PROCEDURE
HAND TOOLS
OBJECTIVE
To provide a Standard Operating Procedure for the safe use of hand tools.
SCOPE
This Standard Operating Procedure is applicable to all employees
1. ACTIVITIES
1.1 CONDITION OF HANDTOOLS:
 All personal, workshop and special tools shall be kept in a good, safe and clean
condition.
 Any equipment fitted with wheels, i.e. Trolleys, welders, small compressors etc., will
be kept in a safe and good condition.
 No hand-made tools shall be used unless it has been made for a specific job and is
safety tested and approved.
 Guards and handles shall be fitted where necessary on hand tools i.e. hand
protectors on chisels and punches, handles on files etc.
 Ergonomics shall also be considered in the use and purchase of tools and
equipment.
 Workshop tools issued to artisans and specific workshop tools shall be kept in a
lockable tool-store.
 An inventory is to be kept of each person’s private tools.
 All tools are to be inspected before use by the respective user.
 No unsafe, damaged or worn tools shall be used.
1.2
STORAGE OF TOOLS
 All personal tools shall be stored in a toolbox in a clean, neat and orderly way in order
to prevent the tools being damaged or cause injury to people.
 All workshop tools shall be stored in an orderly fashion, clean, neat and cause no
danger to people.
 Personal tools shall be carried and stored so that blades or sharp points are
protected and will not be able to cause injury.
1.3
1.3.1
HANDTOOL SAFETY
Knives:
a. Application
 Knives are primarily used during cable termination work.
b. Type of knives, blades and safety apparel

Only the approved Stanley knife with a protection sheath, shall be used.
Stanley, Trimming knife, super heavy duty, easy blade change,
includes 3 blades. Part no: 10- 815
Stanley, Trimming knife Sheath, Part no: 0-10-170
 Only the approved 19mm extra heavy duty blades must be used which can be
retracted. Stanley, 19mm extra heavy duty blades. Part no: 11-931A.
 The correct type of gloves i.e. a Wizard or Kevlar cut resistant glove on the hand
NOT holding the knife must be worn.
 The worker must always wear Safety Glasses when operating a Knive.
.
c. Safety precautions
 Ensure the approved correct type of Stanley Knife is used.
 The handle of the knife must provide a firm grip.
 “Homemade” knives shall not be used.
 Ensure the correct gloves are used.
 Safety Goggles to be used at all times
 Cable shop personnel and electrical personnel shall use steel mesh gloves when
doing cable termination work.
 Ensure the knife blade is fixed properly and the knife is closed firmly.
 Stand firmly and cut away from your body.
 After completion of work, ensure the blade is removed and stored safely inside
the Stanley knife body.
 When cutting, use an even pressure, jerking the tool may cause the blade to slip
and injure you.
 Always cut away from your body.
 Knee guards and arm protectors may be required based on a risk assessment
for the specific task to be performed.
d. How to care and storage.
 All knives must at all times be in a good safe state of repair.
 Ensure the knife blade is sharp and clean.
 When not in use, make sure to fit a knife into its protective sheath. The sheath
with knife should be stowed stored in a tool boxes and do not get carried around
in their overall pockets.
1.3.2
1.3.3
1.3.4
1.3.5
Screwdrivers:

When using a screwdriver, never hold the object in the palm of your hand, always
clamp it in a vice or put it on a flat surface.

Don’t use a screwdriver with a broken handle, chipped, rounded or twisted tip.

Don’t use a screwdriver as a chisel or a punch.

Use the correct size screwdriver for the application.
Bench vice:

The bench vice must always be lubricated.

The jaws must not be worn or loose.

The handle must always be in a good condition as not to injure the user.

The handle must always be left in a downward position, when not in use so, as
not to injure a person.

When not in use, a vice should never be left completely closed this is to allow for
expansion and contraction of the metal.

Always hand tighten a vice, never use a hammer or any other equipment to apply
extra torque to the handle, it can cause damage to the vice.

Always clean the vice after use.
Wrenches:

Check the condition for worn, cracked or sprung jaws.

Select the correct wrench for the job. Don’t use a pipe over the wrench to
increase the leverage force, this could break the wrench.

Always stand in a balanced position and pull the wrench towards you, don’t push
against it. You could slip and injure yourself.

A wrench shall not be used as a hammer.

Torque wrenches must be calibrated.

Only Hydraulic torque multiplier may be used.
Striking tools (hammers):

Eye protection shall be used, as flying chips are dangerous.
1.3.6

Use the correct hammer for the job; a carpenter’s hammer for nails and a ball-pen
hammer for cold chisels, etc.

Never use a hammer with a damaged, loose or homemade handle.

The hammer face must be larger than the head of the tools being struck, such as a
chisel, punch or wedge.

Never mark a hammer by welding on the head – it changes the structure of the
material.

