A risk assessment for abrasive wheels is not a paperwork exercise - it is the document that tells you what controls you need, what training to deliver, and what to show the HSA inspector. This guide walks through the format Irish inspectors expect, the hazards you must list, and a complete worked template you can copy into your own safety statement.
What the law expects
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 obliges every Irish employer to identify hazards, assess the risks they create, and either eliminate them or apply control measures that reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The General Application Regulations and SI 36/2016 add task-specific obligations for abrasive wheels - which means the abrasive-wheels risk assessment cannot be a one-line tick on a generic form. It needs its own document.
The format Irish HSA inspectors expect
A compliant risk assessment includes seven columns:
- Task
- Hazard
- Persons at risk
- Initial risk score (likelihood x severity)
- Control measures
- Residual risk score (after controls)
- Owner and review date
The hazards you must list
For abrasive wheels in any Irish workplace, the standard hazard list is:
- Wheel burst (most severe - kinetic projectile)
- Kickback (portable angle grinders especially)
- Eye injury from sparks, swarf and fragments
- Hand injury from contact with the wheel
- Hearing damage
- Respiratory exposure to dust and fume
- Dermatitis from coolant or coating residues
- Fire and explosion (especially when grinding near flammables or galvanised metal)
- Vibration (HAVS - hand-arm vibration syndrome)
- Electric shock
- Manual handling of the workpiece
- Slips, trips and falls in the work zone
Worked example - portable angle grinder, light fabrication
| Hazard | Initial risk | Controls | Residual risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheel burst | High (3 x 5 = 15) | Trained operator with current Abrasive Wheels Certificate; ring test on vitrified wheels; correct disc selection; guard fitted; speed match check | Low (1 x 5 = 5) |
| Eye injury | High (4 x 4 = 16) | EN 166 wraparound glasses + face shield; clean visor; replace pitted PPE | Low (1 x 4 = 4) |
| Hearing damage | High (4 x 3 = 12) | SNR 25+ ear muffs or plugs; rotation of operator; noise survey | Low (1 x 3 = 3) |
| Respiratory exposure | Med (3 x 3 = 9) | FFP3 mask for masonry; LEV when fixed; rotation of task | Low (1 x 3 = 3) |
| Hand injury | Med (3 x 4 = 12) | EN 388 cut-B gloves; both-hands-on-grinder rule; spindle-lock discipline | Low (1 x 4 = 4) |
| Fire | Med (3 x 4 = 12) | Hot work permit; clear 10 m radius; extinguisher at hand; fire watch 30 min after grinding | Low (1 x 4 = 4) |
| Vibration | Med (3 x 2 = 6) | HAV-rated grinder; trigger-time logging; 30-min limits | Low (1 x 2 = 2) |
| Electric shock | Med (2 x 5 = 10) | RCD in line; PAT every 12 months; pre-use cord inspection | Low (1 x 5 = 5) |
Risk scoring - keep it simple
Multiply likelihood (1 to 5) by severity (1 to 5) for a 1-25 scale. Anything 15 or higher is a "do not proceed" until controls are applied.
Controls - the rule of priority
- Eliminate - is this task necessary? Could it be done with a different method?
- Substitute - cordless for corded, lower-RPM machine, smaller wheel.
- Engineering control - guards, LEV, RCD, isolators.
- Administrative control - training, written authorisation, hot-work permits, supervision.
- PPE - the last line of defence, never the first.
Owner and review
Every risk assessment needs a named owner (the person who can change the controls) and a review date (annually for routine work, or after any incident, near-miss, equipment change or regulation update).
The training control measure
"Trained operator with current Abrasive Wheels Certificate" appears on every line above. Without that one control, every other control collapses. Send your team on the Abrasive Wheels Course and store the PDF certificates with your risk assessment in the safety statement folder.
