Bench Grinder Safety and Monitoring System

A bench grinder safety and monitoring system for maintaining worker safety while using a bench grinder of a type having a motor operatively coupled to a pair of spaced apart contactor wheels that rotate in respective vertical planes when energized, a pair tool rests in lower proximity to respective contactor wheels that defines tool rest gaps between respective tool rests and respective contactor wheels, and having a pair of tongue guards in upper proximity to respective contactor wheels that defines tongue guard gaps between respective tongue guards and respective contact wheels, said grinder safety and monitoring system, comprising:

• a first optical sensor situated within the tool rest gap associated with a first contactor wheel of the pair of contactor wheels, said first optical sensor having an emitter portion coupled to the respective tool rest adjacent a first side of the first contactor wheel and a receiver portion coupled to the respective tool rest adjacent a second side of the first contactor wheel, said emitter portion configured to project a beam of light across the tool rest gap toward said receiver portion;
• a controller electrically connected to the motor of the bench grinder and in data communication with said receiver portion of said first optical sensor, said controller configured to determine if said light beam is received by said receiver portion and, if so, to de-energize the motor.