Hand and Power Tools Safety
Hand and power tools are something we use on a daily basis and sometimes take for granted, but can cause serious injury if the proper procedures are not followed. The following are a list of recommended procedures to follow:
Hand and Power Tools
- Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Use the tool only for its intended use.
- Maintain and store the tools properly.
- Never point tools at other employees.
- Hand tools to other employees. NEVER THROW TOOLS.
- Secure tools when working at elevated heights.
- Always cut away from you body, if possible.
- Make sure you have a firm footing and a good grip before using tools.
- Wooden handles that are loose, cracked, or splintered shall be replaced.
- Hand tools for placing and removing materials shall be such as to permit easy handling of material without the operator placing a hand in the danger zone.
- Any fan with the periphery of the blades less than 7 ft above the floor or working level, the blades shall be guarded. The guards shall have openings no larger than ½ inch.
- Machines that are designed for a fixed location shall be securely anchored to prevent walking or moving.
- Each tool shall be looked at before and during use to determine what PPE is necessary for that tool.
Guards
- Tools designed to have guards, shall be equipped with guards while in use.
- All reciprocating, rotating, or moving parts of equipment shall be guarded if they expose a hazard.
- Methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the area from hazards associated with the point of operation, rotating parts, flying chips, or sparks, etc. Examples of guarding would be barrier guards, two hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.
- Point of operation is the area of the machine where work is actually performed upon the material being processed. Any of these points that expose employees to hazards shall be guarded.
- Power saws, portable power tools, guillotine cutters, shears, powered presses are all examples of machines which require point of operation guarding.
- Safety guards of the types where the operator stands in front of the opening, shall be constructed so that the peripheral protecting member can be adjusted to the constantly decreasing diameter of the wheel. The maximum angular exposure above the horizontal plane of the wheel spindle.
Inspection
- Any hand or power tool shall be inspected prior to daily use for any defects.
- Any equipment that is found to be defective shall be red tag and removed from service.
- Tools shall not be returned to service unless repaired by a qualified repairman.
- Electrical equipment shall be double insulated or grounded in accordance with subpart K.
- All temporary lighting must have cage guards over them to prevent breakage of the bulbs and shall be hung by its insulator.
- Extension cords shall be run so they do not run through doorways, walkways, windows, roads, unless they are protected.
- Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) shall be used at all times with electrical equipment and power tools. They shall be tested on a monthly basis.
