CPD – Using Abrasive Substances? Ensure the Safety

In some construction, metalworking, or manufacturing industries, people use equipment such as cutting wheels for grinding wheels. Cutting wheels are for cutting metals, concrete and masonry. Meanwhile, grinding wheels are used to chip the workpiece into a smooth finish. These equipment have a common thing, which is abrasive substances.

The act of abrasion involves a harder substance that wears down the surface of softer material. Sometimes, people call that substance a hard substance. It is reliable for activities like grinding or polishing. This technique has had multiple changes through time because of science, technology, and the ability to adjust to the one we know nowadays.

This material has unique characteristics. It has hardness, toughness, and grain structure to make it efficient for cutting hard materials. Usually, abrasive substances come from corundum or diamond, which is hard and durable. Their molecular composition gives them the ability to handle intense friction and wear. If you want to use these substances, you need to be aware of the safety of it.

Course Description

The CPD – Using Abrasive Substances? Ensure the Safety course will help the participants to properly handle these hard substances. These chemicals can be dangerous, depending on their nature and use. It can cause physical damage, health risks, fire and explosion risk, and more. So, this course will aim the participants to:

1. Understanding abrasive materials
2. Health and safety awareness
3. Safe handling and usage
4. Following rules or laws 

In doing so, the participant can create a healthy and safe work environment. Minimising and preventing risks can help them to protect themselves and the business. Nobody wants to have accidents related to these substances. If you want to improve workplace safety while using hard substances, this course is for you.

Course Structure

The course will give the participants the safe and effective handling, use, and management of abrasive materials. These tools are common in several working industries. With this course, the participants will be able to improve safety in their working space. From this course, they will learn about:

• Introduction to the substances
• Risks and hazards of the substances
• Safe handling and use
• Equipment operation and maintenance

With this knowledge, the participants will become more aware of prioritising their well-being while using abrasive substances. Poor usage can result to negative situations endangering the people and the company. That is why the participants will have to do various examples, engaging questions, and activities in this course. Also, the CCM works with professionals and experts to ensure a relevant and unforgettable learning experience for the participants.

Enrolment Criteria

The CPD – Using Abrasive Substances? Ensure the Safety course is open to everyone to learn about these hard substances. There are no specific academic qualifications for to join. But, this course is suitable for people who work in manufacturing, construction, or the automotive industry. This is due to the fact that they are familiar with the equipment that uses the material.

How does an abrasive substance manufacture?

The production of abrasive substances is complex, and the materials, often mineral-based, need to be shaped or finished through rubbing action. It makes the materials become stronger, usually more robust than the workpiece itself. In general, there are a few steps before the material becomes a hard substance. The steps are:

• Choosing raw materials: There are various materials that can be hard substances like aluminium oxide, silicon carbide, or diamonds. Those materials have their unique traits. It determines the hardness, grain size, and overall efficiency.
• Mixing and bonding: In the next step, the abrasive substances go into a binder material like resin, rubber, metal, or even a glass-like substance. It can hold the substance’s particles in place.
• Shaping: The mixture needs to be shaped. It depends on what shape they need, like wheels, belts, discs, or any shape that suits specific tasks.
• Firing or curing: This step is depending on which binder is used. There are specific conditions that require the shaped abrasive in a kiln or cure. This process will decide how solid and hard the product is going to be.
• Final touches: After that, the product needs to go through additional processes like coating or adding a backing material.

The safety hazards of abrasive substance

It might look easy to use an abrasive substance to do the work. However, there must be safety precautions you need to follow. Otherwise, there will be risks such as physical damage, health risks, fire and explosion, and more, which are dangerous for several reasons. Here are the main risks of this substance:

Physical damage

Using abrasive materials is dangerous for human health and safety. It can cause skin and eye injuries. The substance can cause cuts, scrapes, or burns when it contacts your skin or eyes. In addition, the fine particles, like silica dust or metal shaving, can be toxic for your lungs. It causes respiratory irritation or more severe lung conditions such as silicosis.

Health risks

Some of the hard substances can be a chemical hazard. Certain ones contain toxic chemicals which can cause poisoning or other health effects when inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through your skin. Also, particular materials like silica or asbestos-containing substances are dangerous because continuous exposure can increase the risk of cancer.

Environmental risks

When using abrasive substances, the particles can cause damage to the surrounding area. It can contaminate water, soil, and air. This can cause indirect health risks to humans and wildlife. Also, the fine particles from metal or organic materials can become airborne while it is still flaming. That creates the risk of fire or explosion in enclosed spaces.

Become more safe around abrasive substances with CCM

There are many industries that use abrasive substances for their production. Thanks to its unique characteristics, the substances gain hardness, toughness, and grain structure. Some of the common minerals are corundum and diamond. Those can be used for cutting, grinding, polishing, and finishing processes.

Even though it is efficient, there are safety considerations you have to be aware of because these materials can be dangerous. Using these substances demands a complete understanding of the risks. There are physical injuries, health risks, and environmental risks when you are using it. This can harm the workers and environment if there is no proper prevention.

That is why the College of Contract Management offers you the CPD – Using Abrasive Substances? Ensure the Safety. This course is important to obtain the knowledge and skills while using these materials. You need to be informed about health and safety awareness, proper handling, and equipment maintenance, and this course provides you with that. So, it will improve your workplace safety, minimise the risks, and enhance overall efficiency.

For now, the CPD – Using Abrasive Substances? Ensure the Safety is still in the work to ensure the best qualities you can get. If there are any updates, it will be informed through the course page.  In the meantime, feel free to explore the other courses that are available on the site. If you have any questions, you can reach the CCM team through the email.