PSA: Don't forget your safety glasses when using a grinder!

Hey folks, just a friendly reminder after a close call today. I was using my angle grinder with a cutoff wheel, and a piece of the wheel flew off and hit my safety glasses. Thank goodness I had them on! They're scratched to hell but my eyes are fine. Always wear your PPE, especially when using high-speed tools. What do you guys use for eye protection?

Amen to that! I've been restoring old tools for years, and I've seen too many guys lose sight in one eye from a spark or a shard. I use a full-face shield over my safety glasses when I'm grinding. It's a bit clunky but I've had sparks bounce off the shield and it would've hurt without it. Also, make sure your glasses meet ANSI Z87.1 standard. Cheap won't cut it.

Great reminder. I always tell my crew to wear a face shield when using a grinder. But even with a shield, I've had debris fly around the sides. So I also where a respirator if I'm cutting something that could give off dust. One time I was cutting metal and a hot spark landed on my forearm - that was a fun burn. Always wear long sleeves too if you can.

Yeah, I learned my lesson the hard way - got a metal sliver in my eye once. Didn't need stitches but it was not fun. Now I always wear my safety squints... I mean glasses. But seriously, I got a pair of those with a foam seal around the edges to keep dust out. They're more comfortable for working all day. Just make sure they don't fog up. And for the love of Mike, don't wear contact lenses under them if you can avoid it - if something gets in, it's a pain.