Free toolbox talk · Abrasive wheels

Abrasive wheels toolbox talk

A toolbox talk on abrasive wheels for disc cutters, angle grinders and bench grinders, written to be read aloud in about six minutes: reading the disc, speed and size, the use-by date, who mounts a wheel, the guard, side loads, starting a new wheel, and dust, sparks and eyes. The last page is the attendance record.

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PDF · 3 pages · 209 KB · Word 41 KB · Free to use and reuse · Terms

Attendance record page of the free abrasive wheels toolbox talk from Unibuild, where each person signs to say they were given the talk and understood it

Front page of the free abrasive wheels toolbox talk from Unibuild

Law: PUWER 1998, regulations 4, 9 and 11
Time to deliver: About six minutes
Format: PDF and Word, with a sign-off sheet
Cost: Free, always

What this toolbox talk covers

This talk is for anyone who uses or changes a disc: petrol disc cutters, angle grinders, chop saws, wall chasers and bench grinders. It takes about six minutes to give and covers what is printed on a disc and why it matters, matching the disc to the machine, the use-by date, who may mount a wheel, the guard, why side loads burst discs, starting a new wheel, and protection from sparks, fragments and dust.

It is written to be read aloud, with the points in the order a supervisor makes them, short lists of do and do not, and questions about the cutters and grinders on this job. The last page is the record: who gave it, who heard it and what was raised.

Cutting also makes dust and noise. The dust and silica toolbox talk covers water and extraction, and the power tools risk assessment holds the full hazards and controls.

Checked against HSE guidance and legislation.gov.uk on 28 October 2026.

Toolbox talk · About six minutes

Abrasive wheels: the talk

Read it as written or in your own words. Tick each point as you make it. Stop for the questions.

Why it matters

HSE’s guidance on abrasive wheels says nearly half of all accidents with them are due to an unsafe system of work or operator error. Every abrasive wheel can break, and when one bursts the pieces leave at the speed of the rim. A disc running at 35 metres a second throws a fragment at about 80 mph, and faster discs at well over 200.

The injuries are to faces, eyes, hands and legs, and some are fatal. Most burst discs had a reason: the wrong disc on the machine, an out of date disc, a disc fitted without its flanges, the guard swung out of the way, or the disc twisted in the cut. This talk is about the minute of checking that stops all of them.

HSE, Safety in the use of abrasive wheels (HSG17), paragraphs 2 and 29

The points to make

Read the disc

Every disc is printed with its size, its maximum operating speed in metres per second and revs per minute, its type, any restrictions on use, and a use-by date if it is resin bonded. Read it before fitting. A disc marked not for hand-held cutting off machines does not go on a hand-held machine, whatever it fits on.

Speed and size

Overspeeding is one of the main causes of a disc bursting. The maximum speed printed on the disc must be at least the speed of the machine, which is marked on the machine. Never fit a larger disc to a grinder by taking the guard off, and never fit a disc made for a slower machine. If you cannot read either speed, do not use it.

The use-by date

Resin bonded discs for hand-held machines carry a use-by date three years from the date they were made. After that the bond weakens and the disc can break. Check the date before fitting, use the oldest in-date stock first, and take out of use any disc past its date. Store discs flat and dry, away from heat, damp and anything that could crack them.

Who mounts a wheel

Only people trained to mount abrasive wheels change them. Training covers the markings, checking the disc for damage, the flanges and nuts, fitting the right way round and the guard. Before fitting, look at the disc for cracks, chips or warping; a warped cutting disc is not used. Use the machine’s own flanges and spanner, never a makeshift arrangement.

Guard on and adjusted

The guard is fitted and adjusted before the wheel is run, between the disc and you. It is there to catch the pieces when a disc bursts and to keep hands off the rim. Never remove a guard to make a cut easier or to fit a bigger disc. On a bench grinder, keep the work rest close to the wheel, and adjust it as the wheel wears.

Straight cuts, no side load

A cutting disc is made to cut with its edge only. Twisting it in the cut, forcing it, or grinding with its flat side puts a load on it that it was not made for, and that is when discs break. Clamp or support the work so it cannot pinch the disc. On bench grinders, grinding on the side of a straight-sided wheel is dangerous.

Starting and protection

Run a newly fitted wheel at full speed for about a minute, with everyone stood clear of the line of the disc. Never slow a wheel by pressing on it. Wear eye protection for all dry cutting and grinding, with a face shield for heavy work, and gloves, hearing protection and the respirator the task needs. Keep loose sleeves and rags away from the disc.

Do

Read the disc: size, maximum speed, restrictions and use-by date.
Check the disc’s speed is at least the machine’s marked speed.
Leave mounting to people trained to mount abrasive wheels.
Fit and adjust the guard before running the wheel.
Run a new wheel for about a minute with everyone clear of its line.
Use water or extraction for the dust, and wear eye protection every time.

Do not

Do not use a disc that is cracked, chipped, warped or past its use-by date.
Do not take a guard off, or fit a larger disc than the guard was made for.
Do not twist a cutting disc in the cut or grind with its flat side.
Do not slow a spinning wheel by pressing on its face or rim.
Do not use a disc marked not for hand-held machines on a hand-held tool.

Ask the team

Where are our discs stored, and how would we find the use-by dates?
Who here is trained to mount abrasive wheels?
Which machines on this job have guards that have been moved or damaged?
What would you do if a disc started to wobble or the cut started to pinch?
How are we controlling the dust from cutting on this job?

