Hand and Power Tool Safety

We all at one time or another use hand and power tools. As hand and  power tools are used so much and so often, they must be inspected at the beginning of each shift or before they are used that day. Again, since they are so common and used so frequently they are prone to damage, misuse, and become worn out. So take the time to inspect your equipment and if found deficient, take it out of service to be replaced and or repaired. Here’s more important information about hand and power tool safety.

Use your tools for their intended purpose. Do not use a screw driver as a chisel or a knife as a pry bar. You may get injured by using the tool for something it’s not intended to do. It may break, shatter or cause, an
overload of a power supply.

Trim mushroom heads off of impact tools. They will shatter at some point and make sharp flying projectiles.

Power tools:

  • Check the cords for cuts, missing prongs and bad strain relief. Use caution when using a power tool in damp or wet conditions.
  • Keep your cords elevated or away from wet locations.
  • Always use a GFCI when using power tools.
  • Use the correct gauge extension cords when using power tools. If you do not you may cause problems with your tools, such as pre-mature worn out parts. You could also short out the power supply.

Disclaimer: The information and suggestions contained in these safety talks are believed to be reliable. However, the authors of the topics and the owners of this web site accept no legal responsibility for the correctness, sufficiency, or completeness of such information or suggestions contained within these topics. These guidelines do not supercede local, state, or federal regulations and must not be construed as a substitute for, or legal interpretation of, any OSHA regulations.