Safety Requirements for Buffing Wheels

Buffing wheels remove slight imperfections in a piece of metal or work in order to produce a smooth surface. A buffing attachment is placed onto a rotating motor that spins in variable speeds of up to 7,000 rotations per minute. Users will press a piece of unfinished metal or wood against the wheel, which evens out the surface of the piece. Operators will usually add buffing compounds to the wheel in order to reduce friction between the unfinished piece and the wheel. Buffing compounds also create a more even finish.

Safety Glasses

• When using a buffing wheel and working with metal, workers should wear safety glasses. The buffing wheel will polish small amounts of metal from the buffed piece, which can fly off due to the fast rotation of the wheel. These pieces may become lodged in the eye or skin. With large buffing wheels, workers may want to wear a complete face shield, which protects the entire face.

Gloves

• When grinding or polishing a piece on a buffing wheel, workers should always wear leather gloves. Gloves protect the user's hands from metal shards that are removed from a part, which prevents burns. In addition, if a worker's hand slips and comes into contact with the buffing wheel, his hand may be burned.

Ventilation

• Many finishing compounds produce toxic compounds that become vaporized due to the friction between the unfinished part and the buffing wheel. These toxic fumes require workers to ensure adequate ventilation, such as an exhaust system. For smaller applications, workers may open windows to provide ventilation. When working with wood, minute particles of sawdust can accumulate, causing workers to have difficulty breathing. In this face, workers should wear a cloth dust mask.

Rotation

• A buffing machine worker should never buff a work piece in the opposite direction of the buffing wheel's rotation. If he does this, the wheel puts additional pressure on the work piece, which can cause the worker's hands to slip and come into contact with the buffing wheel surface. Contact with the buffing wheel causes severe abrasions. Always buff the work piece slightly before the top or bottom of the wheel in the direction of the wheel's rotation.

Installation

• Workers must install the buffing wheel onto the motor shaft correctly. If the shaft nut is not tightened properly, the vibration of the machine will loosen the nut. The fast rotation of the attachment can cause the buffing wheel to fly off the machine, which can cause serious injury if it strikes part of the body.