To close

A disc spinning at full speed is stored energy, and when it lets go it throws pieces faster than a car on a motorway. Nearly half of these accidents come from how the job was done. So read the disc before fitting it, match it to the machine, check the date, leave fitting to trained people, keep the guard on, cut straight, and let a new wheel run before you put it to work. If a disc does not look or sound right, it is not used.

Record it. Who gave the talk, where, when, who was there and what was raised. The last page of the sheet is the record.

In Unibuild a talk is read in each operative’s own language and signed on the phone. How toolbox talks work

The law behind this talk

Checked against the source

Suitable equipment, used for what it is for

Work equipment is constructed or adapted to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used, chosen with regard to the working conditions and risks, and used only for operations and under conditions for which it is suitable. A disc is used only on the machine and for the work it is marked for.

PUWER 1998, regulation 4

Training

Everyone who uses work equipment, and anyone who supervises or manages its use, has received adequate training for health and safety, including the methods of use, the risks and the precautions. HSE’s guidance HSG17 sets out what training in mounting and using abrasive wheels covers, and recommends a record of who has been trained.

PUWER 1998, regulation 9

Guards on dangerous parts

Measures are taken to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery, by fixed guards where practicable, then other guards or protection devices, then jigs and holders, with information, instruction, training and supervision. Guards are suitable, strong, maintained, not easily bypassed or disabled, and do not add risk.

PUWER 1998, regulation 11

Maintenance

Work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair, and any maintenance log is kept up to date.

PUWER 1998, regulation 5

Risk assessmentPower tools risk assessmentThe full hazards, controls and sequence of work this talk briefs, with a pre-filled template.

What is on the sheet

3 pages, the talk and the record

The talk, over two pages

Why it matters, the points to make, do and do not, and the questions to ask, laid out to read from in the cabin or at the workface. Space at the top for the site, the date and who is giving it.

The last page, the record

The attendance record: each person's name, company and signature, the questions raised and any actions, signed off by the person who gave the talk. Type into it or print it and pass it round.

The Word version

The same talk as a Word document, so you can put your own letterhead on it, add a site photograph or change a point to match how your job is set up.

Download the talk as PDF Word versionPDF · 3 pages · 209 KB

After it is given

Delivered on the phone, signed in the room

On Unibuild a toolbox talk is picked from the library, read by each operative on their own phone in their own language and signed there and then. The record is filed against the operative, the site and the date.

A site manager sees who has had which talk, and who has not, without a sheet going round on Thursday.

How toolbox talks work on Unibuild

Asked most often

Abrasive wheels toolbox talk questions

How long should an abrasive wheels toolbox talk be?

About five to ten minutes. This one reads in about six if you make every point and stop for the questions. It is a briefing, not abrasive wheels training, which covers marking, inspection, mounting and dressing in practice and is recorded in the training matrix.

Do you need a certificate to change a disc on a grinder?

The law requires adequate training, not a particular certificate. The Abrasive Wheels Regulations 1970, which required appointed persons, were revoked by PUWER 1998. HSE’s guidance HSG17 says only appropriately trained people should mount wheels and recommends keeping a record of that training. Most sites ask to see it.

Do cutting discs have an expiry date?

Yes. HSE’s guidance says all organic, or resin, bonded wheels for hand-held use carry a use-by date three years from the date of manufacture. A disc past its date is taken out of use.

Can you grind with a cutting disc?

No. A flat cutting-off disc is made to cut with its edge. HSE says to avoid twisting or putting pressure on the side of a cutting wheel, because side loads can break it. Use a grinding disc for grinding.

Can you take the guard off an angle grinder?

No. PUWER requires guards to prevent access to dangerous parts, and HSE’s guidance says the guard is always secured and adjusted before the wheel is run. Taking a guard off to fit a larger disc or reach a cut is how many of the worst injuries happen.

What is the ring test?

A check HSE describes for the soundness of a wheel: tapping a clean, dry wheel lightly with a non-metallic tool and listening. A dead sound, for example from a crack, means the wheel is not used. Resin bonded wheels do not ring as clearly as vitrified ones, so a visual check matters too.

What PPE is needed for disc cutting?

Eye protection for all dry grinding and cutting, with a face shield for heavy work, hearing protection, gloves, safety footwear, a hard hat on site, and respiratory protection where water or extraction cannot control the dust. The risk assessment sets the exact kit.

Do we have to keep a record of the talk?

There is no regulation that names toolbox talk records, but PUWER requires training, and most principal contractors and auditors ask for the evidence. A signed attendance record with the date and the topic is that evidence. The last page of the sheet is the record.

Is this abrasive wheels toolbox talk free?

Yes. Download it, print it, give it, edit it and put your own name on it, including on paid work and for clients, with no sign-up and no email address.

More free toolbox talks

Each with a PDF and Word sheet and an attendance record

Plant, tools and electricityPower tools toolbox talkThe right tool, guards in place, the pre-use check, cables and batteries, kickback, and isolating before changing a blade. Plant, tools and electricityEye protection toolbox talkGrinding, cutting, drilling overhead, chemicals and dust: matching the eye protection to the job, and first aid for the eyes. Health and hazardous substancesDust and silica toolbox talkSilica dust kills more site workers than falls. Cutting, water, extraction, masks and face fit.

Falls and access

Health and hazardous substances

Site, fire and housekeeping

Plant, tools and electricity

People and wellbeing

The blank toolbox talk template, the toolbox talk register, every talk by topic and every other free form are on Free downloads.

Next step

The talk given, understood
and on record.

Unibuild keeps every toolbox talk against the operative who signed it, the site and the date, for seven years, ready for the principal contractor or an auditor.

Book a demo → See toolbox talks on Unibuild