4.1 Hand Tools You May Encounter on the Job
Douglas Rupik, M.Ed., JIW
Common Hand Tools and Their Functions
(see Chapter 6 for a more thorough discussion on shop tools)
After your welding machine, probably the most common tool you will use is an angle grinder. “Grinding and paint make me the welder I ain’t!” “Weld your best; grind the rest!”
The next most common tool you’ll likely use is from the variety of hammers (chipping hammers, sledgehammers, engineer’s and shop hammers) and struck tools (chisels, punches, stamps, and wedges). A third category of hand tools we will discuss in this chapter are clamps such as C-clamps, bridge clamps, clamping pliers, and half clamps.
Why cover these tools? Because we are discussing safety, and these tools tend to cause more injuries on the job than soapstones and tape measures.
Safe Use of Welder-Specific Tools
First and foremost, only use tools in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. This goes hand in hand with using the correct tool for the task at hand. For example, a screwdriver may seem like a good chisel or pry bar; however, it may chip when hit with a hammer and could send fragments into your eye or perhaps bend or break, and lead you to drop the heavy item it was supporting onto your hand or foot. Improper use of a tool may cause injury or damage to the workpiece.
Further, do not modify or remove a tool’s guards or other safety features. Tools are designed the way that they are partially because it makes for the best way to get a job completed as efficiently as possible while still being safe. Even though your tool modification idea may seem clever at the time, when you are seated on the witness stand in a courtroom explaining to a lawyer how the accident caused by your modification happened, your enthusiasm for the idea may fade a bit.
A third rule for the safe use of tools is that if a tool is or becomes damaged, immediately remove it from use. Have it repaired by a qualified service person or replace it. You may not appreciate this rule unless or until you are injured by a damaged tool.
And finally, always wear the appropriate PPE for the task you are performing.
Handheld Grinders
Handheld grinders may be powered by either electricity or pneumatics. Before using a grinder, always inspect the tool for damage. Is the power cord or air hose damaged? Its powerful supply of 110V of electricity and water can be fatal. Also, a one-inch diameter air supply hose that has a connection failure during use can subject you to a severe beating. Make sure all the safety features work, including any trigger guard mechanism, like a glade guard, and be sure the handle(s) are all in proper working order. Verify that the glade wheel is the proper one for the material you’ll grind and that it has the correct RPM rating for the grinder tool. Using an improper grinding wheel may cause it to break, which would send fragments flying and potentially cause severe injury.
When using a grinder, be aware of which