Are the guards fixed to the manufacturers instructions? Have you spoken to the manufaturers? If you have exposed parts of any moving equipment, then you need to look at why they are not guarded, exposed parts should be to the absolute minimum to enable the equipment to be used, especially abrasive wheels due to bursting and entanglement etc. If you email some pics or equipment types I may be able to help a little more? Regards Clive

Clairel, It's neither! I have been in touch with lewes and it is a large production grinder. Think of a centre lathe and it is more similar to that, with a tailstock mounted grinding wheel if you know a centre lathe. Quite a challenge I suspect!

quite bob, However, if you totally enclose the wheel in close quarters then it can do no work thus the machine is unusable! I have suggested to lewes a close but not tight fitting cowl around the wheel and a barrier guard capable of containing the energy of any remaining wheel disintegration between the wheel/work piece and the operator. I believe the machine can be made sufficiently safe to meet PUWER regs but not in a simple manner. I have actually worked on these machines in the past so i have some experience of the modus operandi & I have even experienced wheel failures due to process failures.

Bob, RA is never what the HSE prescribe as the only control. Where guarding is not possible due to the fact that it would prevent use of the machine it comes down to guard what you can and then ensure adequatew training, as is the case with many woodworking machines for example. You can't exactly guard the whole blade of a bandsaw and still use it, hence the need for training. Paul, I know what a centre lathe is, not sure I can visualize what you mean though. Is it the one where the flat part of the abrasive wheel is being used (not the ends). If so, it depends on what you are doing as to how much you can guard. I think I'd need to see a piccie to be sure. If you've sen the piccies and know the machine and don't feel you need any further input from anyone then go for it. By the way I was doing an internet search to see if I could see what you were referring to and came across this little gem on grinding wheel safety, haven't read it all but looked like quite a good guide at first glance! http://www.grindwellnort.../GrindingWheelSafety.pdf

Claire I am sorry to say that according to the strict letter - the duty to fence is a Practicable one and cannot be ameliorated by the need to be able to use it. Bandsaws can be guarded but the problems are the same as you identify. You need formal derogations if you wish to allow exposure of the cuttting/abrading area not this current hotch potch relying on a nod and wink via a risk assessment Bob

A picture paints a thousand words Can any sort of guard be fitted while the machine is running Training and competence would be a main one if it cannot be guarded properly Have you thought about any type of "dead mans handle", a foot switch perhaps that the operator must keep his foot on while the machine is running. I understand that an abrasive wheel cannot be braked to an E-stop standard but is the grinding wheel running or is it the work piece (a quicker slow down could be installed)

bob, I think we basically agree, however, we are not quite aligned on what is reasonably practicable. On this particular machine it is possible to fit a barrier guard between the operator and the work zone. On a bandsaw you have to allow the timber to get to the blade thus you have to allow access to the blade. If you look at brand new machines they still have open blade access in the cutting area. These are Annexe 4 machines, so, they will have been signed off as meeting the safety requirements by a 3rd party. Cuttell, On this machine both the work & wheel rotate. Grinding wheels can be braked to a stop in 10 seconds though it does take some engineering. We used to do this with 36" & 42" diameter bonded and plated wheels at a previous employer of mine who was a machine manuf.