At Interstate Roofing, safety is one of our biggest priorities. We go to great lengths to make sure that our employees and clients are safe while we are handling all of your Denver roofing needs. We do everything that we can to ensure your safety while we are there but we can’t always be there.
If you are working on a project by yourself we want you to be just as safe as we would. When you grab for a power tool remember these safety tips to stay alive.
Power Tool Safety Tips That Could Save Your Life – Bob Vila From circular saws to cordless drills, power tools simplify and speed up building and remodeling projects as well as general woodworking tasks. But when used incorrectly, these household helpers can injure, maim, and even kill. The best way to prevent a trip to the emergency room is to familiarize yourself with a power tool’s safe operating practices before you ever turn it on. Knowledge and preparedness are key, so click through to read about some of the dangers associated with 10 of the most popular power tools.
The biggest cause of chainsaw injuries is kickback, a violent upward jerk of the saw that occurs when the tip of the guide bar makes contact with an object. The violent motion of kickback sends the bar—and the razor-sharp chain— flying back toward the operator, potentially slicing through skin in a split second. Before using a chainsaw, always read the entire owner’s manual, receive proper training, and know the safest tree-cutting practices.
Because most hedge trimmers are corded, injuries often involve electric shock or electrocution, either of which may occur if the user inadvertently cuts through the extension cord. To prevent this mishap, always keep the cord safely out of the way of the blade and your feet. Don’t use a hedge trimmer during rainy weather, or when the ground is wet and slippery. Wear shoes with nonslip soles, keep your body balanced at all times when operating the machine, and don’t overreach.
One of the most popular power tools for home projects, circular saws, like chainsaws, are subject to kickback, which can cause serious harm. Kickback often happens when the moving blade gets pinched in the lumber, causing the saw (or the wood) to jerk back toward the user’s body. Avoid kickback by cutting straight lines and allowing cut-off ends of boards to fall during the cutting process. Restricting the end of a board can cause the blade to get pinched as the wood bends downward with nowhere else to go.
Although pneumatic tools like air-powered nail guns come with safety mechanisms, improper use can cause a fastener to be fired at high speed in the wrong direction, potentially injuring the operator or a bystander. High-velocity fasteners may also hit knots in wood and come hurtling back toward the user. Always read the owner’s manual and practice proper safety techniques when using the machine.
Always hold a drill perpendicular to the work surface to prevent the bit from catching in the wood and twisting the drill violently. Working from a ladder increases the likelihood of this happening, because the precarious position often causes users to drill to one side. A twisted drill could lead to broken fingers or a fall from the ladder, so always practice proper technique when drilling from a ladder, and recruit a friend to keep watch.
Avoid maiming fingers while using a table saw by ensuring that the “fence,” a guide for ripping wood, is parallel to the blade. This will keep the wood from pinching the blade and causing kickback, which can pull the wood—and your hands—into the moving saw. Do not, however, use a fence while simultaneously cross-cutting material with the miter gauge. Read more…