25 Tips for Hand Tool Safety

Your Hand Tool Safety Checklist

Do you work in utilities, waterworks, or construction? If you do, then make sure you practice these 25 tips for basic hand tool safety!

1. ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION.
2. Wear the RIGHT SAFETY EQUIPMENT for the job.
3. Use tools that are the RIGHT SIZE & RIGHT TYPE for your job.
4. Follow the correct procedure for using EVERY tool.
5. Keep your cutting tools SHARP and in good condition.
6. DON’T work with OILY or GREASY hands.
7. Handle SHARP-EDGED and POINTED TOOLS with care.
8. Always carry pointed tools with the points and heavy ends DOWN.
9. SECURE all small work and short work with a vise or clamp.
10. NEVER carry tools in your pockets.
11. DON’T use tools that are LOOSE or CRACKED.
12. KEEP your punches & chisels in good condition. Mushroomed heads can chip & cause injuries.
13. DON’T use a file without a HANDLE.
14. DON’T pry or hammer with a FILE. It may shatter.
15. DON’T use screwdrivers as chisels or pry bars.
16. DON’T try to increase your leverage by using a “cheater” with a wrench. Wrenches need the right strength for their size and length.
17. AFTER USING A TOOL — clean it and return it to its proper storage place.
18. If anything breaks or malfunctions — report it to your supervisor AT ONCE.
19. Use the RIGHT TYPE of tools for the job.
20. NEVER place tools and materials where they hang on the edge of a bench.
21. Don’t use tools for jobs they aren’t supposed to handle.
22. Store tools and materials vertically, with the points and heavy end down.
23. Cut away from yourself when you use chisels and other edged tools.
24. DON’T FORCE screws; make sure you use the correct screw for the job.
25. Only use OFFICIAL, TESTED repair kits for your tools.

Understand Your Job Risks

Utility work presents countless risks. Heights, electricity, and power tools all pose serious utility worker safety hazards on a daily basis. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported 4,674 U.S. worker deaths in 2017. The construction industry was by far the most dangerous, though utility work fell into many of the same pitfalls. Employees specializing in electrical and waterworks maintenance were the most affected.

Follow our blog to learn more about properly maintaining your hand tools.

Your #1 Source for Hand Tool Safety

Lowell Corporation offers the best hand tools in the industry. Whether you need a strap wrench or a socket wrench set, you’ll want the right balance between cost and efficiency. Our custom hand tools make tough jobs easier for waterworks engineers and highline workers.

We’ve been increasing construction, maintenance, and manufacturing productivity since 1869. So let our American wrench head sets simplify your workload. With our essential highline tools, you get the backing of the most trusted name in the industrial tools industry.

Lowell Corporation is proud to manufacture all of our lineman tools right here in the USA in the heart of New England. All Lowell lineman speed wrenches are 100% guaranteed with our one-year manufacturer warranty against defects in material and craft for one year from delivery.

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