Hand tool usage

TOOL IDENTIFACATION
USAGE & SAFETY
 Hand tool usage
Regulations Covering
Hand and Power Tools
 For General industry

 1910 Subpart P, Hand and Portable Power tools and other Hand-Held Equipment

 1910.241 Definitions.

 1910.242 Hand and Power Tools and equipment, General

 1910.243, Guarding of portable powered tools.

 1910.244, Other portable tools and equipment

 Hand tool usage
What the Regulations Say
About Hand Tools
 Employers shall not issue or permit the use of unsafe
hand tools.
 Wrenches, including adjustable, pipe, end, and socket
wrenches shall not be used when jaws are sprung to the
point that slippage occurs.
 Impact tools, such as drift pins, wedges, and chisels, shall
be kept free of mushroomed heads.

 The wooden handles of tools shall be kept free of

splinters or cracks and shall be kept tight in the tool
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TECHNICIAN Hand tool usage
General Safety Precautions
 Employees who use hand and power tools and who are exposed to
the hazards of falling, flying, abrasive and splashing objects or are
exposed to harmful dusts, fumes, mists, vapors or gases must be
provided with the particular personal equipment necessary to
protect them from the hazard.

 Employees and employers have a responsibility to work

together to establish safe working procedures. If a hazardous
situation is encountered, it should be brought to the attention of
the proper individual immediately.

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General Safety Precautions

 Appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn due to

hazards that may be encountered while using portable power tools and
hand tools.

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TECHNICIAN Hand tool usage
General Safety Precautions

 Floors and locations should be kept as clean and dry as

possible to prevent accidental slips with or around dangerous
hand tools.

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 Hand tools are non- powered. They

include anything from Hammers to wrenches.
The greatest hazard posed by hand tools result
from misuse and improper maintenance.

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Hand tool usage
Hand Tool Misuse
 The greatest hazards posed by hand tools result from
misuse and improper maintenance.
 Some examples

 Using a screwdriver as a chisel may cause the tip of the

screwdriver to breakoff and fly, striking the user or
another worker close by.

 If a wooden handle on a tool such as a hammer or pick

axe is loose, splintered, or cracked the head may fly off
and strike the user or another nearby worker.

 A wrench must not be used if the jaws are sprung, or

the gripping teeth are worn down because it might
slip.

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 The employer is responsible for the safe

condition of tools and equipment used by
employees but the employees have the
responsibility for the properly using and
maintaining tools.

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Hand tool usage

PIPE WRENCH

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Hand tool usage
 Best to pull on the wrench, if
you can.
 Whether you pull or push
depends on the wrench and the
application.
 Your instructor will
demonstrate How to push or to
pull on a pipe wrench.
 Avoid wrapping your hands
around the handle when
pushing on a pipe wrench.

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Hand tool usage
Why study hand tools?

HAND TOOLS ARE A SERIOUS INJURY PROBLEM.

MANY PEOPLE HIRE OUT MECHANICAL JOBS.
MANY SCHOOLS NO LONGER TEACH TRADES.
EMPLOYEES MISUSE/ABUSE TOOLS CAUSING MINOR AS
WELL AS LOST TIME INJURIES (LTIS).
INDUSTRY REQUESTED THIS SUBJECT FOR YOU.

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Hand tool usage
Identifying the Correct Pipe Wrench

IDENTIFY THE CORRECT PIPE WRENCH FOR USE ON PIPES AND

FITTING:
18” PIPE WRENCH UP TO 2 ½ INCHES
24” PIPE WRENCH UP TO 3 INCHES
36” PIPE WRENCH UP TO 5 INCHES
48” PIPE WRENCH UP TO 6 INCHES
60” PIPE WRENCH UP TO 8 INCHES

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Hand tool usage

Typical pipe wrench

Adjusting Nut
Hook Jaw

Straight Handle

Heel Jaw

Student Guide page 25 www.shalenet.org

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Hand tool usage
Safety Cautions
 AVOID USING A PIPE OR OTHER
ITEM TO EXTEND THE LENGTH OF A
WRENCH HANDLE.
 AVOID JUMPING ON A WRENCH HANDLE.
 AVOID HAMMERING ON A WRENCH.
 YOU MAY USE A LARGER WRENCH AND/OR
TWO WORKING WRENCHES AS NEEDED.

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Hand tool usage

Using a Pipe Wrench

1. RAPIDLY ADJUST WRENCH TO PIPE OR FITTING.
2. GRIP THE JAW SIDE (THE OPEN SIDE) OF THE
WRENCH HANDLE WITH ONE HAND.
3. TURN THE ADJUSTING NUT WITH THE OTHER
HAND.
4. SCALE ON WRENCH GIVES APPROXIMATE SIZE
SETTING.
5. THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT A HALF INCH BETWEEN
THE BACK OF THE HOOK AND THE PIPE.

