{"id":2117,"date":"2026-07-16T16:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T20:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehscopy\/?page_id=2117"},"modified":"2026-07-28T11:26:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T15:26:39","slug":"hand-and-power-tool-safety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/hand-and-power-tool-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Hand and Power Tool Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">This guidance promotes safe work practices to reduce the risk of injuries associated with the selection, inspection, operation, maintenance, and storage of hand and power tools. Hand and power tools are commonly used in maintenance shops, facilities management, agricultural operations, laboratories, construction projects, and other University work activities. Common hazards include cuts, punctures, abrasions, flying debris, electrical hazards, excessive noise, vibration, pinch points, and injuries resulting from improper tool selection, misuse, or defective equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Employees shall only use hand and power tools for which they have been authorized, trained, and certified (when required). Tools shall be used in accordance with manufacturer instructions, established standard operating procedures (SOPs), and applicable University safety requirements. Employees shall inspect tools before each use, wear the required personal protective equipment (PPE), and remove damaged, defective, or unsafe tools from service until repaired or replaced. Tools shall only be used for their intended purpose and shall not be modified or used beyond their designed capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">EHS assists departments by providing guidance on hazard recognition, applicable OSHA requirements, and best practices for the safe use of hand and power tools. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring employees receive the required training before using tools, maintaining applicable training records, and providing those records upon request by authorized University personnel or regulatory agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Hand and Power Tool Hazards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Improper tool selection or misuse<\/strong> \u2013 Using the wrong tool for the task, applying excessive force, or using tools in a manner inconsistent with the manufacturer&#8217;s instructions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Defective or damaged tools<\/strong> \u2013 Cracked handles, dull cutting edges, damaged cords, missing guards, loose components, or other conditions that may create unsafe operating conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Flying objects and debris<\/strong> \u2013 Wood chips, metal fragments, dust, sparks, nails, or other materials that may become airborne during tool operation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Cuts, punctures, and abrasions<\/strong> \u2013 Contact with sharp edges, blades, drill bits, saws, chisels, or other cutting surfaces capable of causing injury.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Electrical hazards<\/strong> \u2013 Damaged cords, improper grounding, wet conditions, or improper use of electrically powered tools that may result in electric shock or electrocution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Pinch points and rotating components<\/strong> \u2013 Moving parts capable of catching hands, fingers, clothing, jewelry, or long hair during operation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Noise and vibration<\/strong> \u2013 Prolonged exposure to high noise levels or excessive vibration that may contribute to hearing loss, hand-arm vibration syndrome, or other occupational injuries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Fire and explosion hazards<\/strong> \u2013 Sparks or heat generated by tools that may ignite flammable or combustible materials. Hot work activities shall comply with the University&#8217;s Hot Work Safety procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Employees should report workplace incidents, near misses, and safety concerns to EHS. If an incident results in a workplace injury or illness, it must also be reported to Human Resources (HR) in accordance with University requirements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guidance promotes safe work practices to reduce the risk of injuries associated with the selection, inspection, operation, maintenance, and storage of hand and power tools. Hand and power tools are commonly used in maintenance shops, facilities management, agricultural operations, laboratories, construction projects, and other University work activities. Common hazards include cuts, punctures, abrasions, flying&#8230;<span class=\"cpschool-read-more-link-holder\"><a class=\"btn btn-basic cpschool-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/hand-and-power-tool-safety\/\">Read more <span class=\"sr-only\">Hand and Power Tool Safety<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4122,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-2117","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2117\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=2117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}