Hand and Power Tools Safety

Environmental Health and Safety Department

800 West Campbell Rd., SG10
Richardson, Tx 75080-3021
Phone 972-883-2381/4111 Fax 972-883-6115

http://www.utdallas.edu/ehs

Modified: March 2012

 Hand and Power Tools Safety

1) General

- Power tools shall be of a manufacture listed by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory for

the specific application for which they are to be used.

- Use, inspection, and maintenance.

a. Hand and power tools shall be used, inspected, and maintained in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions and recommendations and shall be used only for the
purpose for which designed. A copy of the manufacturer's instructions and
recommendations shall be maintained with the tools.

b. Hand and power tools shall be inspected, tested, and determined to be in safe operating
condition before use. Continued periodic inspections shall be made to assure safe
operating condition and proper maintenance.

c. Hand and power tools shall be in good repair and with all required safety devices
installed and properly adjusted. Tools having defects that will impair their strength or
render them unsafe shall be removed from service.

2) Guarding

a. Power tools designed to accommodate guards shall be equipped with such guards. All
guards must be functional.

b. Reciprocating, rotating, and moving parts of equipment shall be guarded if exposed to

contact by employees or otherwise create a hazard.

- When work is being performed overhead, tools not in use shall be secured or placed in
holders.

- Throwing tools or materials from one location to another or from one person to another, or
dropping them to lower levels, shall not be permitted.

- Only non-sparking tools shall be used in locations where sources of ignition may cause a fire
or explosion.

- Tools requiring heat treating or redressing shall be tempered, formed, dressed, and sharpened
by personnel who are experienced in these operations.

- The use of cranks on hand-powered winches or hoists is prohibited unless the hoists or
winches are provided with positive self-locking dogs. Hand wheels with exposed spokes,
projecting pins, or knobs shall not be used.

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- Hydraulic fluid used in powered tools shall retain its operating characteristics at the most
extreme temperatures to which it will be exposed.

- Manufacturers' safe operating pressures for hydraulic hoses, valves, pipes, filters and other
fittings shall not be exceeded.

- All hydraulic or pneumatic tools that are used on or around energized lines or equipment shall
have non-conducting hoses of adequate strength for the normal operating pressures.

3) Clothing

a. Loose and frayed clothing, loose long hair, dangling jewelry (including dangling earrings,
chains, and wrist watches) shall not be worn while working with any power tool.

4) Grounding Requirements

- The electrical power control shall be provided on each machine/power tool to make it possible
for the operator to cut off the power for the machine/power tool without leaving the point of
operation.

- Where injury to the operator may result if motors were to restart after power failures,
provisions shall be made to prevent machines/power tools from automatically restarting upon
restoration of power.

- Floor and bench-mounted power tools shall be anchored or securely clamped to a firm
foundation. Anchoring or securing shall be sufficient to withstand lateral or vertical
movement.

5) Grinding and Abrasive Machinery

-With the exception of the following, abrasive wheels shall be used only on machines provided
with safety guards: > see ANSI B74.2 for descriptions of abrasive wheel types

a. Wheels used for internal work while within the work being ground;

b. Mounted wheels, 2 in (5 cm) and smaller in diameter, used in portable operations;

c. Types 16, 17, 18, 18R, and 19 cones and plugs and threaded hole pot balls where the
work offers protection or where the size does not exceed 3 in (7.6 cm) in diameter by 5 in
(12.7 cm) long;

d. Type 1 wheels not larger than 2 in (5 cm) in diameter and not more than 1/2 in (1.2 cm)
thick, operated at peripheral speeds less than 1800 surface-feet per minute (ft/min) (9.1
surface-m/s) when mounted in mandrels driven by portable drills;

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 e. Type 1 reinforced wheels not more than 3 in (7.6 cm) in diameter and 1/4 in (0.6 cm) in
thickness, operating at peripheral speeds not exceeding 9500 surface-ft/min (48.3 surface-
m/s), if safety glasses and face shield protection are worn.

