Master solution to staying safe

As a member of the British Abrasives Federation (BAF), Master supports its recent statement that, when used correctly, abrasives have an excellent safety record. Whilst reputable manufacturers follow precise manufacturing standards (EN 12413) to ensure products are fit for purpose, problems are likely to arise when products are used incorrectly or for materials and applications for which they were not intended.

Abrasive wheel breakage is the largest risk for incidents, as grinding tools have operating speeds up to 180 mph and can accelerate and decelerate faster than a Formula 1 racing car. Personal injuries resulting from wheel breakages are usually a result of using hand held machines and unfortunately are the single largest reason for a wheel breakage is operator error. For this reason it is a requirement of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) that all people who use, supervise or manage the use of work equipment have received adequate training.

Master offers the solution to ensure this requirement is covered for employers, helping to keep their workforce safe - the safe use of abrasives training course, accredited by the BAF - issuing all who have attended and passed the course with a certificate. This course familiarises abrasive users with simple, basic but vitally important facts about abrasives, the use of them and how, when used correctly, they have an excellent safety record.

Although hand-held tools pose possibly the greatest risk to life and limb, even machines that are fully enclosed require training for operators and other employees involved in order to prevent costly accidents. Training provides the knowledge needed to select the appropriate product to match the machine and the material being ground, ensuring that it is not damaged, as well as teaching required for mounting wheels to the machine correctly. As simple as it sounds, these basic operations are a major source of accidents (when carried out incorrectly) in the workplace every year.

The training courses offered not only help to fulfil legal requirements and reduce the propensity for accidents, they can seriously improve operator and programmer knowledge to further cut scrap rates and improve output. The programme can be tailored to your specific needs and can even be expanded to include application recommendations for abrasives to improve performance according to customer needs.

Paul Batson, managing director of Master Abrasives, explains: "Brian Collins, our Quality and Health & Safety Manager, carries out the safe use of abrasives course accredited by the BAF. His experience as a specialist in these roles, coupled with his involvement with the BAF in general meetings as well as his active role as a member representative, make Brian the ideal trainer.”

Complementing this, Master Tool Services (MTS) offers Toolbox Talks, accredited by IOSH, on understanding HAV and how to control and reduce the risks involved. MTS can also offer training on the repair and maintenance of certain brands of pneumatic tools, as well as offering a complete repair, servicing and maintenance programme for customer tools.