Spot the Hazards Quiz

The bench grinder and workplace below have a number of health and safety
hazards. How many can you find?

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Spot the Hazards Answers

1. Poison stored too close to work area - should be in a safe place or, if no longer
of use, disposed of safely.
2. Poison spilled on bench - must be cleaned up as instructed on the product's
material safety data sheet.
3. Open matches where grinder sparks could start a fire.
4. Flammable cloth or tissue next to bench grinder.
5. Wall switches too close to grinder. Operator must reach past grinder to switch
it on or off.
6. Insulation on left socket lead has frayed. Lead should be discarded.
7. One electric lead is wound round the other and both leads are draped round the
angle grinder, causing a risk of: short circuit between leads; leads jamming in
brush or grinder wheel; or abrasive damage exposing live wires, and electric
shock to operator.
8. Locking cap on right hand electric lead has detached from plug.
9. Drawer should not be positioned under grinder, where flammable material
could collect and ignite from grinder sparks.
10. Brush and grinder wheels have been incorrectly reversed, making operation
highly dangerous. A brush wheel should never have a guard, which can cause
the wire brush to trap fingers. A grinder wheel must always be fully guarded.
11. The guard on the left (intended for the grinder wheel) is missing a perspex eye
guard (on top of the grinder guard).
12. Also missing is a tool guide for holding work items steady on the wheel. (It
appears to have broken from its mounting).
13. The glove left on the grinder motor could jam in a wheel. Gloves should not
be available for or used with bench grinders.
14. The machine switch has been left in the "on" position, indicating the operator
has to use the wall switch to turn power on and off.
15. The knob is missing from the machine's on-off switch.
16. Food and drink have been left where they can be contaminated by hazardous
particles of paint, welds or heavy metal from items being worked - and from
the poison bottle.
17. Flammable food wrapper is left where sparks could ignite it.
18. Loose spanners, screwdriver and roll of tape can be hazards near a bench
grinder. They should be kept in a safer place.
19. Protruding nut on the grinding wheel would be a hazard during operation.

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