My Safety Moment from Yesterday

[jrork]

Hi guys. Just wanted to post up for everyone to be careful. I got bit yesterday and while the buzz of pain pills is pleasant, my arm wrapped up and full of stitches is not.

Yesterday I was using my 4 1/2 angle grinder with a cutoff wheel to remove a welded on trailer jack. I had eye protection, ear muffs, gloves and a short sleeve shirt on.

About the time that it was ready to cut thru it pinched and ripped out of my hand. All I remember is that it bounced and got wrapped up in my t-shirt on my belly and got me in the inside of my forearm. I really don't remember much beyond that other than I saw some blood squirt out off my arm all the way across my chest to my other shoulder.

I ran for my wife and told her to call 911 as I didnt want to mess around. I kept pressure on the wound with my right hand until the fire department showed up (they were very quick). They looked over and wrapped me up in some compression stuff and off we went to the hospital.

I was lucky, the wound was deep but thankfully stopped a fraction of an inch from big vein to the point that they had to be very careful sewing me up.

Worse part was the cutoff wheel broke into many pieces in my arm so they had to scrape and dig the pieces out.

From now on you can be assured that I will always have the handle on my angle grinders regardless of how cumbersome it is.

Stay Safe guys..............john

 

[crf731]

Your lucky, get well soon.

 

[stikman56]

Wow, thanks for the heads up. Close call, could have even been worse I guess. Glad you're OK.

 

[Jetfixr320]

I had one grab a loose fitting t-shirt 2 summers ago. I was lucky and able to get it stopped before cutting me. I just got some scrapes.

Glad your okay. And recover quickly.

 

[fourjeepin]

I have used mine without the guard and handle, but usually keep both on. Those grinders may be small, but they cut thru our skin quick!

Best wishes on a quick recovery

 

[Firebird 1]

Glad you weren't hurt any worse. I was using one to do a "2 minute" cut, didn't have gloves on, kicked back into my hand to the tune of 7 or 8 stitches. I felt very lucky that's all it was. I always use ppd now.

 

[Smokeshow69]

If you had been using a snap on cut off wheel and not harbor freight you would not have been cut Just kidding and glad you are ok. I had the same thing happen to me with a wire wheel and did not require stitches but I have a good scar on my stomach to prove it. Safety is not something to think about as an afterthought and I have the reminders to prove it.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Wow! Glad things are working out OK. This is exactly why I wear a Kevlar vest in my garage...

Seriously, glad you're OK and I appreciate the safety procedures reinforcement.

Tommy

 

[Jagmandave]

I had one jump off what I was grinding and climb up my left wrist - still have the scars tho no stitches.....I had gloves on, but they were just short ones and it jumped over them. The only thing that saved me was the shallow angle the cutoff wheel was in respect to my wrist......

 

[matt_i]

Wow, sorry you are hurt, thanks for sharing to benefit others. I'd add always use reinforced wheels (cross weave fibers...Dremel is a violator as they make mini wheels with no reinforcement....) and always use the side handle for extra grip, just like a chainsaw, try not to get the blade in a hard bind.

I sent a half-dollar sized piece of my shirt up in smoke once from a steady stream of grinding swarf that I didn't really notice...this was a 6" disc Metabo. Nothing injured other than my pride, but those "sparks" can ignite paper (etc) as well.

 

[Todd.Brock]

I still use welding gloves when I use a grinder. Not sure they would have helped you but here, though....

Hope you heal up quick!

 

[lotsoftools]

Glad you're not hurt too badly. Thanks for the safety reminder. I all too often grab a tool like the grinder for a quick job and don't use PPE like I should.

 

[wrench409]

It happens so fast. Glad to hear you are healing up.

Hey, LS6 Tommy, do you really have a kevlar type vest? Got any details? Thx.

 

[JCQuick]

1 big question does you cut off wheel tool have the guard on it? Reason I ask is I worked in the body biz for a while there was an old time body man that was using a cut off wheel and it broke landed in his heart and he was alone in his shop. Sadly he didn't make it. after that any tech that didn't have one we made them get em

Very glad to hear your OK

 

[LS6 Tommy]

It happens so fast. Glad to hear you are healing up.

Hey, LS6 Tommy, do you really have a kevlar type vest? Got any details? Thx.

Oh, Geez. I was just kidding. Sorry if I misled you...

Tommy

 

[jhelrey]

 

[wrench409]

Oh, Geez. I was just kidding. Sorry if I misled you...

Tommy

Just making sure... We have cut resistant gloves and sleeves... I guess welding leathers would really be best when using those grinders (I have one that is so old it has no guard).

 

[regguy1]

Gotta be careful......

