Tips to Ensure Health and Safety during Concrete Grinding
June 07, 2018
While working with concrete grinders umpteenth care and attention are required along with several precautions just like any other machines that you may work with. Apparently, these concrete grinding machines are safe and convenient for common use but at all times you will need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
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| Concrete Grinding |
Tips to Follow
To start with, you should know and get familiarized with your equipment, especially if you have not used the machine before.
- It is essential that you read and follow the manufacturer's manual to the last word and even consult the person who is experienced in handling concrete grinding machine if you do not understand anything and to fully understand it’s working.
- You must also conduct a risk assessment and check the environment in which you will use the machine. It should be free from any obstacles and hindrances. Check out for wet spots and areas that may cause electrical short circuits, any cluttered place, extremely dirty floors, other workers or people around and also the lighting conditions which should be adequate.
- Find out the probability of children or any bystander walking into the work area and try to minimize any unforeseen circumstances which may arise. If there are any such changes it always better put up a barrier. You can also deploy an off-sider in the place to nearby to control the movements of the people.
- For your safety, wear appropriate clothes that are not loose so that it does not get caught in the moving parts. Wear protective equipment such as non-slip fully covered shoes, ear muffs, safety glasses, gloves, a hard hat and dust mask.
- Check all accessories and attachments of the concrete grinding machine and ensure those are properly fitted. Check the extension lead so that it supports the current required because longer the lead is it will be difficult to cope apart from the voltage drop issue.
Operation and Other Checks
While operating the concrete grinding machine listen for unusual noises or vibrations and if you find any immediately switch it off and call a technician for repairs.
Also:
Also:
- While working keep a firm grip on its handles, do not work at risky angles or overreach and keep your hands and feet and the power lead far away from the moving parts of the machine.
- Do not use the machine when and if you are drunk or even under influence of drugs, prescription and otherwise as these will cause drowsiness.
When you have finished working unplug the machine from the power source, turn the fuel line off and stow it away safely.
Features of the Machine
The most modern concrete grinding machine is safe to handle and operate and is usually equipped with Safe Operating Procedure or SOP. Concrete grinding produces silica dust that can lead to silicosis if inhaled for a long time; the modern machinery has been equipped with very good dust extraction systems.
Grinding machines are very heavy and therefore requires good and safe manual handling to prevent injuries to joints and muscles.
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| Concrete Grinding |
Precautionary Checks
Check the condition of the diamond blade before use and also check for any missing blade or blade segments, cracks or other signs of wear and tear.
Look for signs of discolouration that indicates heat stress or a weakened blade.
The diamond saw blades are very fragile and therefore no extra force should be put on these and they should be used within normal operating conditions to prevent any damage or personal injury.
It is also required to cut along a string or chalk line to minimise blade damage due to twisting and turning. It is best to employ ‘Pilot’ cuts to make concrete grinding easier.
Always keep the water channels open on resin pads and never run dry-only pad for wet polishing.
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