Hand and Power Tools Checklist

Guidelines: This checklist applies to hand and portable power tools and equipment including pneumatic power tools.

General Requirements	Please Circle
1. Are all portable hand or power tools maintained in a safe condition?	Y N N/A
2. If compressed air is used for cleaning purposes, is it used at pressures less than 30 psi and only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment?	Y N N/A
3. Are power tools equipped and used with guards whenever possible?	Y N N/A
4. Are all belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, spindles, drums, flywheels, chains, or other reciprocating, rotating or moving parts of equipment guarded if operator is exposed to contact or if they otherwise create a hazard?	Y N N/A
5. Is all necessary personal protective equipment provided whenever the use of hand and power tools could create falling, flying or splashing debris, or harmful dusts, fumes, mists, vapors, or gases.	Y N N/A
6. If tools and equipment are brought in from home, are they subject to the same safety requirements as supplied tools and equipment?	Y N N/A
7. Are all chain saws, percussion tools, and hand-held powered circular saws (with blades greater than 2 inches in diameter) equipped with a constant pressure switch that shuts off power when released?	Y N N/A
8. Are all hand-held powered drills; tappers; fastener drivers; horizontal, vertical and angle grinders (with wheels greater than 2 inches in diameter); disc sanders (with discs greater than 2 inches in diameter); belt sanders; reciprocating saws; saber, scroll, jig saws (with blade shanks greater than a nominal one-fourth (1/4) inch); and other similarly power tools equipped with a constant pressure switch or control?	Y N N/A
9. Are all-hand held powered platen sanders, grinders (with wheels two-inch diameter or less), routers, planers, laminate trimmers, nibblers, shears, scroll saws, and jig saws (with blade shanks one-fourth (1/4) of an inch wide or less), equipped with a positive “on-off” control? Note: A positive “on-off” control means a switch that you must push to turn the tool on and then push again to turn it off. Control switches as described in questions seven and eight may also be used.	Y N N/A
10. On hand-held power tools, is the operating control located to minimize the possibility of accidental operation? Note: This requirement does not apply to concrete vibrators, concrete breakers, powered tampers, jackhammers, rock drills, garden appliances, household and kitchen appliances, personal care appliances, medical or dental equipment, or to fixed machinery.	Y N N/A
11. Are all portable power-driven circular saws (with blade diameter greater than 2 inches) equipped with guards above and below the base plate or shoe? Note: This requirement does not apply to meat cutting saws.	Y N N/A
12. Does the upper guard on a circular saw cover the saw to the depth of the teeth, except for the minimum arc required to permit the base to be tilted for bevel cuts?	Y N N/A
13. Does the lower guard on a circular saw cover the saw to the depth of the teeth, except for the minimum arc required to allow proper retraction and contact with the work?	Y N N/A
14. When a circular saw is removed from the material being sawed, does the lower guard automatically and instantly return to the covering position?	Y N N/A
15. Are belt sanding machines provided with guards at each nip point, where the sanding belt runs onto a pulley?	Y N N/A
16. If a saw cracks, is it immediately removed from service?	Y N N/A
17. Are all portable, electrically powered tools properly grounded or double insulated?	Y N N/A
18. Are impact tools, such as drift pins, wedges, and chisels, kept free of mushroomed heads?	Y N N/A
19. Are the wooden handles of tools kept free of splinters or cracks and are they fixed tightly in the tool?	Y N N/A
20. Is it prohibited to lower or hoist a tool by the cord?	Y N N/A
21. Do woodworking tools meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) safety codes?	Y N N/A
Pneumatic Power Tools and Hose
22. Are pneumatic power tools secured to the hose or whip by some positive means, to prevent the tool from being accidentally disconnected?	Y N N/A
23. Are safety clips or retainers used on pneumatic impact (percussion) tools to prevent attachments from being accidentally expelled?	Y N N/A
24. Are all pneumatically driven nailers, staplers, and other similar equipment which have automatic fastener feeds and which operate at more than 100 psi pressure at the tool equipped with a safety device on the nozzle to prevent the tool from ejecting fasteners, unless the muzzle is in contact with the work surface?	Y N N/A
25. Are all compressed air hoses and hose connections designed for the pressure and service to which they are subjected?	Y N N/A
26. Is it prohibited to lower or hoist tools by the hose?	Y N N/A
27. Do all hoses (exceeding one-half inch inside diameter) have safety devices at the source of the supply or branch line, to reduce pressure in case of hose failure?	Y N N/A
28. Are airless spray guns [of the type which atomize paints and fluids at high pressure (1,000 pounds or more per square inch)] equipped with automatic or visible manual safety devices which prevent accidental release of paint or fluid? Note: In lieu of the above, a diffuser nut which will prevent high pressure, high velocity release while the nozzle tip is removed, plus a nozzle tip guard which will prevent the tip from coming in contact with the operator (or other equivalent protection) shall be provided.	Y N N/A
29. Are all fuel powered tools stopped while being refueled, serviced, or maintained?	Y N N/A
30. Is all fuel transported, handled, and stored in accordance with applicable regulations?	Y N N/A
31. When fuel powered tools are used in enclosed spaces, are measures taken to prevent the build-up of toxic gases?	Y N N/A