Hand Tools



                       A SAFETY TALK FOR

                      DISCUSSION LEADERS



This safety talk is designed for discussion leaders to use in preparing safety

meetings.



Set a specific time and date for your safety meeting.  Publicize your meeting

so everyone involved will be sure to attend.



Review this safety talk before the meeting and become familiar with its

content. Make notes about the points made in this talk that pertain to your

workplace.  You should be able to present the material in your own words and

lead the discussion without reading it.



Seating space is not absolutely necessary, but arrangements should be made so

that those attending can easily see and hear the presentation.



Collect whatever materials and props you will need ahead of time.  Try to use

equipment in your workplace to demonstrate your points.





                      DURING THE MEETING



Give the safety talk in your own words.  Use the printed talk merely as a

guide.



The purpose of a safety meeting is to initiate discussion of safety problems

and provide solutions to those problems.  Encourage employees to discuss

hazards or potential hazards the encounter on the job. Ask them to suggest ways

to improve safety in their area.



Don't let the meeting turn into a gripe session about unrelated topics.  As

discussion leader, its your job to make sure the topic is safety.  Discussing

other topics wastes time and can ruin the effectiveness of your safety meeting.



At the end of the meeting, ask employees to sign a sheet on the back of this

talk as a record that they attended the safety meeting.  Keep this talk on file

for your records.





Hand Tools

TM01



Many accidents and injuries can be avoided by keeping your tools in good

condition and using them collectively. It is a good rule to inspect your tools

before and after using them, looking for defects that could cause an injury.

Defective tools should be returned to the tool crib 80 that they can be

repaired or replaced.



CROWBARS



Use a crowbar for prying, but select the correct size for the job. Do not try

to increase the leverage by using a length of pipe or iron bar.



FILES



When using a file, have secure footing before applying pressure. Grasp the file

with one hand and guide the point of the file with the thumb and forefinger of

the other hand.



Use a vise to secure the material being filed, and use an offset handle if it

is available. Clean a file with a file card, not by striking it against another

piece of metal, tool particles can fly off. Equip the file with an approved

handle.



HAMMERS



When replacing hammer handles, make sure they fit the hammer head. Wedge the

handle securely in the head and make sure that it is free of splinters and

cracks.



Never strike hardened steel surfaces with a steel hammer. Use a soft metal

hammer or one with a plastic, wood or rawhide head. Always wear safety glasses

to protect your eyes from flying chips, nail heads or scale.



Inspect sledge hammers carefully at regular intervals for split handles and

loose or chipped heads. Use riveting hammers for sheet steel, carpenter or claw

hammers for driving and pulling nails, and ball-peen hammers for metal work.



HOOKS



Keep hand hooks sharp to prevent them from slipping. Shield the point of the

hook with a one-inch piece of rubber hose, or carry it in a specially designed

sheath. The point of the hook can also be pressed into a small cork to avoid

puncture injuries.



JACKS



Check the capacity plate to determine the lifting power of the jack, and remove

the handle when moving the jack.



Make sure the jack's holding structure is in good condition--broken teeth are

hazardous. Place the jack on a level surface and securely anchor the base with

nailed blocks or wedge. The jack can also be secured with ropes.



Remove the jack handle after reaching the desired elevation; otherwise, the

handle could be struck, causing the jack to topple from under the load.



Watch for leaks in hydraulic jacks, because oil and grease on the bottom of the

jack is particularly hazardous.



Wear safety shoes and keep oil and grease off your hands when working with a

jack. Use plenty of blocking to support the load after it has been raised. 



PLIERS



Apply pressure directly across the line of cut when using pliers. Never

substitute



þ plier for a wrench or a hammer because pliers chew up nut and bolt heads. In

addition, pliers cannot grip nut or bolt securely.



Electricians should use hand-insulating grips. Make sure the protective

covering are free of crack, holes or broken pieces.



Hold the coil or length of wire securely in a vise when cutting it with plier.

Hold the open end of the wire with your free hand to prevent the cut-off end

from flying.



If a vise unavailable, kneel on the floor and hold the wire with one foot.

Always wear safety glasses when cutting wire.



SCRAPERS



Keep scraper sharpened, in good condition and store them in special rack to

protect the edge.                                -



SCREWDRIVERS



When driving screw into wall objects, hold the objects in a vise. When

performing electrical work, never use a screwdriver with a haft that extends

all the way through the handle.



Pay particular attention to the tip size when selecting screwdriver; the tip

should fit snugly in the slot of the screw. Do not use a twisted screwdriver

tip because it could slip and cause an injury. Never use a screwdriver as a

punch, wedge, pinch bar, pry or chisel.



WRENCHES



When placing an adjustable wrench on a nut, make sure the adjustable jaw face

you; then pull the wrench toward you. Use socket wrenches for hard-to-reach

places.



Never use a pipe wrench on nuts because the corner of the nuts or bolts are

likely to break the teeth of the wrench jaws, making it unsafe for future use.



Manufacturers make wrench of different sizes, 80 the amount of leverage

obtained with the wrench handle is the maximum application; it is unsafe to add

more leverage with a length of pipe, for example.



Note to Discussion Leader:



If other kinds of hand tools are used in your particular operation, you may

want to include them in this discussion. The list of tools provided in this

talk is by no means complete.

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Text Version