Cutting Tungsten Rings - What Are The Risks?
Stuck rings are a common problem, and ring cutting is an often used treatment for ring entrapment challenges. Tungsten carbide is becoming an increasingly popular ring metal and it presents unique challenges when cutting due to its hardness.
The Dremel high speed rotary tool has been described as a method for cutting hard ring metals. However, there are risks associated with this method. The two most obvious risks are;
Excess heat generation due to the high spinning blade which can cause burns
Disk slippage which can cause lacerations
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An often overlooked byproduct of this method is airborne cutting debris which can present respiratory hazard. The short-term exposure limit for tungsten carbide as defined by the National Institude for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) is 10 mg/㎥. When measured, the high speed rotary tool exceeds this threshold as you can see in the graph (pictured right) represented by the yellow line.
Luckily, there is now a safer option available. The Dolphin Ring Cutter not only mitigates the burn and laceration risks, it also creates 182 times less airborne particles than the high speed rotary tool and remains well below the short-term exposure limit set by NIOSH as represented by the blue line seen in the graph above. With the Dolphin, you can feel comfortable that you and your patient are not inhaling those harmful airborne debris.
For a more robust exploration on the methods available and associated risks for cutting stuck tungsten carbide rings, watch the video below by Emergency Medicine Physician and YouTube Star (617k subscribers) Dr. Larry Mellick below.
To purchase the Dolphin Ring Cutter, please visit ringrescue.com/order-now.