It's a great feeling to build and repair stuff on your own. A lot of home improvement projects require the use of power tools to get the job done. While these saws drills, grinders and Sanders make your job easier, they also make the job more dangerous. To make sure you keep all of your fingers, toes, eyes and all other body parts intact, you need to follow a few basic safety guidelines. If you follow the rules of work attire, tool use and tool maintenance, you will be able to work again another day.
Proper Attire:
What you wear while using power tools is very important to your safety. Loose clothing can easily get caught up in moving parts. The problem becomes two-fold. Not only can you really damage the machinery, but cause yourself some serious damage, you might even lose an appendage. Wear clothing that is more fitted to the body. Just like loose clothing, hair can get caught as well. Make sure to pull back or put up long hair. This keeps it out of the machinery and out of your eyes.
Drill Power Tools
Make sure you wear safety glasses to keep particles and dust from getting in your eyes and impairing your vision. For most power tools, gloves are not a good idea because they make precise handling more difficult.
Proper Use:
Knowing how to use the specific machinery is essential not only for safety, but also for successfully completing your project. It may seem like a no-brainer, but read the manual or take a tutorial at your local home improvement store on using your specific power tool. Some safety rules for use are the same no matter what the machinery. Use safety guides if they are supplied and know when it is a two person job. You can really hurt yourself trying to hold something and use a power tool on it at the same time.
Another extremely important safety measure is to keep small children away while machinery is in operation. You do not need the distraction nor can you keep an eye on them the whole time so that they do not get underfoot. Even when machinery is not in use, a workshop is no place for a small child.
Proper Maintenance:
Keep the machine clean and put away when you're not using it. This increases its lifespan and keeps it in good working order. Make sure saw blades are sharp and not nicked or warped in anyway. You also want to keep your work station clean. Piled up debris can compromise the full range of a machine as well as hinder your vision. Clutter on the ground can be hazardous too. One false move or trip and you could be on your way to the emergency room.
Follow safety guidelines while you are operating power tools during whatever project you have taken on- be it fixing something around the house, remodeling or building something. If you want your project to go smoothly and to be done right, be safe and smart with your machinery so that you can start a new project tomorrow.