Thread: He ballsed that up!!!!

Originally Posted by bikeman

Many years ago, I was site supervisor on a large house in Sydney. Plumber arrives on site to start his rough in, whips out his 9inch grinder with a SAW blade to check out studs for pipe work. I sent him away, rang his wife to tell her to increase his insurance. The idiots you meet.

I did this once for a specific job where I could not figure out any other way to cut what I had to.

Problem was my saw blade was 10 inch, so I had to do it with the guard removed.

It was a bit scary, but I still have all my limbs.

I'm surprised they still sell 9" grinders. Construction sites won't allow them, and most workplaces have a specific clause in their insurance, voiding cover, if a 9" grinder is used. The largest in our workshop is 125ml.

Originally Posted by ADMIRAL

I'm surprised they still sell 9" grinders. Construction sites won't allow them, and most workplaces have a specific clause in their insurance, voiding cover, if a 9" grinder is used. The largest in our workshop is 125ml.

Really........??

Not from what I see in the workplace although my last three employers all had and used 9" grinders.....

My team use a 9" grinder for grinding only......a 5" just wouldn't get the job done.

I agree most workplaces have banned cutting with a 9" ours as well.

Never heard of specific clauses in insurances. While we pay into work cover I don't believe they have any clauses with our company. We self insure for everything else.

Originally Posted by weeds

Really........??

Not from what I see in the workplace although my last three employers all had and used 9" grinders.....

My team use a 9" grinder for grinding only......a 5" just wouldn't get the job done.

I agree most workplaces have banned cutting with a 9" ours as well.

Never heard of specific clauses in insurances. While we pay into work cover I don't believe they have any clauses with our company. We self insure for everything else.

On large construction sites (at least in Melbourne), 9" grinders are banned.

Originally Posted by Homestar

On large construction sites (at least in Melbourne), 9" grinders are banned.

By bright sparks?

Originally Posted by V8Ian

By bright sparks?

The brightest - I know of 2 similar incidents before they were banned that both involved deep cuts to the legs of people using them - on the upper thigh. I have come a gutsa with one on 2 occasions - once, when it grabbed - but I was half expecting it cutting a car up and it pulled it out of my hands away from me, and the other time I set myself on fire with one, but nothing serious - just a burnt jumper and a few missing whiskers off my face.

I retired mine years ago, i have a 115mm grinder only now and if i need bigger, I borrow an oxy or plasma cutter from work.

Just 20 mins ago i was using my 5inch grinder with a twisted wire wheel cleaning loose rust of my last rear leaf spring. The wire wheel hit the centre bolt and the grinder flew back at me and hit my very loose fitting cotton work shirt. The shirt was grabbed and the grinder immediatly stalled as it pulled the trigger out of my hand and the shirt wrapped around it. Tore a great hole in the shirt but no damage to me thanks to loose fitting shirt. Think i dodged one that time. Leather apron next time i think.

Cheers Rod ⬇

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Originally Posted by ADMIRAL

I'm surprised they still sell 9" grinders. Construction sites won't allow them, and most workplaces have a specific clause in their insurance, voiding cover, if a 9" grinder is used. The largest in our workshop is 125ml.

Originally Posted by Homestar

On large construction sites (at least in Melbourne), 9" grinders are banned.

9" grinders have been banned throughout the mining industry for many years now. I think BHP was probably amongst the first to ban them - I remember us having to get rid of ours up at Yandi back in the 90's. I used the "ban" as an opportunity to buy a couple of plasma cutters for our workshops at the time.

Since then, I've seen them gradually disappear right across the industry, including from the smaller "less regulated" miners and contractors. Most places won't even allow you to use cutting discs on small 4 and 5 inch grinders these days.

I still have a 9" grinder out in the shed - it is only ever used with a cutting disc fitted. But it rarely ever comes out of its hiding spot these days, and is used only by me and only for specific jobs where a smaller grinder just doesn't "cut it".