Grinding Wheel Explosion

Background At a mechanical repair workshop, a bench grinder was used for sharpening tools. Incident A grinding wheel shattered during operation, sending fragments across the workshop. The operator sustained facial injuries due to not wearing a face shield. Safety Violations Damaged grinding wheel not inspected before use. No ring test performed. Missing wheel guard. No face shield worn. Root Causes Lack of pre-use inspection procedures. Failure to replace worn grinding wheels. Poor PPE compliance. Corrective Actions Mandatory ring test before mounting new wheels. Install and maintain proper guards. Enforce use of face shield and safety goggles. Regular equipment inspection schedule. Lessons Learned Grinding wheels operate at high speeds and must be inspected and guarded properly to prevent catastrophic failure.