Penetrating facial injury from angle grinder use: management and prevention

Abstract

Injuries resulting from the use of angle grinders are numerous. The most common sites injured are the head and face. The high speed disc of angle grinders does not respect anatomical boundaries or structures and thus the injuries produced can be disfiguring, permanently disabling or even fatal. However, aesthetically pleasing results can be achieved with thorough debridement, resection of wound edges and careful layered functional closure after reduction and fixation of facial bone injuries. A series of penetrating facial wounds associated with angle grinder use are presented and the management and prevention of these injuries discussed.

A multidisciplinary approach to management of extensive facial injuries resulting from the use of an angle grinder

“…Although not well documented a small number of papers do report successful reconstruction of these patients following angle grinder injuries. 10,16,17,7,3 Our case is unusual in that the patient's facial injuries comprised extensive structural damage (to both soft and hard tissues), with compromise to the airway, life-threatening bleeding, and multi-specialty intervention with shared surgical access required for effective management, functional and aesthetic repair. Staff within the Accident and Emergency, Oral and Maxillofacial, Ophthalmology and Interventional Radiology specialties were required for immediate and acute treatment respectively, and enabled a rapid and effective treatment pathway to be instigated.…”

Concrete chipping machine: an attachment to the grinding machine

“…The attachment contains a cam plate (4) which is fixed to the threaded bolt of the grinder itself. The cam plate consists of two cam lobes to which two pointed tools (5) are in constant contact using two restraining springs (6). The two pointed tools are guided through a tool guider (7) and two plates (8,9).…”

“…Most common site injuries from the use of angle grinders are to the head and face. According to an analysis conducted by Carter et al [5], they have shown that the usage of angular grinders to chip concrete surfaces leads to severe accidents, especially to the head and face. Concrete breakers, on the other hand, can damage the whole concrete structure and reinforcement because of its high vibration and also affect the operator using the concrete breaker machines, some effects are, lower back pain, motion sickness, bone damage, high blood pressure due to vibration and respiratory metabolic change and on the other hand, use of heavy hand tools is exhausting and time-consuming.…”

Cutaneous basal cell carcinoma arising within a keloid scar: a case report

“… 1 Furthermore, they are the most common type of malignancy of the ear. 4 The majority of BCCs are reported to occur on the auricular helix and periauricular region due to exposure to ultraviolet light 4 and may infiltrate the cartilage. 4 Reports of an etiological relationship between prior trauma/scar tissue and the development of a BCC have been reported within the literature.…”