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Power Equipment Safety Tips

The use of hand tools contribute to 8 percent of all industrial accidents and injuries. Unsafe working habits are the main culprit leading to such events when working with power or nonpower tools. Fortunately simple steps can be taken to minimize risk of injury from powered tools and equipment.

  1. Plan Your Work

    • Preplanning a job that requires the use of tools is the starting point to performing a job safely. Place increased attention on the planning effort when the chore is an unfamiliar job task. Planning should include keeping the proper tools and personal protective equipment on hand before beginning the work. Inspection of the tool you will use is important and should include not only the point of operation of the tool but also any electrical cord used to power the tool. The job should be planned so that the area the tool is used in provides good footing, is free of obstruction or slip-and-fall hazards and is well away from any person who could be injured by the tool or flying debris created by the operation of the tool. Review the tool's user manual for specific product warnings and safe operation procedures before operating the tool.

    Use the Proper Personal Protective Equipment

    • Personal protective equipment is essential in using power tools. Safety glasses are one of the main items of personal protective equipment when using any power tool. Use safety glasses with side shields in windy conditions or any time there is a hazard of debris entering the eye from the side. Regular eye glasses do not provide the proper impact protection required to protect the eyes from tool or debris impact, adding to the potential of a serious eye injury. Use goggles with splash protection if there is a risk of chemical spray or splash while operating a power tool. You may need a faceshield when using certain handheld power saws or abrasive blasting equipment. Appropriately-rated gloves protect the hands from laceration and thermal or chemical burn when using power tools.

    Use Machine Guards

    • Power tools should always be inspected before use. Part of this inspection must be a check to see if the mechanical guarding system for the power tool is in place and properly adjusted. Often times the user of a power tool will remove a machine or tool guard because it will not allow the user to perform the job required. Much of the time, this action is a misconception that the guard is restricting the operation of the tool. Many tools have adjustable guards that must be properly adjusted to fit the operation or task that is being attempted. Other times, when guards are removed, it is a sign that the tool being used is not the right tool for the job.

    Stay Away From Moving Parts

    • Keep fingers, hands, arms, legs and feet away from all moving tool components. Do not attempt to adjust, clean or fix a tool while it is running. Shut off all power to the tool, and unplug it if it is electrically powered before attempting to work on the tool. Do not allow anyone to attempt to use the tool you are adjusting, cleaning or fixing as power may unexpectedly be restored to the tool causing serious injury.

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