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Dremel Rotary Tool Cordless/Battery

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Risks & Hazards | Hazard Control | PPE | General Safety | Operating Safety | Maintenance | Safe Work Zones | OperatingProcedures

The information contained in this SOP is general in nature.Refer to the relevant manufacturer's manual for specific

operating information.The YouTube videos are included as a compliment to the

information presented.

Introduction

The Dremeltool is a rotarytool, ormachine thatturns smallcutter bits veryfast to cut,grind, drill,

sand, or etch a variety of materials, includingwood and metal. The Dremel concept relieson high speed as opposed to torque, unlike aconventional power drill, for example. Byinserting an appropriate bit (or burr) the toolcan perform drilling, grinding, sharpening,cutting, cleaning, polishing, sanding, routing,carving and engraving. A Dremel tool can beused for cutting, grinding, sanding, buffingand shaping materials such as wood,laminate, ceramic and metal. Both battery

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powered and corded models are available.Dremel's rotary tools are similar to thepneumatic die grinders used in themetalworking industry by tool ormoldmakers.

Click to open the Dremel 4000 User Manual >>>

Have a look at this Dremel Rotay Tool ...

Identified Risks and HazardsSpecific hazards that may arise whenoperating the Dremel rotary tool include:

The speed of rotation poses a hazard tofingers, clothing or jewellery, which mayget caught.Dust Hazard many types of materialsmake hazardous dust when cutting orgrinding.Eye injury possibility of being struck byflying material.Hearing risk some Dremel tooloperations can make loud or highfrequency noise.

Have a look at this Understanding Hazards & Risks ...

Hazard Control

Some methods of hazard control are moreefficient than others, but a combination ofmethods usually provides a safer workplacethan relying on only one method.

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Safe Work Australia How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice (PDF 368KB) >>>

Have a look at this Hierarchy of controls ...

Personal Protective Equipment

Have a look at this Personal Protective Equipment ...

Preoperational SafetyThe following safety checks and precautionsshould be carried out when preparing tooperate a Dremel rotary tool:

Do not operate this tool in the presence offlammable liquids, gases or dust.Do not expose this tool to rain or wetconditions. Water entering a power toolwill increase the risk of electric shock.Prevent unintentional starting. Ensure theswitch is in the offposition before

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inserting the battery pack, picking up orcarrying the tool.Remove any adjusting key or wrenchbefore turning the tool on.Do not wear loose clothing or jewellery.Keep your hair, clothing and gloves awayfrom moving parts.If dust extraction is available, ensure thetool is connected and properly used.

Battery CartridgesDo not operate the charger if it has receiveda sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwisedamaged in any way. Do not attempt to charge any other cordlesstool or battery pack with this charger. Thecharger and battery pack are specificallydesigned to work together. Charge the battery pack in a well ventilatedplace, do not cover the charger and batterypack with a cloth etc, while charging. When battery pack is not in use, keep it awayfrom other metal objects, like paper clips,coins, keys, nails, screws or other smallmetal objects, that can make a connectionfrom one terminal to another. Shorting thebattery terminals together may cause burnsor a fire.

Operating Safety Precautions

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Disconnect the plug from the power sourceand/or the battery pack from the tool beforemaking any adjustments or changingaccessories.

Always hold the hand piece firmly in yourhands during the startup. The reactiontorque of the motor, as it accelerates to fullspeed, can cause the shaft to twist.

Wire and bristle brushes must never beoperated at very high speeds. Direct thedischarge of the spinning wire brush awayfrom you. Small particles and tiny wirefragments may be discharged at high velocityand become imbedded in your skin.

Carefully handle both the tool and individualgrinding wheels to avoid chipping or cracking.Do not use a wheel that is damaged.Fragments from a wheel that bursts duringoperation will fly away at high speed.

If the workpiece or bit becomes jammed, turnthe tool OFF. Wait for all moving parts to stopand remove the battery, then work to free thejammed material.

Inspect your workpiece before cutting. Forexample, if carving wood, make sure thereare no nails in the workpiece.

Do not leave a running tool unattended. Onlywhen the tool comes to a complete stop is it

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safe to put it down on a bench.

Do not grind or sand near flammablematerials. Sparks from the wheel could ignitethese materials.

After use the bit and collet are too hot to betouched by bare hands.

Daily Maintenance

The brushes should be inspected frequentlywhen tools are used continuously. If your toolruns uneven, loses power, makes unusualnoises or runs at a reduced speed, check thebrushes.

Always remove the battery before cleaning orperforming any maintenance.

Ventilation openings and switch levers mustbe kept clean and free of foreign matter. Donot attempt to clean by inserting pointedobjects through openings. Clean the air ventswith compressed air.

Be aware that some cleaning agents andsolvents damage plastic parts. These arepetrol, chlorinated cleaning solvents andhouse hold detergents that contain ammonia.

