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Abrasive Wheels Awareness
Online abrasive wheels awareness for anyone who uses or supervises angle grinders, cut-off saws and bench grinders: choosing the right wheel, checking it, and the guarding and speed rules that stop a wheel bursting.
Who it is for
Who this abrasive wheels awareness course is for
Operatives, supervisors and managers in construction, engineering, fabrication and maintenance who use or supervise angle grinders, cut-off saws, bench grinders and similar tools. No previous training is assumed.
- Operatives who use angle grinders, cut-off saws or bench grinders
- Supervisors and managers who oversee that work
- Construction, engineering, fabrication and maintenance teams
- New starters who need the basics before they pick up a grinder
Course content
What the abrasive wheels awareness course covers
Five short lessons covering the law and the hazards, wheel types and markings, inspection and storage, mounting and safe use, and health and fire risks, then a 12-question assessment.
The law and the hazards
PUWER, training and competence, and the main hazards of abrasive wheels.
Wheel types and markings
Types of wheel and disc, bonds, markings, maximum speed, expiry dates and matching the wheel to the job.
Inspection, storage and handling
Pre-use inspection, the ring test, and storing and handling wheels correctly.
Mounting and safe use
Mounting principles, guards, run-up, safe use, bench grinders and supervision.
Health and fire risks
Dust, noise, vibration, eye injuries, PPE, sparks and fire.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do
- Explain the law and the main hazards of abrasive wheels
- Identify wheel types and read the markings, including maximum speed
- Inspect, store and handle wheels correctly
- Describe the safe principles of mounting and the controls during use
- Control dust, noise, vibration, fire and other health risks
Your legal duty
The law behind this training
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require that anyone who uses work equipment is trained in its safe use, and that abrasive wheels are suitable, maintained and properly guarded. This course is that awareness training.
It is awareness training only. It does not qualify anyone to mount or change an abrasive wheel: that needs practical training and assessment by a competent person. A wheel that bursts can kill.
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
- HSE guidance on the safe use of abrasive wheels
Practicalities
How the course works
Would you rather have a tutor?
Need to be able to mount and change wheels? Our tutor led Abrasive Wheel Awareness course covers that with hands-on assessment by a competent person.
For employers
Buying for a team
Putting a whole team through the same course means everyone learns to the same standard, and you hold one record of who has done it and when it runs out.
- One invoice instead of a card payment per person
- Licences allocated as people join or change roles
- Completion and expiry reporting for your training records
- Renewal reminders before certificates lapse
Abrasive Wheels Awareness: common questions
About 30 to 45 minutes, with no time limit: start it, pause it, and come back whenever suits. The certificate is issued as soon as you pass the end assessment.
Yes. Each lesson ends with short knowledge checks, then there is a 12-question assessment with a pass mark of 70% (9 of 12). You can retake it as often as you need.
The certificate is valid for 3 years, and we recommend a refresher every 3 years.
No. This is awareness training in line with PUWER 1998 and HSE guidance. Mounting or changing an abrasive wheel needs practical training and assessment by a competent person.
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