- Tongue guards on hand held power grinders shall be adjustable to within 1/4 in (0.6 cm) of
the constantly decreasing diameter of the wheel at the upper opening.

- Grinding machines shall be supplied with power sufficient to maintain the spindle speed at
safe levels under all conditions of normal operation.

- Work or tool rests shall not be adjusted while the grinding wheel is in motion.

- Tool rests on power grinders shall not be more than 1/8 in (0.3 cm) distance from the wheel.

- All abrasive wheels shall be closely inspected and ring - tested before mounting: cracked or
damaged grinding wheels shall be destroyed.

- Grinding wheels shall not be operated in excess of their rated safe speed.

- Floor stand and bench-mounted abrasive wheels used for external grinding shall be provided
with safety guards (protective hoods).

a. The maximum angular exposure of the grinding wheel periphery and sides shall be not
more than 90°, except that when work requires contact with the wheel below the
horizontal plane of the spindle the angular exposure shall not exceed 125°; in either case,
the exposure shall begin not more than 65° above the horizontal plane of the spindle.

b. Safety guards shall be strong enough to withstand the effect of a bursting wheel.

6) Power Saws and Woodworking Machinery

- All woodworking machinery shall be operated and maintained in accordance with ANSI 01.1.

7) Guarding

a. Circular saws shall be equipped with guards that automatically and completely enclose
the cutting edges, splitters, and anti kickback devices.

b. All portable power-driven circular saws shall be equipped with guards above and below
the base plate or shoe. The upper and lower guards shall cover the saw to the depth of the
teeth, except for the minimum arc required to permit the base to be tilted for bevel cuts
and for the minimum arc required to allow proper retraction and contact with the work,
respectively. When the tool is withdrawn from the work, the lower guard shall
automatically and instantly return to the covering position.

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 c. Blades of planers and jointers shall be fully guarded and have cylindrical heads with
throats in the cylinder.

d. Band saw blades shall be fully enclosed except at the point of operation.

e. Additional guarding requirements for fixed (non portable) woodworking machinery are
contained in Appendix E.

- Automatic feeding devices shall be installed on machines whenever possible. Feeder

attachments shall have the feed rolls or other moving parts covered or guarded so as to protect
the operator from hazardous points.

- The operating speed shall be permanently marked on all circular saws more than 20 in (50.8
cm) in diameter or operating at over 10,000 peripheral ft/minute (min) (50.8 peripheral m/s).

a. Any saw so marked shall not be operated at a speed other than that marked on the blade.

b. When a marked saw is re-tensioned for a different speed, the marking shall be corrected
to show the new speed.

- Radial arm power saws shall be equipped with an automatic brake.

- The table of radial arm or swing saws shall extend beyond the leading edge of the saw blade.

- Radial arm power saws shall be installed in such a manner that the cutting head will return to
the starting position when released by the operator. All swing cutoff and radial saws or similar
machines that are drawn across a table shall be equipped with limit stops to prevent the
leading edge of the tool from traveling beyond the edge of the table.

- Each hand-fed crosscut table saw and each hand-fed circular ripsaw shall have a spreader to
prevent the material from squeezing the saw or being thrown back on the operator.

8) Operating procedures

a. Band saws and other machinery requiring warm-up for safe operation shall be permitted
to warm up before being put into operation whenever the temperature is below 45 °F (7
°C).

b. A push-stick, block, or other safe means shall be used on all operations close to high-
speed cutting edges.

b. The use of cracked, bent, or otherwise defective parts such as saw blades, cutters, or
knives is prohibited.

d. A brush shall be provided for the removal of sawdust, chips, and shavings on all
woodworking machinery.

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 e. Power saws shall not be left running unattended.

9) Pneumatic Tools

- Safety clips or retainers shall be installed and maintained on pneumatic impact tools to
prevent dies and tools from being accidentally expelled from the barrel.

- Pressure shall be shut off and exhausted from the line before disconnecting the line from any
tool or connection.

