Naturally Healthy Parenting The parent's guide to a healthy family
By their very nature, power tools carry a higher hazard risk than handheld tools. The speeds with which a circular saw, chain saw, nail gun or power drill operate create a higher risk of accident and the risk of more serious injuries being incurred. While whacking your thumb with a handheld hammer will hurt, the injury caused will be much less severe than if you staple yourself with a nail gun.
Don’t Scrimp on Safety
Power tools are amazing to own and operate, facilitating all sorts of great projects, but your safety should be paramount. Not all power tools are made equal and cheaper models are known to have fewer safety features. Worse is that they are prone to breaking and can cause injury if this happens when you use them. You can use websites like https://powertoolsrater.net/ to find reviews of tools and hopefully find one that is highly rated for safety.
You should still be vigilant even if you are using a highly rated power tool. Things can still go wrong so you need to purchase quality safety equipment. STIHL power tools sell safety equipment designed for use with power tools and their website is a good starting point when deciding what you need.
Eye Protection
Your eyes are incredibly important so you must use protective equipment like safety glasses or goggles whenever you are using power tools. Drills, grinders, sanders, saws and drills operate at very high speeds and can easily propel particles into your eyes if they are not protected. Anyone working around power tools should also be mindful of eye safety too. The level of protection required will depend on what you are doing. Certain tools, like a chain saw or grinder, require a full face shield.
Gloves
Using gloves will protect your hands from cuts, scrapes and burns. Again, the type of work you are doing will dictate the fabric of your gloves. Standard cotton or leather gloves are ample for light tasks, but cut resistant gloves are required to protect you against moving blades. It is important also to have all guards in place and to hold tools correctly. Anti-vibration gloves are also available to help cushion the impact of power tools like hammer drills.
Footwear
It is a good idea to wear safety footwear whenever you are using power tools. Many an accident could have been avoided if this simple rule had been followed. Safety boots with non-slip, insulated soles are advised and steel caps should be worn when using saws.
Ears
Deafness is an extremely common risk when working with power tools as they generate high sound levels and exposure over extended periods will damage your hearing. Many young workers who didn’t wear protection are living to regret it as they are now wearing hearing aids like those discussed here (https://wonder-ear.com/blogs/articles/eargo-hearing-aid-reviews-complaints-alternative). The simplest way to prevent hearing loss when working with power tools is to use ear plugs or ear muffs that properly block loud sounds from entering the ear canal. If you hear a ringing sound in your ears after working with power tools it may be a sign you are not wearing your ear protection properly, or that the protection is not adequate enough.
Respirators
Dust respirators should be worn during cutting operations to prevent inhaling dust. Something like an FFP3 Respirator Mask (www.sciquip.co.uk/products/ppe/ffp3-respirator-mask) should be able to help you.
No Loose Ends
Tie back long hair and don’t wear loose fitting clothing or jewellery that could get caught in moving blades.
Read the Manual
You should always read the owners’ manual before you start using a new tool. This will explain in detail the correct operation of the power tool, precautions that should be taken and the limitations of the tool. In the case of power tool operation, knowledge is power.
Assess each and every work situation to decide what type of safety gear you need to operate safely and effectively. Let common sense be your guide.
