Whether you’re working with electric nails guns or good, old-fashioned hammers, knowing how to manage each of your instruments can help keep you safe and ensure you always get the most out of your projects. So we urge you to read a guide to practicing proper hand and power tool safety to learn about some of the best handling practices.
Understand Your Tool’s Limits
When we discuss practicing proper hand and power tool safety, it’s wise not to overlook the insight that comes with knowing the limitations of your tools. Understanding what each specific device can withstand and how to most effectively use it can help you make safer and more informed choices in your projects.
For instance, you wouldn’t use a standard handheld hammer to drive nails into steel. And, hopefully, you wouldn’t use an automatic industrial stapler to fasten your documents together. This is because these tools aren’t the most appropriate options for the tasks you’re trying to accomplish. Understanding your tool’s limits will ensure you avoid the inherent safety risks that come with misusing tools or pushing them beyond their limits.
Inspect and Maintain Regularly
Whether you’re using power tools, hand tools, or both, you need to schedule a time to inspect and maintain them regularly. Doing this ensures that your instruments are performing optimally and that you’re getting the absolute best use out of them. It also leads to enhanced safety, as you’ll likely never be in a position where you must use a tool that might malfunction and put you in harm’s way.
Think about it—you wouldn’t want to use a hammer with a loose head on it any more than you’d like to make use of a faulty nail gun. When you take the time to ensure that all your tools are functioning correctly, it empowers you to use them safely and with confidence.
Wear the Proper Protective Gear
When it comes to tools, such as electric saws, nail guns, and power drills, we know all too well that using the proper protective gear can help keep us out of dangerous situations. So, it’s crucial to use things like safety goggles, gloves, and even protective clothing when working with these kinds of tools.
Doing this will help shield you from flying sawdust, misfiring nails, and the like. Additionally, it’s imperative to use this kind of protective gear when dealing with hand tools. Wearing the proper gear is one of the most effective ways of protecting yourself while working with any equipment. Thus, it’s wise to incorporate this gear into each aspect of your work.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Perhaps just as essential as using gear to keep yourself out of harm’s way is maintaining awareness of your surroundings when working with tools. For this reason, it’s prudent to ensure that you’re mindful of anything in your environment that might be potentially hazardous. Therefore, it’s a good idea to double-check to see if there are any other people near your workspace.
You wouldn’t want to start flinging rusty nails from rotted fencing if another person was standing directly behind you. Also, it’s wise to assess your area for other things that could potentially cause issues once you start working.
For example, it probably wouldn’t be very safe to start using welding equipment in a space with compressed gas canisters. So, as you can see, ensuring that your surroundings are clear of hazards is an essential aspect of practicing proper hand and power tool safety.
Select the Best Tool for Each Project
Another crucial aspect of tool safety is understanding which is the most appropriate choice for the project you will be working on. Selecting the most effective instrument for your tasks every time will help ensure you’re not creating unnecessarily dangerous circumstances throughout your projects. For instance, if you need to replace your home’s roofing entirely, you should probably work with a pneumatic nail gun rather than a handheld hammer.
Inherently, you’re able to finish the project quickly and effectively because you selected the absolute best tool for the job. So always be sure to think about which tools are the best fit for the individual tasks you’re working on. This will ensure that you’re working safely and getting the most out of your equipment every time.
Carry Tools With Care
Carrying each of your tools with care is also vital for maintaining your safety and avoiding accidents that could lead to preventable complications or injuries. So it’s wise to ensure that you have some covering or protective gear to use while you’re moving them from one place to another. This is especially vital when you’re utilizing tools that have potentially hazardous features like sharp edges.
The protective covering can be a toolbox or bag made of durable materials. Or, you can simply wrap your larger, more high-risk tools in a bath towel when in a pinch. No matter how you do it, handling all your tools with the utmost caution will help keep you free from harm as you move with them.
Power Down and Store Your Tools Correctly
Lastly, it’s always a good idea to power your electric tools down entirely before you try to inspect, tinker with, or store them. Many power tools can hold residual electricity, even after you’ve unplugged them. This can lead to malfunctions that might pose dangers to those handling them.
Therefore, always double-check that your instruments are completely off and store them in a secure but accessible place. You’ll also want to make it a point to ensure that you keep your hand tools in a safe area that’s easy for you to access, such as a portable toolbox or a shelving unit that’s not too high off the ground. This will ensure you safely store your tools and decrease the risk of them falling and causing damage.
Whether you’re dealing with handheld or power tools, knowing the best ways to manage them in all aspects of your work will keep you safe. It’ll also enable you to make the best use of all the tools you have at your disposal.
