Take a hand tool safety quiz

(WorkSafeNB gratefully acknowledges IAPA for permission to reprint this article.)

Using the right tool for the job and knowing how to use it can make the difference between completing a task safely and exposing yourself to unnecessary risks.

May is Hand Tool Safety Month. With this in mind, the Hand Tools Institute, an association of North American manufacturers of non-powered hand tools and toolboxes, has devised a quiz to test our knowledge of hand tool usage and safety.

The institute has also compiled a list of 5 top hand safety rules, based on a poll of experts at the National Safety Council’s annual congress. Compare their rules to your own. First, the quiz.

The quiz

The following 10 true or false statements deal with hand tools commonly found in most workplaces and households. Rate your knowledge – 10 correct is excellent; 9 is good; 8 is fair; 7 or less, poor. Answers appear at the end of the article.

1.	Plastic covered handles on wire cutting pliers may be used to cut low voltage live electrical wire.
2.	When tightening a nut with an adjustable wrench, always pull the wrench away from you; never pull the wrench toward you.
3.	Claw hammers may be used to strike wood chisels.
4.	When splitting wood, the flat striking face of an axe may be used to strike a wood splitting wedge.
5.	Screwdrivers may be used for purposes other than driving or removing screws, such as prying open paint can lids.
6.	Vises should always be secured to the workbench with screws.
7.	Snips are permissible for cutting wire.
8.	Open-end wrenches may be used to free a frozen nut.
9.	A proper use of the ball peen hammer is striking chisels and punches.
10.	Safety goggles should always be worn whenever you are using hand tools.

The rules

Experts at the National Safety Congress came up with these five basic guidelines to follow in all jobs involving striking and struck tools. They’re listed in order of importance.

1.	Wear safety goggles. Eye injuries are the most traumatic involving hand tools.
2.	Select and use the proper tool for the job – With many different categories of hammers and striking tools to choose from, be sure to select the one right for a specific job.
3.	Keep tools in good condition. They do a better job and are safer to use.
4.	Never use a hammer with a chipped face or damaged handle. A loose hammer head flying off a damaged handle is extremely hazardous. Likewise, if the face shows dents, cracks, chips, mushrooming, or signs of excessive wear, discard it. That goes for any striking or struck tool.
5.	Educate all persons in the workplace and at home on the proper use of hand tools. How a tool is used is just as important as what kind of tool you have chosen for a particular job. Keep tools away from those who haven’t been briefed on their proper use and selection.

Additional safety tips from the institute

• Plastic covered pliers handles are for comfort only, not for protection from electrical current.
• Claw hammers are for driving and removing finishing and common, unhardened nails. Don’t strike other steel tools such as chisels, punches or masonry nails with a claw hammer.
• When working with a wrench, always pull the wrench, never push it.
• Hand sockets should never be used on power or impact wrenches. Hand sockets usually have a bright finish but may have a black finish.
• Never use an axe to strike a wood splitting wedge. Use a woodchopper’s maul or a sledge, and never use the axe as a splitting wedge.
• Discard any chisel or punch that is chipped or has mushroomed. (Note: Since a chisel is a tempered tool, WorkSafeNB would accept that it be dressed or repaired by a competent person as required by section 80(d) of regulation 91-191.)
• Don’t use a screwdriver for prying, punching, chiselling, scoring, or scraping. Screwdrivers should only be used to drive or remove screws.
• Never use an extension bar such as a length of pipe to increase leverage on a wrench. This could break the wrench and cause personal injury.
• Use ball peen hammers of appropriate size or hand drilling hammers to strike chisels, punches and star drills. Do not use a claw hammer.
• Never use a C-clamp for hoisting or for supporting a scaffold or platform, or for securing a load that may be carried on a vehicle or truck.
  

One last piece of advice from the institute: there are many types of wrenches, pliers, screwdriver, hammers, etc., each suitable for a specific job. Your selection should include an assortment of each of the commonly used hand tools, and always wear safety goggles.

Quiz answers

1.	False. Plastic cover handles are for comfort only. Always cut off electrical power before cutting
2.	True.   The force of the pulling should be on the fixed jaw. Pushing away gives better leverage and balance
3.	False. Claw hammers are for driving and removing nails only.
4.	False. Only sledge hammers or wood-splitting mauls should be used to strike wood splitting wedges.
5.	False. Screwdrivers must be used only to tighten or remove screws and for no other purpose.
6.	False. Never screwed. Bolted is correct.
7.	False. Wire cutters are correct. Snips are for cutting sheet metal.
8.	False. Box open is the correct wrench.
9.	True.   Ball peen hammers are specifically hardened to strike chisels and punches.
10.	True.   Safety goggles should always be worn when working with hand tools to prevent eye injury.

How IAPA can help

• Air Powered Hand Tools
  
  
• Portable Electric Tools
  
  
• Tool Selection Checklist (for ergonomic hazards)