 

[rlitman]

Wow, sorry you are hurt, thanks for sharing to benefit others. I'd add always use reinforced wheels (cross weave fibers...Dremel is a violator as they make mini wheels with no reinforcement....) and always use the side handle for extra grip, just like a chainsaw, try not to get the blade in a hard bind.

I just picked up a diamond wheel meant to cut steel. Because it's a steel disc, it cannot explode like an abrasive one. Even fiber reinforced wheels can explode.

But once you're caught by a kickback, either wheel can do major damage.

I NEVER remove the handle (or guard for that matter) from my grinders. That's the biggest reason all of my grinders have been purchased at retail prices. I've seen lots of good and cheap grinders at pawn shops, but the handles and guards are always missing.

BTW, this is also why all of my grinders have safety clutches. Metabo uses a slip clutch. If the wheel binds up, it just slips instead of kicking, but beware that the motor is still running, so the wheel can spin up again. My Fein grinders (and I've seen this feature on the better Milwaukee models) use an electrical overcurrent protection device to kill power to the motor when it binds. You need to shut it to reset.

 

[CTyankee]

Glad you're OK. Knock on wood, I've never had one get away from me. I've always owned grinders with paddle switches, but I'm not using one for hours on end everyday either. I always assumed that if one did get away, the carnage would be somewhat limited.

 

[CJM8515]

I have a good grinder that I keep cutting discs on, I left the handle and the guard on. The cheapo B&D grinder has nothing but heavy flap wheels on it and no guard as it broke. I really should start wearing glasses when using them. I tend to forget or not bother, but then remember when something gets kicked up and I go WTF was I thinking!!!!

 

[rlitman]

It takes seconds for the wheel to stop with a paddle switch. I doubt it will make any difference. My opinion is that the paddle switch limits how you can grip the machine, which in-turn makes it more likely to kick.

 

[doan]

I've had a close call very similar to that. I use my pneumatic cut-off tools whenever possible. A little slower, but a lot more forgiving. Seems like it would be possible to make an electric cut-off tool that spins fast but less torque. The pneumatic ones bind and stop, vs. binding, kicking, and exploding.

 

[joel63]

Thanks for the heads up.

Danger is always present when using power tools.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[Flivver250]

Get well

 

[jsaw]

I have been bitten a couple of times, not as bad as you were. I try to make it a point to always position the grinder so that if it does bind or catch that it pulls away from me.

One time i had grinding disk explode. I heard pieces of it hitting the wall 20 feet away. I never found the pieces

 

[Rural53]

Don't try and grind with a cut off disc, when they explode they will go though 3/8" fibrolite (asbestos) sheeting.

Edit: outside of the garage!

 

[countryroad82]

Glad you're ok. I've been bit by those ba$tards more times I care to count! By rocks though or wire brushes so the damage was minimal...... Other than one time I had Bertha out (my 9" grinder) was grinding some welds down inside a car and she got loose and came inches of whacking my go nads off! Yeah fun times.... When I'm using a cutoff wheel with a grinder (which truthfully one should at all times) I have my welding leathers on and a full face shield with safety glasses over my glasses. It's overkill sorta, but I have had those cutoff wheels explode on me more times I care to count, I'm surprised that the government hasn't outlawed them because they're a danger to us............ Yeah I better hush now lol! Glad you are ok man.

 

[jockeylot]

Thanks for the heads up. Hope you are feeling better.

 

[maxpower_hd]

That happened to me once too. I was cut but didn't need stitches. The old grinder I had had a trigger you had to hold on so if you let go it would stop spinning. The one I replaced it with has a switch you switch on and it stays on. Not as safe. I couldn't find one like my old one. I worry about it every time I use it because of my small accident. It wraps up in the shirt pretty quick too.

Get well soon and thanks for the reminder.

 

[laser3kw]

when they explode they will go though 3/8" fibrolite (asbestos) sheeting.

bad juju

 

[offroadrunner1]

It really does happen fast. This was me just 9 days ago. I was using the big 7 1/2 grinder when it jumped out of my hand. The grinder ripped into my left forearm , climbed my shoulder and ground my lower lip. The morphine shot helped ease the pain but I can't remember the exact amount of stitches. Somewhere just under 50 total.

Be careful .

 

[ezover]

must be that time of the year. just had one bind last week and rip my right index knuckle, so being the smart guy that i am i change hands and it ripped my left index knuckle to the bone.

 

[jrork]

Thanks guys for the well wishes. My thought for the post wasn't for sympathy but hopefully a heads up to all of us that it doesnt take much to getcha. This was a really nice Milwaukee angle grinder but not enough to have that clutch deal I guess.

Offroadrunner, that is EXACTLY like what my arm looked like. Hope you're healing up well.

Stay safe guys and thanks again..........john