Hand tools play a crucial role in the industrial sector to help different industries carry their day-to-day tasks efficiently. It’s been decades since humans are using hand tools to complete various useful tasks. You can easily find a number of hand tools manufacturers providing a range of tools that differ based on their size, material, and design. Some tools are versatile, while others are particularly designed for specific jobs.
The tools are powered manually and include a range of options that help you carry a range of applications. You can search for the best hand tool suppliers or hand tool distributors to get the highest quality tools to carry the tasks effectively for a longer time.
But using these tools is not as easy as it seems. There are different safety parameters that the users have to keep in mind to avoid injuries and accidents. The tools, if used properly, can help in upgrading workplace safety and ensure higher productivity. On the contrary, their misuse or improper handling can result in the greatest hazards.
Even after following all the safety parameters, users tend to make careless mistakes or common faults in using hand tools. But learning from our own mistakes is what we can do best to ensure utmost safety in the work environment.
As an employer, you are responsible for maintaining safe conditions of tools and equipment used by your workers. Therefore, you should have prior knowledge of the common faults in using hand tools so that you can avoid them at your workplace.
To help you out, here we are listing out the careless mistakes people make while using different hand tools:
Pliers
- Increasing the handle length of pliers for gaining more leverage. This is what you don’t have to do. In place of this, you can use a larger pair of pliers or bolt cutters if necessary.
- Never ever use pliers in place of a wrench when it comes to turning nuts & bolts. Pliers will not be able to hold a strong grip on the fasteners and cause a slip, resulting in accidents and injuries as a culmination.
- Don’t make your pliers play the role of a hammer. The same can result in cracks or breaks.
- When it comes to cut hardened wires, only use those pliers that are specifically designed for the task.
- Ensure to always cut the wires at the right angle. Don’t make the rookie mistake of cutting side to side against the cutting edges.
Screwdrivers
- Never ever use a screwdriver in place of a chisel, punch stirrer, scraper, or pry bar. If they are used as a screwdriver, their tips may break and fly off, hitting the user or other employees.
- Avoid using screwdrivers with broken or worn-out handles. Defective screwdrivers can increase the risk of workplace injuries.
- Do not make the mistake of using pliers on a screwdriver for additional leverage. Only use screwdrivers designed for particular tasks that you need to carry.
Other frequent mistakes with Hand Tools:
- Picking the wrong tool for the job: Sometimes, to perform the tasks, workers, instead of getting up and grabbing the right tools, tend to perform the task with the tool in hand. For example, using a screwdriver to nail, the shovel to chop, and so on. This leads to improper handling of tasks and keeping the workplace safety at stake. Therefore, it is crucial for workers to use the right tools for every job.
- Tools misuse: Even after choosing the right tool, the worker doesn’t use it well, the same can result in injuries. Thus, it is necessary for you to provide proper training to your workers so that they can use every tool correctly.
- Using faulty tools: Injuries may also occur owing to the faults or defects in the tools, such as hammers with small handles, power tools with faulty switches, and so. Therefore, before buying any tool, it is necessary to check its design elements to ensure its defect-free nature.
- Bad Maintenance: The tools need proper maintenance to serve their purpose for a longer time. Cleaning them frequently and storing them in perfect condition is what makes them durable and reliable.
- Transportation: Ensure to follow the safety protocol for transporting hand tools and their elements designed to carry a task precisely.
Summing up
By avoiding every mistake that costs the safety of your workers and workplace, you can boost the productivity in your organization. The above mentioned are some frequent mistakes that can be eradicated by taking some basic precautions. To get the best-in-class hand tools, you can search for the best hand tools manufacturers in your area. The best hand tools will help you carry your industrial tasks efficiently and will serve their purpose for many more years to come.
