Hand & Portable Power Tools, Their Safe Use

 If we want to be more accurate, portable power tools refer to small hand tools that could be carried around inside your tool box or on your tool belt. They can be either an electric tool powered by a cord or maybe a cordless version powered by a lithium-ion battery.

Portable power tools are all gathered in a category of tools that are used in construction and manufacturing industries and designed to be moved around the jobsite. They are totally different from the standard tools which are permanently used in a workspace. Hand tools and portable power tools help us perform tasks that could be difficult or impossible in other ways. But it should be mentioned that these tools can be trouble-making and have the potential to bring damages and serious injuries in case of using them improperly. Considerate attention to safety during using them is necessary in order to decrease or cut off these types of hazards. If we want to be more accurate, portable power tools refer to small hand tools that could be carried around inside your tool box or on your tool belt. They can be either an electric tool powered by a cord or maybe a cordless version powered by a lithium-ion battery. Advancement in the technology of Lithium-ion batteries has been the most important reason to make such these tools more powerful, lighter and easier to transport. As an example, one of the most common portable tools is the drill. it does many functions. When you switch it on, then it can be used as an auger, screwdriver and obviously, as a drill. Based on the chuck size, they can be used to make holes inside metal, drywall, plastic and also wood. There are also circular bits for cutting bigger holes with many inches in diameter.

There are some other portable power tools that are less versatile and more specialized. Power hammers and power wrenches can be mentioned here. By having the needed capacity to serve a few uses, these tools are lighter and smaller against those traditional power tools. These portable power tools are less impactful than other drills or rotary hammers, but they are useful for building, maintenance, workers and electricians. Circular saws are mainly used for cutting planks of wood. When it comes to cutting big sheets of wood, mostly jigsaws are used. Both kinds of saws are available as portable power tools and make the job of a carpenter easy. Another type of portable power tool is the sander. Portability and their small size allow woodworkers to handle variety of projects. The sander is brought to the wood as an alternative to lifting the wood to the sander. Modern versions of sanders feature bags to capture sander dust. Portable power tools are frequently made of interchangeable batteries. This implies that the same batteries which power the sander can also power the drill. This helps protect the environment by rendering fewer batteries to fill up landfills.

Portable power tools save time and effort on jobs. The enhanced use of power tools increases the need for being aware of the hazards in case they are not operated properly.

Different types of tools and safety

Air tools

• Never go over the manufacturer’s safe operating pressure for all applications.

• Pneumatic power tools should be secured in such a way to prevent accidental disconnection. Safety clips or retainers must be assembled to prevent attachments from being expelled.

• Hoses exceeding half inch inside diameter must have a safety device at the source of supply or branch line to reduce pressure in the event of hose failure.

Hand Tools

·         Hand tools must be checked before each use. Unsafe hand tools should not be used on any worksite.

·         Hand tools must be used for designing purposes.

·         Wooden handles must be free of cracks or splinters and be tight to the tool.

·         Electric-power-operated tools must be double-insulated or properly grounded.

·         Appropriate personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses with side shields, face shields, leather work gloves, or leather work boots must be worn when using hand tools.

Portable Power Tools and Equipment

You can operate portable power tools for a variety of uses. Jigsaws, circular saws, drills, sanders, hammer drills, grinders, routers and other power tools become convenient at the job sites. Because of this huge amount of use of power tools, the need to be aware of the hazards they bring to applications is increasing. Because each tool has their own specific dangers that must taken care of, the following rules are common to all of their types.

• Inspect tools every day to make sure that they are in good conditions. Do not use damaged or defective tools.

• Do not use power tools unless you are allowed to do so.

• Keep your tools guarded and protected at all times. Never use power tools from which guards have been removed.

• Operate tools for their intended purpose.

• All power tools and electrical devices should be grounded in a proper way.

• Only qualified people are allowed to repair electric tools or equipment.

• Do not ever operate power tools and electric equipment when working in water.

Working at any lob sites has its own problems and sometimes they become more serious than before. Paying attention to the priorities is a must for any operators with any levels of skills. Just operate any kinds of power tools (it doesn’t matter if they are portable power tools or cordless tools or even the hand tool ones) according to the instructions and use all the necessary accessories for your protection. You will enjoy your industrial task every day with no harm.