 | This year the Abrasives Product Safety Department is recognizing the 100th anniversary of the creation of American National Standards Institute’s ANSI B7.1 Safety Code for the Use, Care and Protection of Abrasive Wheels. The code was first adopted in 1916 and was one of the first national standards specifically focused on the safety of industrial workers. It was based on more than a decade of safety research performed by the former Norton Company. |
“Our company conducted safety research in the early 1900s for our customers, resulting in Norton Company playing an instrumental role in developing and implementing safety codes to ensure proper use of our products,” says Thomas Service, Director, World Product Safety, Abrasives. “Some of the important aspects of this code included the use of guards, proper use of speed, mounting procedures, and even dust collection—issues that remain important today.”
The Safety Code was originally approved by more than 25 abrasive wheel manufacturers and adopted by the National Machine Tool Builders Association. “I believe we are the only original committee member still in existence today,” adds Service. “It was so important to industrial worker safety that it was incorporated as part of OSHA regulations in 1972. This is an important milestone for the Product Safety Department. Not only does this code show the company’s early and continued commitment to safety for those who use our products, it also still holds true today.”
Throughout the year, Abrasives’ Product Safety Department will be highlighting this historic commitment to product safety through a number of ways, including features in its monthly safety flyers to all Abrasives sales staff.