Hand tools encounter a lot of wear and tear, which calls for regular maintenance to avoid injury. Look out for cracked wooden handles, mushroomed hammer heads and worn tool housings. If you see a problem, do not put maintenance off. Fix it immediately to ensure your own safety.
You should regularly inspect the cords of your hand tools for defects. Take a good look at the plug and make sure that it does not have faulty or bent prongs. If the hand tool has any fitted auxiliary parts, such as double handles, check to see that they are fitted properly. You should also check specifically for damaged switches and switches that have faulty trigger locks.
If you identify that a hand tool is faulty, ensure that it is clearly tagged as ‘out of service for repair’. Only qualified personnel should repair faulty hand tools. Replacements should be made immediately.
Only trained staff should use hand tools. The operator’s manual should be read and understood before using the hand tool. Only tested and approved hand tools should be used. All power tools must be properly grounded used a three point plug and are double insulated. Alternatively, you can make use of a low voltage isolation transformer.