGHS AND GROIN REGIONS

GORE WARNINGSIMULATED WORKING CONDITIONS, DO NOT ATTEMPT

FINAL GORE WARNING

FATAL

DON’T USE WITH ARMS EXTENDED

OR ABOVE SHOULDER

HEIGHT: YOU HAVE GREATLY

REDUCEDCONTROL.

STANDING WITH TOOL AT WAISTHEIGHT WITH

ARMS FLEXED IS BEST

NEVER USE ANGLE

GRINDER WHILE

STANDING ON A LADDER OR ABOVE YOUR HEAD FATAL

ALWAYS OPERATE ROCK SAW WITH BOTH HANDS

NO!

WEAR KEVLAR CHAPS –THEY WORK!

CHAPS DAMAGED BY SPINNING ROCK SAW BLADE USED BY PALEO WORKER

BETTER STANCE

BE AWARE OF ROCK SAWKICKBACK

SIMULATEDWORKPIECE

WEAR LEATHER WORK GLOVES

ALWAYS HOLD TOOLS WITH BOTH HANDS

PROPERLY CLAMP ITEMS BEING CUT OR TRIMMED

LINE OF FIRE- DON’T EXPOSE YOURSELF OR CO-WORKERS

UNSAFE SAFER, BUT AWKWARD BEST

15’ AWAY: CRITICAL PENETRATING SKULL INJURY TO CO-WORKER (ANGLE GRINDER)

25’ AWAY: AMPUTATIONAT ELBOW OF INNOCENT GIRL;

WORKER DIED (ROCK SAW)

75’ AWAY:NO INJURIES

REPORTED (ANGLE GRINDER)

DISC PIECES FROM ROCK SAWS AND ANGLE GRINDERS CAN TRAVEL FAR

AND MAIM OR INJURE!

VISIBILITY AND SILICOSIS HAZARDS

A SAFE SOLUTIONFOR DUST?

REMOVE STEELGUARD AND

REPLACE WITHTHIN PLASTIC?NO THANKS.

SPARKS = FIRE HAZARD INDOORS AND OUTDOORS

AVOID: FLANNEL AND SYNTHETIC FABRICS

?

?

FAIL!

?CAN SHE SAFELYHANDLE THIS

POWERFUL TOOL?

DEDICATED TO KEVIN S.: YOU GOT LUCKY MY FRIEND!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Thanks also to Ben Borkovic (math) and Chris Capobianco (photography)

7th Annual Fossil Preparation

and Collections SymposiumSalt Lake City, UT, April

4-6, 2014