Hand Tool Safety: Electrical Powered Tools
Hand Tool Safety: Electrical Powered Tools
- Do not use power equipment or tools on which you have not been trained.
- Keep power cords away from the path of drills, saws, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, mowers, knives, grinders, irons and presses.
- Do not use cords that have splices, exposed wires, or cracked or frayed ends.
- Do not carry plugged in equipment or tools with your finger on the switch.
- Do not carry equipment or tools by the cord.
- Disconnect the tool from the outlet by pulling on the plug, not the cord.
- Turn the tool off before plugging or unplugging it.
- Do not leave power tools that are operating unattended.
- Do not handle or operate electrical tools when your hands are wet or when you are standing on wet floors.
- Do not operate spark-inducing tools such as grinders, drills or saws near containers labeled “Flammable” or in an explosive atmosphere such as a paint spray booth.
- Turn off the electrical tool and unplug it from the outlet before attempting repairs or service work.
- Tag the tool “Out of Service” if it is worn, damaged or defective.
- Do not use extension cords or other three-pronged power cords that have a missing prong.
- Do not remove the ground prong from electrical cords.
- Do not use an adapter, such as a cheater plug, that eliminates the ground.
- Do not plug multiple electrical cords into a single outlet.
- Do not run extension cords through doorways or through holes in ceilings, walls or floors.
- Do not drive over, drag, step on, or place objects on a cord.
- Use hand power tools that have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) incorporated into the plug end of the power cord. These tools should be used when working in temporary work locations where the work environment is often damp and the available electrical outlets may not meet wiring standards.
- Do not stand in water or on wet surfaces when operating power hand tools or portable electrical appliances.
- Do not use a power hand tool to cut wet or water-soaked building materials, or to repair pipe leaks.
- Do not use a power hand tool while wearing wet cotton gloves or wet leather gloves.
- Never operate electrical equipment barefooted. Wear rubber-soled or insulated work boots.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance that has a frayed, worn, cut, improperly spliced, or damaged power cord.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance if a prong from the three-pronged power plug is missing or has been removed.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance that has a two-pronged adapter or a two-conductor extension cord.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance while holding a part of the metal casing, or while holding the extension cord in your hand.
- Hold all portable power tools by the plastic handgrips or other nonconductive areas designed for gripping purposes.