Rock grinders are also very effective finger smashers; I nearly lost my left middle finger when a rock got caught on tear in a nova-type wheel and pulled my hand under the wheel. My finger was against the tray with a sharp rock wedged between it and the wheel going bang bang bang. I couldn't pull it out and finally pushed to get my hand loose. When I pulled my hand out I wasn't sure if my finger would still be attached, but thank God it was and I thought "they can work with this". If was, of course, broken and I needed stiches but I was just grateful that I still had a finger. I tell all the new members that if the grinder wants the rock, let it have it. No rock is worth losing a finger or worse.
At the clubhouse I go to, there is a hank of hair hanging on the wall along with a sign that says "This used to be attached to my head. Don't be like me and tie your hair back when working with the buffing machine." We show it to all the newcomers.
Debbie K
Being the manager of a machining dept machining ceramics before firing and having up to 80 women operating the machines we had long hair problems too. We supplied hair nets as safety equipment but it was voluntary for their use. Many times I have heard a scream like yell and helping the young lady stop the machine so she could get hair untangled. Our machines used 1" flat soft leather belts so most of the spindles would stall out when it did happen. We were being inspected by OSHA one time and one of the inspectors noticed the ladies were not wearing the hair nets. We had a quick meeting which he gave a talk on a lady in Alabama who had her hair caught by the drill press' spindle while operating a drill press. Before she could cut the drill press off it had pulled most of her hair and her scalp off her head. It had even pulled her scalp off including her eye lids. Short story she never looked the same. Our ladies started using the hair nets without a quibble after that.
Long hair, long sleeves and even neck ties can be a death trap around machines. Be very "CAREFUL".
If while buffing on a cloth buffing wheel it wants to pull your work piece away don't hold on let it go. I remember years ago when I first started polishing jewelry I was going to polish a gold box neck chain. Before I could even let go the wheel had grabbed the chain chewing it up in the process of giving my hands a brutal beating. Lesson learned....I have never tried to polished a neck chain since and never will.
Don
