Team:Woodworking/Risk Assessments/Power Sanding

Name	Power sanding
Type	Activity (e.g. Tool Usage)
Last Reviewed	2025-04-04
Next Review	2026-04-04

Sanding, especially with power tools, can easily cause injury when precautions aren't taken. The pads are abrassive and your skin is much softer than wood or metal. There's a video on sanding safety here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMPtMFZPCqk

Risk	Existing Mitigations	Severity / Likelihood	Assessment	Action Required	Residual Risk
Cuts and grazes due to catching flesh; potential to lose finger nails	Never put your fingers between the material and the sanding pad. Guide the material from the back. Especially when rounding, be very aware of where your fingers will move. Be incredibly careful when working with smaller pieces of wood; in those cases it may be advisable to switch to non-powered sanding.	?/?			?
Clothes catching in the machine.	You must not wear baggy clothing or fabric gloves whilst sanding. This will reduce your dexterity, making it much more likely to snag the rotating belt. If the clothing gets stuck, it will be impossible to pull it out and it will pull your hand in with it.	?/?			?
Kickback from the material.	Always place the material in a stable position. This might be on firmly on the table of a disk sander or up against the guard on a belt sander. Always identify which way is "down". The material should never touch the upwards rotating belt.	?/?			?
Dust scattering, causing eye iritation.	Each power sander has an extrator vacuum nearby - always use these. It helps with cleaning up, but also forces the saw dust in one direction. There are eye glasses available for use.	?/?			?
Lose of control due to damage to sanding disk/belt.	Inspect the entire sanding area for damages before using it on your material. If it is torn in any places, that will sang your material and send it flying.	?/?			?
Hazardous particles	Be very aware of the provinance of your wood. Some woods are treated with pesticides which are very bad to be breathing in. Wear a mask if you're unsure. Always use the extraction vacuums.	?/?			?
Noise causing hearing loss	There are ear protectors and ear plugs in the Woodworking workshop.	?/?			?
{{{risk_8}}}	{{{mitigation_8}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_9}}}	{{{mitigation_9}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_10}}}	{{{mitigation_10}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_11}}}	{{{mitigation_11}}}	{{{score_11}}}			0
{{{risk_12}}}	{{{mitigation_12}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_13}}}	{{{mitigation_13}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_14}}}	{{{mitigation_14}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_15}}}	{{{mitigation_15}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_16}}}	{{{mitigation_16}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_17}}}	{{{mitigation_17}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_18}}}	{{{mitigation_18}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_19}}}	{{{mitigation_19}}}	0/0			0
{{{risk_20}}}	{{{mitigation_20}}}	0/0			0

Please ensure you are familiar with the Nottingham Hackspace Health and Safety Policy prior to undertaking this activity.

If you do have an accident or near-miss, please report it using our Near Miss and Accident reporting form.

Risk Matrix

Severity
	5	1/5	2/5	3/5	4/5	5/5
	4	1/4	2/4	3/4	4/4	5/4
	3	1/3	2/3	3/3	4/3	5/3
	2	1/2	2/2	3/2	4/2	5/2
	1	1/1	2/1	3/1	4/1	5/1
		1	2	3	4	5
	Likelihood

See also: https://int-enviroguard.com/blog/belt-and-disk-sander-safety-rules-to-reduce-workplace-safety-risks/