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Abrasive Wheels Safety Guide: Everything You Need to Know

You shouldn’t ever feel like you need to brace yourself for abrasive wheels safety. Since they’re tools that are literally designed to wear away whatever they come into contact with, your entire workplace should learn how to be safe around them. Not respecting the damage abrasive wheels can do will grind your workplace to a halt.

If someone gets hurt while using one, they won’t be the only one facing serious issues. Your whole workplace may be investigated, and you may need to prove that you upheld basic safety laws. Otherwise, you may face more than just fines from OSHA.

If you don’t follow some basic safety regulations while handling abrasive wheels, you may get fined into bankruptcy. You may lose more than just your business by letting employees mishandle dangerous tools. You can also lose your life.

So, keep reading below to learn more about how to make sure everyone stays safe while handling abrasive wheels in your workplace! It’ll help you stay safe from the government, from fines, and from the tools themselves!

Abrasive Wheels Safety Should Be Fundamental

Safety doesn’t start a week into someone’s employment at your company. It doesn’t start the moment they’re hired, and it doesn’t begin after someone gets hurt. Instead, safety should be a fundamental part of your company’s culture; everyone should always be on the lookout for danger.

To create a culture centered around safety, you need to do more than just draft new policies emphasizing the importance of safety. Instead, you need to convince everyone involved in your company to be vigilant and cautious. This can only be done by leading by example.

After you create an initial safety plan and write out policies everyone should follow, you should start focusing on safety yourself. Intervene whenever you see someone doing something dangerous, be sure to follow your safety plan to the letter. Since you’re a business leader, people will naturally follow your example.

If your company handles abrasive wheels, safety is more than a virtue. It should be fundamental to your business. Keep reading below to learn why, and to learn how you can create a culture of safety.

Training Programs Should Be a Part of Onboarding

You should always assume that new employees are unfamiliar with your company culture and the norms within it. It’s your job to introduce them to the policies and values that govern your company. Safety should be at the top of that list.

And to show people how much you value safety in your company, you should make safety training a part of the onboarding process. It’s okay to spend a day or more showing new hires how to stay safe while on the job. The more time you spend on it, the more they’ll understand how important it is to stay safe while handling things like abrasive wheels.

Injuries Are Almost Always Severe

Abrasive wheels aren’t like most other kinds of tools: they’re designed to destroy, not construct. They’re designed to wear things down, and they don’t care if they wear down metal, wood, or human skin. Whatever comes into contact with them will lose parts of itself.

That means that mishandling an abrasive wheel will always lead to a serious injury. The space between a slight injury and a serious one is small when you use abrasive wheels. The only way to avoid serious injuries is to avoid any potential for a person to get hurt.

Pick the Right Type of Abrasive Wheel

After you start creating a culture of safety in your workplace, you need to create hard rules about how to handle abrasive rules. The first rule is simple and should be followed when handling other things than abrasive wheels. Make sure to always pick the right tool for the job.

Abrasive wheels can come in a variety of different types, each with their own purposes and dangers. For example, large diameter wheels may be good for bigger projects that may involve more work. They allow you to perform many different tasks at the same time.

Yet, large diameter wheels can also cause bigger injuries as they tear through more material. Losing control of one can cause severe damage to both your business and your employees. And if you use a large diameter wheel for the wrong job, you may lose control of it.

Learn the differences between types of wheels. Resin bonds can come in different forms, and wheels themselves come in different sizes. Before you make a purchase, make sure you understand what those differences mean for different projects.

Handle Abrasive Wheels With Care

Before you handle an abrasive wheel, it should always undergo some basic inspections. You should teach your employees to always perform the ring test by tapping the wheel at a 45-degree angle. It should a metallic ring after tapping it.

If it doesn’t, then it may be cracked so slightly that you can’t even see it. Yet, using it may cause that crack to grow, and a cracked wheel may shatter as you’re using it. That will almost certainly cause serious issues, and can even cost a person their life.

The machines they’re used in should also always have safety guards. With these invaluable features, employees can simply follow the guidelines and enjoy an extra level of protection from a spinning wheel.

Storing Wheels Correctly is as Important as Handling Them

While it’s important to know how to stay safe while using an abrasive wheel, you should also know how to store it correctly, too. Always store them in dry, temperate conditions so that nothing affects the metal in the wheel. Transporting them should be done with a specially designed cart or tool that can withstand their weights.

They should also be organized so that you can reach the right one for the job easily. All of your abrasive wheels should be clearly labeled and marked, and nobody should ever need to sift through wheels to get the one they need.

Don’t Be Abrasive When It Comes to Safety

It isn’t a question as to whether you should learn correct abrasive wheels safety. You should always invest in the safety of your company and your employees, and that starts by investing in the right tools for the job. Before you ever create a safety plan or teach new hires about how to stay safe during the onboarding process; you need to trust your tools.

That’s what we’re here for. Contact us for your next abrasive wheels order, and you’ll be able to rest assured that you’re using some of the highest-quality wheels available. You stay safe at work, and get more of it done, with our products!

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