I just heard that a man was killed at Berkeley Forge and Tool near Gilman and the freeway. There is an industrial district near a bunch of Asian restaurants. The broadcast said that he was struck in the back of the head by a fragment of an industrial grinding wheel. I didn't know that there was a forge shop in Berkeley. Anybody seen this one? Anyway, those wheels are scary.

San Pablo man dies after factory grinder shatters

that is sad at only 30 yrs old too

I have driven past that shop many times when I lived in CA. When they were forging you could see the steam being exhausted out the roof vents.

I'll say a prayer for him and his family.

Frosty The Lucky.

I was taught to stand to the side when starting a grinder, because sometimes the wheels will explode on start up.
My question is, what is the guy doing in the shop at 10:30 pm? Kind of late to be working isn't it?

Not all people have day shift assignments for a job.

Sad. We are not promised tomorrow. Prayers lifted up for his family.

Clinton; many companies that use large furnaces don't shut them down overnight and so run 3 shifts to save energy costs. Some places only shut them down when it's time to re-build them.

Here is a link to a shop tour of their place. Multiple large steam hammers...... Not your weekend warrior shop here.
http://www.berkforge.com/tour.html

I live right near that shop, It never seems to be open on the weekends when I try to check it out. Odd shifts indeed. I feel for the man's family.

It's hard to tell without being there why the wheel failed but I have seen grinding wheels fly to pieces and it is not a fun thing to be around. I be adding my prayers for his family's well being in the months to come.

I always stress to my guys that 2 of the most dangerous pieces of equip in our workshop are the grinders and the forklift, they are used a lot with not a lot of thought for the ramifications of an accident, they are used by all of the guys working here, and they are common to most industrial workshops. Guys side loading on grinding wheels, using them when they are out of balance, using them with chips missing out of the faces, etc, they just don't seem to realise the danger that they can present. Hopefully this guy has not lost his life in vain, and that it will serve as a reminder to everyone to be safe at work, and I don't just mean by wearing ear, eye and other PPE, we have to take a whole of workshop approach to this. Glasses ear muffs and apron won't save you if you get run over by a forklift or hit in the head by a piece of shattered grinding wheel. My condolences to his family.

Phil

There is something that I don't really understand here. It said that he was hit in the back of the head by the broken wheel.

Does this infer that it occured when the wheel wasn't having metal pressed to it? As in he was turned around to grab a different piece of work and it broke apart.

Back in the 40's my Grandfather was working in an industrial forge shop and while grinding by hand the point of a 2" diameter by 12" long drill bit on a very large grinding wheel, a fellow worker came up behind him and "goosed" him! My Grandpa spun around and smashed the guy in the face with the base of his fist which was holding the drill bit, which sent him to the ground for a few minutes. Fortunatly I have heard of more playing around in the shop then I have seen first hand. I flat out don't allow it around any machines or dangerous equipment, my Grandpa could have easily had that drill thrown through his guts.

I am not saying this is what occured at Berkley Forge.

Maybe we could use this tragic accident to start a movement to replace grinding wheels with belts, belts are dangerous in their own right, but I don't think they are nearly as dangerous as grinding wheels.

Caleb Ramsby

I got scared quite some time ago about big grinders. When I went to the local abrasive specialty store and bought a couple of replacement wheels, the guy working there told me that people don't buy too much of them any more. They either use angle grinders or belt grinders. So, I got nervous and put my big grinder on craigslist. A fellow came over to buy it, and it took both of us to lift it into his truck. He asked me why I am getting rid of it, and I replied that it was scary. He said that was odd, since the maintenance yard he worked for had just replaced all their wheel grinders with belt grinders. He said it was probably OK, since the grinder had beefy cast iron guards and heavy tools rests that adjusted right up to the wheel. I was glad to get rid of it though, but I still prefer to sharpen drill bits on the little wheel grinder.

Not only the person working with a big grinder but anyone in the shop could have been injured by a failed wheel. I had an armour making friend with a massive 5hp buffer that I refused to be in the same room with when it was spinning!

I recall a safety procedure of running a new stone on a grinder for 15 minutes before putting it into service. The idea being it will more likely explode under no load, or when first used than after it has been in use for a while.

Phil

When buying a new wheel I always give it a little toss in the air and tap it with something hard, if it doesn't ring I try another. Most hard wheels recomend this on the tag glued to the wheel.