FACTS

1. 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 operator’s eyes or other parts of the body.
2. 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.
3. 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.

4. 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.