A recent incident involving an injury occurred while grinding a pipe stand in the main shop. An employee was grinding on a pipe stand with a hand grinder. As the employee was grinding the pipe stand; the grinding wheel exploded and hit the face shield causing damage to the face shield and hitting the employee in the right eye and face causing a laceration above the right eye, a laceration to the right side of the employee’s nose, and several cornea abrasions were found by ta Dr. The employee was taken to an Optometric Clinic where he was prescribed an antibiotic and a steroid for injuries received; classifying this to be a recordable incident. The grinding wheel that was being used was 1/3 inch when the job required a ½ inch wheel. The wheel was not tap tested it is believed that the wheel had a crack from shipment. The wheel had never been used. The grinder did not have on the required guards in place at the time of the incident. The grinder was taken out of service. The employee was wearing a clear face shield; the employee did not have on safety glasses under the face shield as required. CLICK HERE (pdf) to see this Safety Alert from SolvingTech, Welding and Fabrication Division.
Safety Alert – Grinding Wheel incident resulting in a Recordable Injury
