Angle grinders are used throughout the Automotive Industry and are one of the high-risk tasks that workers face on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, there have been a few incidents lately involving the use of angle grinders where the employees involved suffered severe facial lacerations and, if not for the safety glasses they were wearing, could have potentially lost their eye or worse.

Angle grinders are known to cause serious harm in the form of lacerations from the angle grinders kicking back or the incorrect disc being used for the task or the size of the grinder. They have even been known to cause death by penetrating internal organs and/or arteries.

To reduce the risk of injuries from the use of angle grinders in the industry, we recommend businesses review their equipment and complete the following:

• Ensure all angle grinders on site are in good working condition, with appropriate guarding and properly secured to the ground where necessary.
• Have the angle grinders tested and tagged for electrical compliance
• Complete a risk assessment on the angle grinders to determine the main risk areas and determine appropriate control measures.
• Once the risk assessment is completed, develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be placed nearby the equipment. The MTA has these templates available on the Member Portal of the website ready to personalise.
• Ensure employees have been trained and are competent in the use of angle grinders and the relevant SOP. Have them signed off in writing by a competent person.
• Ensure all discs are suitable for the grinder being used, the task, and are in good condition
• Provide suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all employees and enforce its use. This can include Safety glasses (known to protect eyes in angle grinder incidents), steel cap boots, hearing protection, face shield, etc.
• Develop a culture of safety in the workplace so workers feel comfortable raising concerns and hazards and do not attempt to work on faulty equipment

Any incident that results in a serious laceration, whereby the employee is required to be admitted to hospital or if the cut itself is deep or extensive as well as cuts that cause muscle, tendon, nerve, or blood vessel damage or permanent impairment are classified as a “Notifiable Incident” and SafeWork SA will need to be notified as soon as practicable.

For any further advice, or to get more information about the recommended steps, please contact the MTA Workplace Relations team on 8291 2000 or wr@mtasant.com.au. We have qualified and experienced professionals who can work with you in these areas.