I am most afraid of my angle grinder also I was wearing Milspec ballistic goggles and a face shield over a backward ballcap while I was shaving a rivet off one of my old crossmembers and it bit to deep and bounced back and clocked me in the forhead and it still cost me 8 stitches to the grape.
I think a set of safety glasses that you will wear all the time are the best investment you can have even if it's a set of Oakley sunglasses. Unless I am welding or cutting sheetmetal with shears. I never wear gloves or rings anything on my hands or arms. If you have moving parts it's better to just get cut or ground than having a glove or piece of clothing get caught by a spinning bit or grinding wheel or pully or fan. Thats just my opinion.
My dad has been a machinist for 40 years and still has all his fingers and sight. I take all his safety advice as gospel. If it doesn't make sparks don't grind it unless you have a non ferous grinding wheel and most of those use some type of liquid to float out debri. If you take grinding wheel put it on a length of string give it a small tap with a hammer you should get a nice ring to it it you just get a thud don't use it it means it's cracked. the hazard area for a grinder is everything directly directley inline with the cutting surfaceor the face of the grinder. I turn mine on and then let it come up to speed and as long as it doesn't make any new sounds I will start using.
