Comment by delichon
Comment by delichon 11 hours ago
I was using an angle grinder to strip paint off of a large table top and necessarily had to remove the guard. This is one of the most dangerous tools I have and I'm very aware of it, so I carefully gripped it toward the end of the handle well away from the disk. For the first few minutes I was very conscious about the position of my grip. Then a half hour later I glanced down and saw my top finger about a centimeter away from the spinning disk. I had gradually choked my grip up in order to get better leverage. Another few seconds and it could have become a more memorable incident. I normalized my deviance just by failing to notice it for a few minutes.
I see the same forces working on my software practices. For instance I start with wide and thorough testing coverage and over time reduce it to the places I usually see problems and ignore the rest. Sometimes production can be nearly maimed before I notice and adjust my grip.
> Another few seconds and it could have become a very memorable incident.
it takes a bit of pressure for an angle grinder to cut, even when you're cutting soft material like wood. accidental contact with a spinning disc would give you a nasty flesh wound, but you wouldn't lose your fingers or anything.
the real danger is the disc breaking up at 10K RPM and shrapnel flying in your face. you might easily lose an eye.