1. ABRASIVE-BLADES SHATTERING – Known as carbide-blades, fiber-blades and/or throwaway-blades, these have reached the top of the OSHA list as the deadliest and most-dangerous product to use for cutting. Based on OSHA-statistics, an employee is 6.3 times more-likely to be killed by an abrasive-blade shattering then by having a diamond-blade shatter on them. Also the same employee is 13 times more likely to be seriously injured requiring hospitalization, by an abrasive blade then by a diamond blade. There are also air-quality concerns with abrasive blades ... Currently tests are being done on the silicon carbide dust emitted when cutting to find out the long term lung damage.
Abrasive-blades May Shatter if:
The blade being used has been damaged (Cracked, Chipped, exposed to water etc);
The blade gets pinched or bound in the material being cut;
The blade is being run at a RPM higher then recommended;
Reusing the blade the next day;
Tilting the saw to the left or right while cutting.
2. DIAMOND-BLADE SEGMENT LOSS - Yep you guessed it, diamond blade segment loss chalked its way up to #2 as the most deadly and dangerous accident. This accident does not pose as big of a threat to the employee as the abrasive blade does however it does still pose a threat, as a matter of fact based on OSHA statistics 60% of the time a segment broke off a blade and hit an employee the injury was deadly, the other 40% were serious injuries requiring hospitalization.
A Diamond Segment May break off if:
The weld holding the segment to the core is defective.
Undercutting causes the blade core to wear thin and weaken.
Unexpected rebar pries segments from the steel core.
Overheating of blade while cutting causes the weld to weaken.
*TIP*It is best to use a company that offers a Lifetime Operator Error Warranty. These companies usually have the highest quality products. *
3. SAW KICK BACK – ABRASIVE -/DIAMOND-BLADES – OSHA’s statistics show that 20% of kickbacks that occur result in the operators death. The other 80% were serious injuries requiring hospitalization. Saw kick back injuries typically occur when a cutter becomes fatigued from the use of the saw; he will then stand closer to the saw, to try and use more body weight to stabilize it in the cut. The cuts may be taking too long because the blade being used is not specified for the material being cut. If that’s the case the blade will heat up and possibly start to wobble, or even bounce, if the saw does kickback the cutter will be closer to the saw and an injury may occur.
Kickbacks may also occur if:
The blade gets pinched or binds.
The blade is not specified to cut the material.
The blade is warped or glazed over (no more diamond exposed.)
The cutter uses the top edge side of the blade to cut.
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