FACTS
- Saw grinders can be a dangerous power tool. Kickbacks can result in severe cuts. Discs can shatter or disintegrate producing fragments which may become lodged in the operators eyes or other parts of the body.
- Serious incidents can occur when cutting and grinding discs are fitted onto hand-held power and air tools. Common injuries include amputated fingers, severed tendons and deep cuts to the face, upper body or legs.
- Multi-cutters are tungsten tipped saw blades that were originally designed to be used on small power saws, not Saw grinders.
- Multi-cutters cut through materials at a faster rate. Multi-cutters are prone to jamming and kickback.
- The tungsten tips are sharper and generally cause a wider, deeper, and longer wound.
- When using power tools or air tools fitted with a disc or blade, ensure:
- Multi-cutter blades are only used on suitable power tools in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- The rated speed marked on the disc or blade must not be less than the rated speed marked on the power tool.
- The size of the cutting disc must not exceed that specified by the power tool manufacturer.
STATS
- (OSHA) statistics show a 20% fatality rate for injuries resulting from grinder or saw kickbacks. The other 80% of injuries were serious enough to require hospitalization.
- Table saw accidents result in 29,000 emergency room department visits per year in the U.S., including workers and non-workers.
- According To Yearly Records, 30,000 Table Saw Related Injuries Were Recorded In The USA. Injuries relating to table saws reach a yearly record of over 30,000.
- There are approximately 40,000 table saw-related accidents treated each year in US hospitals emergency rooms. Among these injuries, about 4,000 or 10 % end up in amputations or permanent disability.
- A survey conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported the estimated total of table/bench saws related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms for a two-year period was 79,500. This total represents 78% of the estimated total stationary saw injuries of 101,900.