Hand injury from portable hand-held angle grinder

  • Safety Flash
  • Published on 15 September 2020
  • Generated on 18 June 2025
  • IMCA SF 27/20
  • 2 minute read

What happened?

A worker was injured whilst cleaning equipment using a portable handheld angle grinder fitted with a wire brush. The rotating brush caught an edge and kicked into the worker’s gloved left hand. The glove was pulled into the rotating wire brush resulting in a deep abrasion to the hand.

A worker was injured whilst cleaning equipment using a portable handheld angle grinder fitted with a wire brush

What were the causes? What went wrong?

Our Member’s investigation determined:

  • The task risk assessment was incomplete.

  • The grinder was being used without the side grip handle fitted.

  • No consideration was given to where to place the hand relative to the rotating brush.

  • Given the operator’s position, the grinder could not be used safely.
    • The operator should have moved to the other side of the component to complete the task, and deployed the grinder in a horizontal position.

  • There was no formal power tool / abrasive wheel training in place.

  • There was inadequate supervision of the task.

Lessons learned

  • Equipment should be safe and without risks to the operator (that is, complete, with safeguards fitted and free from defects). [This is a regulatory requirement in many places].

  • Appropriate supervision is essential.

  • Reliance was placed on experience and ‘on the job’ training rather than on formal training and competence evaluation.

Actions

  • Task risk assessment amended to include all hazards and control measures.

  • Angle grinder side grip handle obtained and fitted and its use made mandatory as company policy.

  • Review of power tool/abrasive wheels training and competency evaluation requirements.

  • Supervisors’ responsibilities discussed and reaffirmed.

See also:

Incidents reported to IMCA involving grinders, can be investigated from the Safety Flash archive.

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