- Safety lashing shall be provided at connections between tool and hose and at all quick makeup
type connections.

- Hoses shall not be used for hoisting or lowering tools.

- Airless spray guns of the type which atomize paints and fluids at high pressures (1,000 lb
(453.5 kg) or more) shall be equipped with automatic or visible manual safety devices that
will prevent pulling of the trigger to prevent release of the paint or fluid until the safety device
is manually released. In lieu of the above, a diffuser nut that will prevent high-pressure
velocity release while the nozzle tip is removed plus a nozzle tip guard that will prevent the
tip from coming into contact with the operator, or other equivalent protection may be
provided.

- Impact wrenches shall be provided with a locking device for retaining the socket.

10) Explosive-Actuated Tools

- Explosive-actuated (powder-actuated) tools shall meet the design requirements of ANSI

A10.3.

Only qualified operators shall operate explosive-actuated tools. A qualified operator is one who
has:

a. Been trained by an authorized instructor (one who has been trained, authorized, and
provided an authorized instructor's card by the tool manufacturer or by an authorized
representative of the tool manufacturer);

c. Passed a written examination provided by the manufacturer of the tool; and

c. Possesses a qualified operator's card supplied by the manufacturer and issued and signed
by both the instructor and the operator.

Each tool shall be provided with the following:

a. A lockable container with the words "POWDERACTUATED TOOL" in plain sight on

the outside and a notice reading "WARNING - POWDER-ACTUATED TOOL TO BE

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 USED ONLY BY A QUALIFIED OPERATOR AND KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY
WHEN NOT IN USE" on the inside;

b. Operator’s instruction and service manual;

c. Power load and fastener charts;

d. Tool inspection record; and

e. Service tools and accessories.

11) Inspection and testing

a. Daily inspection, cleaning, and testing shall be performed as recommended by the

manufacturer.

b. Explosive-actuated tools shall be tested, in accordance with the manufacturer's

recommended procedure, each day before loading to see that safety devices are in proper
working condition.

c. Explosive-actuated tools shall be inspected, thoroughly cleaned, and tested after each
1,000 fastenings.

- Explosive-actuated tools and the charges shall be secured at all times to prevent unauthorized
possession or use.

- Explosive-actuated tools shall not be loaded until just before the intended firing time. Neither
loaded nor empty tools are to be pointed at any employees. Hands shall be kept clear of the
open barrel end.

- The use of explosive-actuated tools is prohibited in explosive or flammable atmospheres.

Fasteners shall not be driven:

a. Into soft or easily penetrable materials unless they are backed by a material that will
prevent the fastener from passing through to the other side;

b. Into very hard or brittle material, such as cast iron, hardened steel, glazed or hollow tile,
glass block, brick, or rock;

c. Into concrete unless the material thickness is at least three times the penetration of the
fastener shank; or

d. Into spalled concrete.

- The tool operator shall wear safety goggles or other face and eye protection.

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12) Chainsaws

- All chain saws shall have an automatic chain brake or kickback device.

- The idle speed shall be adjusted so that the chain does not move when the engine is idling.

- Operators will wear PPE. Eye, ear, hand, foot (safety shoes), and leg protection are required
as a minimum.

- Chain saws will not be fueled while running, while hot, or near an open flame. Saws will not
be started within 10 ft (3 m) of a fuel container.

- The operator will hold the saw with both hands during all cutting operations.

- A chain saw must never be used to cut above the operators' shoulder height.

13) Abrasive Blasting Equipment

- Hose and hose connections shall be designed to prevent build up of static electricity.

- All connections and nozzles shall be designed to prevent accidental disengagement. All
connections shall be equipped with safety lashings. > See 20.ANSI.16

- Nozzle attachments shall be of metal and fit on the outside of the hose. A deadman-type
control device shall be provided at the nozzle to cut off the flow if the operator loses control
of hose. A support shall be provided on which the nozzle may be mounted when it is not in
use.