Auto repair hand tool safety needs to be followed by everyone who use them. Some of these tools are misused so often that instructions are imprinted right on the handle. Nevertheless, you see people all the time disregarding this information
Here is a common example. If you buy a name brand screwdriver it will say on the handle don’t use as a pry bar or chisel. My advice is to heed this warning. Still I see mushroom shaped handles on screwdrivers that have been beaten with a hammer or sledge. How many times have you seen someone prying on something with a screwdriver? Some more basic rules about hand tool safety to follow.
Misuse or careless use of simple hand tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, and hammers cause many DIY car repair accidents that can easily be prevented. Keep all hand tools clean and free of grease and in good condition.
An example is a common tool such as a Phillips screwdriver can become worn and ineffective. Cut your losses and throw this tool away before it slips and injures you. It can also ruin or strip out the screws it was designed to remove.
Just about any hand tool that slips can cause cuts and bruises, and even major gashes that could require stitches. Also, if a tool slips and falls into a moving part, they can fly at you with incredible speed and cause serious injury. I recommend protecting your hands with work gloves when using hand tools. A busted knuckle is very painful and easy to avoid.
Proper Use of Hand Tools
Hand tool safety begins with using the proper tool for the job. Again a large screwdriver is not a pry bar or chisel. Make sure that the tool is of professional quality.
Using poorly made tools or the wrong tools can damage parts of the car you’re working on and cause personal injury as well. Let me give you an example of a poor quality tools in action.
A fellow auto mechanic went to a tool auction where he purchased a brand new 20-pound sledgehammer for five dollars. He was extremely proud of his bargain purchase. I looked at the sledgehammer myself and saw the made in China logo.
I still thought to myself that it was worth five dollars. When the mechanic used this sledgehammer for the first time to loosen a stuck brake drum the hammer shattered. The 20-pound sledge sent metal fragments flying in all directions. No one was injured, but they could have been.
Wear comfortable work gloves and never use a broken or damaged tool. Be careful when using sharp or pointed tools. Do not put sharp or pointed tools in your pockets.
You can forget about them and they may stab or cut you when you move or sit. They can also ruin automotive upholstery, and even scratched a vehicles nice painted surface.
If the automotive tool is supposed to be sharp, make sure it’s sharp. Dull hand tools can be more dangerous than a sharp tool. With that said take caution when using razor blades to scrape gasket surfaces or cut things. Always use a razor blade with a holding fixture to keep your hands at a safe distance.
Razor blade holders are cheap and it makes handling it when scraping surfaces much easier. Also a box of blades is inexpensive as well and they dull quickly. So don’t hesitate in replacing them often.
Auto repair safety is not the most exciting subject. However, I try my best to make it interesting. The next page is the fixing cars safety start page. See you on the main safety page.What if you could get famous name brand tools used for a fraction of their original cost. Not only can you get individual hand tools but you can also get complete professional sets and tool boxes as well.
Take a look at my page that explains the details as well as a listing of live auctions featuring used auto repair tools.