Battery Cartridges

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Be alert for battery packs that are nearingtheir end of life. If you notice decreased toolperformance or significantly shorter runningtime between charges then it is time toreplace the battery pack. Failure to do so cancause the tool to operate improperly ordamage the charger. Recharge the battery as soon as you notice adecrease in power. Most batteries lastlongest if recharged when they reach 70%capacity. NiCd batteries only need to becompletely discharged every month or so toretain their charge memory.

Charge the battery cartridge once in every sixmonths if you do not use it for a long periodof time. Battery life decreases with lack ofuse, so be sure to rotate through a bank ofbatteries, so they all get regular use.Remember to fully recharge battery packsafter prolonged storage.

Be sure to leave the battery plugged in untilit’s completely charged. Most chargers havean indicator to let you know when the batteryis fully charged. Charge the battery before itbecomes completely discharged. Don’t run the battery all the way down. Deepdraining (letting a rechargeable battery run allthe way down), can permanently damage thepoles and shorten battery life. Recharge thebattery as soon as your tool starts to slow

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down. Don’t leave the battery on the charger andnever recharge a fully charged batterycartridge. Overcharging shortens the batteryservice life.

Recharge the battery only with the chargerspecified by the manufacturer. A charger thatis suitable for one type of battery pack maycreate a risk of fire when used with anotherbattery pack.

Operating Procedures

The operator must ensure they have hadinstruction and training in the use of theDremel rotary tool.

Always seek supervisor approval to carry onwith the machining procedure.

Make sure all other persons keep outside thework zone.

Do not force the tool. Use the correct bit foryour application.

Use clamps to secure and support theworkpiece to a stable platform. Never hold asmall workpiece in one hand and the tool inthe other hand while in use.

Do not operate the flexible shaft with a sharpbend.

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Always wear safety goggles and dust mask.Use only in a well ventilated area.

Allow the tool to run at operating speed for atleast one minute before using a wheel orbrush.

Wear protective gloves and face shield withwire or bristle brushes. “Heavy” pressure onbristles will cause the wire or bristle tobecome overstressed and will cause thebristles/wire to be discharged.

Never use dull or damaged bits. Damagedbits can snap during use. Dull bits requiremore force to push the tool, possibly causingthe bit to break.

Never start the tool when the bit is engagedin the material. The bit cutting edge may grabthe material causing loss of control of thecutter.

Avoid bouncing and snagging the wheel. Thiscan cause loss of control and kickback.

Always feed the bit into the material in thesame direction as the cutting edge is exitingfrom the material (which is the same directionas the chips are thrown).

After changing the bits, make sure the colletnut and any other adjustment devices are

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securely tightened.

When using the steel saws, cut off wheels,high speed cutters or tungsten carbidecutters, always have the work securelyclamped. These wheels will grab and cankick back causing loss of control resulting inserious injury.

Some rules of thumb in regard to the correctspeed :

Plastic and other materials that melt atlow temperatures should be cut at lowspeeds.Polishing, buffing and cleaning with anytype of bristle brush must be done atspeeds not greater than 15,000 RPM toprevent damage to the brush.Wood should be cut at high speed.Iron or steel should be cut at high speed.If a high speed steel cutter starts tochatter — this normally means it isrunning too slow.Aluminium, copper alloys, lead alloys, zincalloys require a suitable lubricant on thecutter to prevent the cut material fromadhering to the cutter teeth.

Battery CartridgesDo not disassemble a battery cartridge. Becareful not to drop or strike the battery andnever use a damaged battery. If operating time has become excessivelyshorter, stop operating immediately. It may

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result in a risk of overheating, possible burnsand even an explosion. Under abusive conditions, liquid may beejected from the battery; avoid contact. Ifcontact accidentally occurs, flush with water.Liquid ejected from the battery may causeirritation or burns. If electrolyte gets into youreyes, rinse them out with clear water andseek medical attention right away. It mayresult in loss of your eyesight. Do not short the battery cartridge. Do nottouch the terminals with any conductivematerial. Avoid storing battery cartridge in acontainer with other metal objects such asnails, coins, etc. Do not expose a battery cartridge to water orrain. Don’t overheat the battery. Heat is deadly torechargeable batteries and can even causethem to explode. If the battery gets hot to thetouch, let it cool down before recharging orusing it. Don’t store rechargeable batteries inan overheated storage area. Do not store thetool and battery cartridge in locations wherethe temperature may reach or exceed 50 degC.

The questions in the SOP knowledge test are general innature. The manufacturer's

manual is to be used to develop specific questions relevant tothis tool or machine.

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© Copyright 2017 OnGuard Safety Training Pty Ltd AustraliaLatest Revision Date: 22/ 01/ 2017