Australians have been warned about the risks of using angle grinders after a worker suffered horrific upper body injuries.
A nine-inch angle grinder “kicked back” while the 71-year-old was alone on a renovation job at an industrial shed in the Northern Territory.
The worker ended up with a large cut which ran from his face, down his throat to his chest, requiring several stitches.
NT WorkSafe said “the worker was standing on a ladder and cutting steel wall frames above his head when the incident occurred” in Winnellie in Darwin.
Images from the industrial shed following the incident showed the angle grinder on the ground and what appeared to be blood stains on the ladder.
The worker was said to have initially been using a five-inch angle grinder but changed to the nine-inch “to finish the job quicker”.
NT WorkSafe said in a statement on Wednesday that possible contributing factors to the January incident included “the increased power, torque and size of nine-inch grinders makes them more difficult to control compared to smaller grinders or other cutting tools”.
Other possible factors identified were “the worker was not in a stable position to control the grinder as he was standing on a ladder with the grinder cutting above his head” and “the metal frame may have sagged due to the previous cuts made and pinched the cutting disk potentially contributing to the kick-back”.
The angle grinder was also plugged into an extension lead which “had been modified with a 15amp socket attached to a 10amp lead allowing the lead to be overloaded”.
“Testing by NT WorkSafe showed the poor connection in the 10amp plug may have caused a fluctuation of the electrical current with the grinder unexpectantly stopping and starting, potentially causing a kick-back,” NT WorkSafe said.
The authority advised risk assessments be carried out “to identify alternative tools or methods of cutting” before picking up a nine-inch angle grinder.
It was noted that some companies had voluntarily moved to ban nine-inch angle grinders as a result of a large number of serious injuries and deaths.
Further advice for those who use angle grinders include “ensure you have proper footing and balance when using a grinder, and you do not overreach”.
“If you are cutting items that are upright or hanging, use props or clamps to prevent the item from sagging and pinching the cutting blade,” NT WorkSafe said.
“Do not modify the electrical components of power tools or associated leads unless you are qualified.
“Ensure that the ampere capacity of any electrical leads matches the power requirements of the power tool.”
Source: Sky News
