Protect yourself from injuries. Safety equipment you need if you use power tools:

• Safety glasses: These prevent dust, debris, wood shavings, shards from fiberglass, etc from getting into the eyes. Safety glasses are one of the most basic pieces of safety equipment that must be used when working with power tools.
• Protection for the ears: Power tools can generate a lot of noise, which may sound louder in the cloistered environment of a workshop; in order to minimize damage to the ears, it is advisable to wear earplugs.
• The right clothes: Long hair should be tied and loose clothing should be avoided. Ideally, clothing that covers the entire body should be worn and heavy gloves should be used in order to avoid sharp implements and splinters from hurting the hands. Masks prevent inhalation of harmful minute particles of the material that is being worked upon. Steel-toed work boots and hard hats can also be worn.
• Lighting: It is important to use proper lighting while working with power tools, particularly when working in the basement and garage where lighting may not be satisfactory.

Also don’t forget about tool inspection: Power tools should not be employed in wet environments and should never be dipped in water; they should be checked periodically for exposed wiring, damaged plugs, and loose plug pins. Nicked cords can be taped but if a cut appears to be deep, a cord should be replaced. Tools that are damaged or those that sound and feel different when used should be checked and repaired.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 3:46 pm and is filed under Equipment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.