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Hand tool usage

Properly Positioned Pipe Wrench

Note that there is a half
inch
between the hook jaw
and the pipe.

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TECHNICIAN
Hand tool usage
Using a Back-up Pipe Wrench
IDENTIFY THE PROPER APPLICATION OF A BACK-
UP PIPE WRENCH FOR BREAKING APART
FITTINGS.
1. DETERMINE LOCATION FOR BACK-UP
WRENCH.
2. LOCATE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO BREAK
POINT.
3. AVOID FLATTENING A PIPE NIPPLE.
4. WRENCHES SHOULD BE OPPOSING, YET
ALLOW A MINIMUM CLEARANCE BETWEEN
WRENCHES.
5. AVOID PINCH POINTS!
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Hand tool usage
2 Pipe Wrenches Showing Correct Placement

Working pipe wrench

Back-up pipe wrench

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Hand tool usage

HAMMERS
Machinist, Sledge, Carpenters, Ball Peen

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Hand tool usage
Using hammers
 NEVER SMASH THE HEADS OF TWO HAMMERS
AGAINST EACH OTHER.
 ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION AND OTHER
PPE.
 USE THE CORRECT HAMMER FOR THE JOB:
 Claw Hammer, nailing or tacking
 Ball Peen Hammer, peening
 Shop Hammer, pounding
 Brass Hammer, lowers risk of spark
 Sledge Hammer, 8 to 20 pound heads

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Hand tool usage

Parts of a Sledge Hammer

All the parts make up what is known
Eye as the Head of the hammer
Poll

Cheek

Face
Handles may be made of various materials

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Hand tool usage
Using SLEDGE hammers

Correct hand placement Incorrect hand placement

Strong hand (Right)
stabilizes and supports
Right hand slides down
heavy end of hammer
handle during swing
Hammer

Hands to close
together, poor
control of Heavy
end

Right handed user, If Left handed hold opposite

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Hand tool usage
Using SLEDGE hammers
Correct foot placement Incorrect Foot placement
Shoulder width
Left handed person

Closed stance Limits

balance and places strain
on back and shoulders
wide stance places excessive
strain on back & shoulders and
poor balance
Weight bearing foot & leg Weight bearing foot & leg

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Hand tool usage
Sledge Hammer Safety
 ALWAYS WEAR YOUR PPE, SAFETY GLASSES, WORK GLOVES,
AND STEEL TOED SHOES.
 ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH CLEARANCE
AROUND YOU BEFORE YOU SWING A SLEDGE HAMMER.
 MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO BODY PARTS OR OTHER
PEOPLE NEAR THE STRIKE POINT.
 ALWAYS INSPECT THE HAMMER BEFORE USING, LOOK FOR
DAMAGE, LOOSE HEAD, CRACKS OR BREAKS IN HANDLE.
 ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES, NOT ALL STEEL IS THE
SAME HARDNESS AND SOME INEXPENSIVE TYPES WILL
CHIP AND SPLINTER ON THE FACE.

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Hand tool usage
Sledge Hammer Safety

 MAKE SURE THE SLEDGE HAMMER IS A WEIGHT

 THAT YOU CAN HANDLE SAFELY.
 ALWAYS SLIDE YOUR STRONG HAND NEAR THE
HEAD DOWN THE HANDLE AS YOU SWING THE
HAMMER.
 YOURINSTRUCTOR WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW TO
HOLD AND SWING A SLEDGE HAMMER
 ALWAYSLOOK DIRECTLY (FOCUS) AT THE SPOT
YOU WISH TO STRIKE WITH THE HAMMER BLOW.

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Hand tool usage
ADJUSTABLE WRENCHES

Adjustment screw

Fixed jaw

movable jaw www.shalenet.org

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Hand tool usage
ADJUSTABLE WRENCHES

Correctly adjusted
incorrectly adjusted
Correct adjustment allows
Incorrect adjustment may result in
 Stronger mating surface
 Personal injury due to slippage
 Ability to apply more leverage
 Damage to bolt head or nut
 Reduced damage to fastener
 Damage to wrench

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Hand tool usage
ADJUSTABLE WRENCHES
Never apply force to Always apply force to fixed
movable jaw (weakest) jaw(strongest)

Apply force in this Apply force in this direction

direction stress is on stress is on movable jaw
fixed jaw(strongest) (weakest)

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