The range of products in terms of size, shape, specification and operating requirements require explicit marking regulations.

International and European standards of abrasives therefore require that the maximum permissible operating speed (in m/s and RPM), the dimensions and any particular restrictions to its use be marked directly on the abrasive wheel.

This marking must be legible and permanent.

Unfortunately, many products do not meet these requirements and therefore give rise to great safety risks.

Consequently, the message from the Organisation for the Safety of Abrasives (OSA) to all users of abrasives is 'don't use a product if its marking is illegible, incomplete or missing'.

Almost every week the OSA headquarters receives information on insufficiently or incorrectly labelled products marked with the OSA.

If these are manufactured by an OSA member, a phone call usually helps to clarify the case and admonish the member to mark correctly in the future.

If, however, the OSA has to deal with a counterfeit or private label product, a lawyer will be charged.

A severe infringement of OSA regulations is the missing five-digit private label number, as this number safeguards traceability from the user/dealer/importer back to the manufacturer.

The counterfeiter will in such cases have to sign a cease and desist letter and cover the legal costs.

Further possible legal steps are the destruction of the counterfeits and a compensation dependent on the turnover.

Members of OSA are totally committed to the correct marking of products.

To help members in the correct marking of abrasives, instructions for the different abrasive products will shortly be provided in the internal member section of the OSA website.