Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 2 Issue 6 • Sep/Oct 1996 | Page 19
Studio Health & Safety
The True Grit on Grinding
BY MONONA ROSSOL
Almost every pottery I have ever
inspected or surveyed, whether in a
school, university or a small business, has had an electric abrasive
grinding wheel. And almost every
one of these grinding wheels was in a
condition which rendered it a serious
OSHA violation. I figure it’s time we
talk.
OSHA regulations on grinding
wheel safety have been in place since
1974. These rules are necessary
because grinding wheels have caused
a large number of serious accidents
resulting in blindness and even
death. Abrasive wheels can shatter
spewing pieces at very high velocities toward the user's head and eyes.
Fingers and tools can jam between
the tool rest and the wheel or
between the wheel and the housing.
Sparks and pieces of the material
being ground can fly into the user's
face and eyes. For these reasons,
OSHA requires all grinding wheels to
have:
• housings covering 3/4 of the
wheel including the spindles;
• clear, unbreakable guards
adjusted over the work during use;
• tool rests adjusted to within
one-eighth inch of the wheel; and
• break-out plates seated at the
top of the housing.
OSHA also will cite employers
for violations if workers use the
grinding wheel:
• without all guards in place;
• without wearing eye protection
and sometimes face protection;
• or to grind objects on the sides
or edges of the wheel. Only the flat
front plane is a proper grinding surface.
If the grinding wheel is used correctly with all the guards in place,
only pots a few inches in diameter
can fit in the space between them. To
get around this problem, many potters simply raise or remove the guard
and take off the tool rest. This is dangerous! Instead, potters should realize that abrasive grinding wheels
simply should not be used for grinding off glaze flaws. They are the
wrong tool for the job.
Either the grinding wheel should
be removed from the studio altogether or it can be altered by removing
the tool rest and replacing the abrasive wheel with an abrasive flap
wheel. Flap wheels are strips of abrasive cloth affixed at an axle. They
will not shatter and are not covered
by grinding wheel regulations.
Many potters find flap wheels
useful for some kinds of grinding.
However, what potters really need is
a hand-held tool that will take glaze
drips and globs off the outside—and
inside—of pots. Some types that
many potters find useful include:
1) The larger and higher quality
Dremel tools with assorted carbide
and diamond bits.
2) Air compressor-powered die
grinders with bodies of two inches in
diameter or larger.
3) Flexible shaft grinders like
those used in the jewelry industry.
4) Dental drills for delicate work.
Another useful tool is a horizontal flat wheel which uses wet abrasive grits to grind bottoms even.
Each potter will probably find a combination of these tools that works
well. All these tools should be used
with eyewear that is rated for impact
protection. Face shields also may be
needed for high-powered tools.
Control of the dust is also necessary
since it will contain free silica and
other toxic substances.
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HAWTHORN BOND
I would be interested in comments from potters who use some of
these tools so we can pass on recommendations for the best types. Please
reply to: Monona Rossol, ACTS, 181
Thompson St. #23, New York, NY
10012-2586, 212/777-0062. ■
Monona Rossol is an industrial hygienist/
chemist with an MFA in ceramics/glass. She is
also an award-winning author of five books on
the hazards of art and ceramic materials. Her email address is: [email protected].
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