Owning your own power tools is not only common, but sensible. How are you going to put up shelves without a drill at the very least? A huge amount of people who do not work professionally with power tools still own them for home projects.
Readily available from many DIY shops and online, power tools are pretty unregulated considering, the damage they can do! But used properly and safely, they are an indispensible part of the household and it’s easy to take steps to prevent injury.
Types of power tools
Many people have workshops in their sheds, stocked up over the years and housing tools like small circular saws, angle grinders, cordless drills and jigsaws – and no, we don’t mean the cardboard 1000-piece puzzle of Windsor Castle! Wood lathes, pillar drills and chainsaws are by no means uncommon in a normal household either.
But just because they have the potential to be dangerous shouldn’t put you off using power tools. If you drive a car you’re in charge of a potentially lethal tool and, just like understanding how to operate a car safely, with power tools it’s a case of understanding how to stay safe by using a little bit of common sense.
It’s not just the tool itself
Some of these tools can be lethal, but also cause damage by proxy. Are you cutting anything that is liable to spark or cause projectiles such as woodchips? Dust can cause minor irritation to eyes at best, but what if it’s dust from fibreglass?
Your eyes are highly susceptible to damage from things like dust, liquid and small projectiles but what about your lungs? The power tools you’re using can cause more airborne dispersion that a traditional hand tool such as a hacksaw and, unlike your eyes, your lungs probably won’t alert you when they’re exposed to toxic dust.
When you’re looking for power tools then try to find a company who not only sell power tools and PPE but can also provide you with in-depth, professional and useful advice on how to operate tools safely.
Proper protection
PPE or, personal protective equipment, is a serious consideration when buying and using power tools and any cutting tools. Consider what material you will be working on and whether it is dangerous or harmful; this can frequently be the case when materials are broken or cut.
Proper gloves designed for the type of work you will be undertaking are crucial because the chances are that your hands will be the first thing to come into contact with the material. Many chemicals used for cleaning, varnishing and preparing can dry out and damage skin.
Breathing masks and respirators are vital in all sorts of DIY situations and it’s always better to be on the safe side than breathe in something that will do damage. A huge range of face and breathing masks are available with different levels of protection.
Ear defenders will protect your hearing during sustained noise or short bursts of loud noise. The ear drum is a highly sensitive part of your body and hearing can be damaged long term very quickly.
Many people settle on glasses to protect their eyes during construction work, but that just isn’t good enough. A pair of goggles that have full sides will stop anything from getting into your eyes – protecting your vision. Dust, liquids and anything that can ricochet will have little difficulty in getting past a pair of front protecting glasses.
Understand what you’re working on
If you will be sanding epoxy or styrene for instance, without the proper protection the dust from these can cause dermatitis and respiratory reactions. When you’re planning to do some DIY or construction then think carefully about what it is you will be doing. Just cutting a piece of timber? The dust from that can contain some really nasty wood preservative chemicals, so get protected.
It’s not just the material that can cause you damage, think about what the material could have been treated in, painted with or made with. PPE is always a good idea when you’re working with power tools and potentially harmful materials.
About the author – Kit Pascoe blogs about a range of topics, including home improvement and construction. She’s surprisingly handy with a circular saw and an electric drill, despite her husband’s misgivings. This piece was written using information found at www.brammer.co.uk