–The outside diameter and the thickness of accessories must be within the specified size range of the machine. Accessories with incorrect dimensions cannot be sufficiently protected or controlled.
–The bore diameter of discs, flanges, support plates and all other accessories must fit the machine spindle exactly. Accessories with an unsuitable diameter are out of round, vibrate excessively and lead to loss of control.
–Do not use damaged accessories. Before use, always check accessories such as sanding pads for nicks or cracks and check support plates for cracks and excessive wear. Every time the machine is dropped, check the machine and accessories for damage, or install undamaged accessories. Following the check and assembly of accessories, ensure that all persons are beyond the rotating range of the tool and run the machine for one minute at maximum speed. Damage accessories usually break completely during this test time.
–Wear personal protective equipment. Depending on the application, use a shield or protective goggles. If practical, wear a breathing mask, ear protectors, safety gloves and a work apron suitable to protect against impact or small sanding or workpiece parts. The protective goggles must be capable of blocking flying debris caused by the various work operations. The breathing mask or device must be capable of filtering particles generated during work. Continuous exposure to loud noise can cause loss of hearing.
–Ensure that persons standing near the machine are at a safe distance from the work area. All persons in the work area must wear personal protective equipment. Parts of the workpiece or broken accessories can fly off and cause injury outside the immediate work area.
–Always hold the machine by the insulated handles if you intend to perform work that may pose a risk of cutting into hidden power cables or your own machine cable. Contact with live cables transfers an electric current to metallic machine components and causes electric shocks.
–Keep the power cable away from rotating parts. If you lose control, the power cable could be cut or become stuck and your hand or arm could be drawn into the rotating parts.
–Never set the machine down until the tool has stopped completely. Turning tools can catch on
the storage surface, causing you to lose control of the machine.
–Never allow the machine to operate while carrying it at your side. The rotating tool can catch on your clothing by accident and cause serious cutting injuries.
–Clean the air vent slits on your machine on a regular basis. The cooling air fan sucks the dust into the machine and excessive deposits of metal dust can result in electrical hazards.
–Never operate the machine near combustible materials. Sparks can ignite these materials.
–Never use tools that have to be
Cause and prevention of kickbacks
A kickback is a sudden reaction to jamming or catching of a rotating disc, a support plate, a brush or other accessory. Jamming or catch- ing results in a rapid standstill of the rotating accessory, whereby, as a
If, for example, a sanding disc is jammed or caught by the workpiece, the disc circumference can dig into the workpiece surface at the jam- ming point, causing the disc to be expelled. The disc can either fly towards or away from the user, depending on the direction of rotation of the disc at the jamming point. This can also cause sanding discs to break. A kickback is the result of misuse of the machine and/or incorrect method of work or operation and can be avoided by closely ob- serving the following precautionary measures.
–Always hold the machine firmly and position your body and arms such that you can control any kickback force. Always use the auxiliary handle, if included in the delivery, to ensure optimum control over kickbacks or reaction torques during
–Never place your hands near rotating tools. Tools can kick back over your hand.
–Never position your body in the area in which the machine moves in the event of a kickback. A kickback accelerates the machine in the direction of rotation opposed to the disc at the jamming point.
–Take extra care when working in corners, on sharp edges, etc. Avoid kickbacks and prevent
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