Respect all power tools

Power tools are like dangerous children. If you don’t listen to them and you treat them in an off-hand way, they’ll snap back at you with a vengeance. If you treat them well and manipulate them well, they’re a dream.

 There aren’t many problems associated with using a power drill, as long as you take basic safety precautions, such as wearing eye protection if drilling a brittle material (see more on safety below). Other power tools, however, demand a lot more respect and should be used with great care and some practice in the company of a knowledgeable person.

Use an RCD safety plug between the power source and your tool

 This will trip the power off if there is any fault in the tool or electric cord. (See Advanced tool kit in the Contents List of this website.)

Check tools and cords for wear before you start

Check cords and connections for wear, cuts or frays. Make sure cords and tools aren’t exposed to oil, heat or corrosive materials.

Take precautions in wet areas

Dirt and dampness increase the risk of shock, so be sure to keep your tools and work area clean and dry.

 

Take care of your tools

  • Carry tools by their handles, not by their cords.
  • Switch them off before plugging or unplugging, and always unplug tools before adjusting them in any way.
  • Tool shields protect you. Don’t modify them to try to get the job done faster.
  • If a tool sparks, if the cord heats up while in use, or if the tool delivers a shock, it poses a serious electrical hazard. Discard the tool.

Wear appropriate safety gear

There is a certain obligatory couture that goes with power tools — ear muffs, safety glasses and, more often than not, a dust mask. You mightn’t look your best, but you’ll certainly be safe!

NEVER put a hand-held power tool down before the motor has stopped runningTools still in motion on a bench or on the ground could tangle with other objects. Some, especially if their guards aren’t working properly, will dance around on the ground out of control and, horror of horrors, might tangle with your legs.

 

Do not use a tool that immediately feels too heavy for you to handle

You need to have strength enough to manipulate a tool in all circumstances. Choose a lighter-weight tool or ask someone else to do the job. Always work within your limitations. If it’s not fun, don’t do it.

Don’t rush a power tool

They are all designed to work at the speed of the motor. Whether that motor is driving a polishing disc, a drill, a saw blade or a grinding disc, there is an optimum speed at which it drives comfortably. 

Listen to and know the motor of a power tool when it is working under normal load. Don’t attempt to push it into greater activity.

A power tool is safest when it is doing the job itself. If you hear the motor struggling, reduce the pressure on it by withdrawing the forward motion a little. The disc will still turn, the blade will still cut, but at its own safe rate.

Be aware of the scope of the mechanism

The blade of a reciprocating saw or jigsaw moves up and down or in and out. Be aware of where the blade is positioned before you start. Don’t let the tip of the blade shoot out to hit the timber head on. It could fling the saw from your hand. Place the cutting edge of the blade near the edge to be cut. Pull/push the trigger and move the working blade into the edge.

Concentrate at all times on the job in hand

Remember that all power tools are designed to do jobs that are difficult to do by hand. They are therefore inherently more powerful than your body, so always think of your body first. Use them at comfortable arm’s length and be aware of how to turn the tool off quickly.