Never hit hardened metal directly. Always use a punch made of soft metal in order
to absorb the high impact pulses.
Struck tools (Chisels, punches, flogging spanners or wedges):

Eye protection shall always be worn, as flying chips are dangerous.
protection shall also be worn.

Inspect the tools before use.

Do not use any struck tool with a mushroomed head. Always grind the edges off
before use.

Do not use any struck tool with a dull cutting edge. The cutting edge shall be grind
to the correct angle for the specific tool.

Wedges shall be made from mild steel only.

Whenever a steel wedge is used on any equipment, machine or steelwork (i.e. to
separate plates), it must be secured to the nearest fixed point on that equipment,
machine or steelwork to restrain the movement of the wedge if it dislodges or slips
out after impact. This will control the stored energy and prevent the wedge from
becoming a flying object.

The wedge will be secured to the fixed point by attaching a steel chain to the
wedge (by welding or bolting).
Hearing

Where it is not practically possible to attach a chain, a wedge with a holding
handle appropriate to the task will be used (i.e. a long handle for use with 8 or
14lb hammers). It must be ensured that the person driving the wedge, and where
necessary, the person holding the wedge handle are removed from the line of fire.
1.3.7

Whenever wedges are used, all persons not directly involved with the task must
stand at least 5 metres clear of the work area and must ensure that they wear
eye and hearing protection.

Chisels and punches used to remove pins need to be fitted with extended handles
in order to remove the risk of persons being injured should the chisel or punch be
missed while striking with a hammer.
Files:
a. Usage
 Never use a file without a handle, this may result in hand injuries, e.g. the tang
may penetrate the hand.
 Only file brushes may be used to clean a file, never use hands. Chips may
penetrate and cause injuries.
 Never use a file as a hammer or strike a file. The file may shatter and cause
chipping, as files are brittle.
 Choosing the correct file for the job will extend the life of the file.
b. File Shapes
 Round files are used for opening up round holes.
 Square files are used for opening up square holes.
 Triangular files are used for squaring out corners.
 Knife files are used for tapered narrow slots.
c. Cut of Files
 Single cut files produce a smooth surface finish.
 Double cut files to remove material rapidly.
 Rasp files used for softer materials such as wood, lead or aluminium.
 Curved tooth file: used for filing flat surfaces on aluminium and steel sheets.
d. Coarseness of Files
 Rough cut: used for soft metals and plastics.
 Bastard cut: generally used for roughing out.
 Second cut: generally used for roughing out tough materials and finishing soft
materials.
 Double cut smooth: generally used for finishing and draw filing.
 Single cut smooth: not often used except on tough die steel where high accuracy
and finishes are required.
e. How to care for a file
 Keep the file clean by using a file brush.
 Never hit the file against any other object to clean it.
 Never use compressed air to clean a file, this can cause injury to the eye.
 Always store in a file rack or a file pouch.
 Files shall not be allowed to rub together.
f.
How to stand and use a file
 Although the pressure on the file must vary to keep the cut even, and to produce
a flat surface, the body mass must be distributed evenly to stay balanced and
thereby be in full control of the file throughout the stroke.
 The handle must be grasped in one hand and the point with the other hand
depending on the pressure that must be applied, then with a forward and
backward movement the file will cut metal from the work piece.
1.3.8
Trolleys:
 The Supervisor must inspect the trolleys on a monthly basis and they must be logged
on a register.
 Ensure that the equipment is in a safe working condition before use.
1.3.9
Saws:
a. General
 Do not test the sharpness of the blade by running your finger across the teeth.
 Store the hacksaw in such a way that the user will grasp the teeth when picked
up.
 The burr formed on the cut surface is sharp and can cause injury.
 Never wipe the chips away with the hand.
 Cut on the right-hand side of the vice if you are right handed, or on the left-hand
side if you are left handed.
b. Selecting a hacksaw blade
 The most commonly used: 1.4mm pitch 18teeth per 25mm.
 Cutting soft material: 1.8mm pitch.
 Cutting hard material: 1.4mm pitch.
 Cutting mild steel, bronze, brass: 14 to 18 teeth per 25 mm.
 Conduit, thin tubing: 32 teeth per 25mm.
 Cutting angle iron, brass tubing and copper pipes: 24 teeth per 25mm.
c. Fitting a blade
 Select the correct blade.
 The teeth shall point away from the handle.
 Take the tension up on the blade with the wing nut of the blade tensioning screw.
 A new blade stretches slightly and should be tightened after the first few strokes.
 Release the tension on the blade before storing in the toolbox. This prevents the
frame of the hacksaw losing its spring.
d. Cutting with a hacksaw
 Clamp the workpiece firmly in the vice and cut as close to the vice as possible.
This eliminates "chatter” and vibration, which could lead to blade breakage.
 The pressure on the forward stroke must remain constant to keep the cut even.
There must be no pressure on the blade on the return.
 Use the whole length of the blade and make about 40 to 50 strokes per minute.
Cutting at a faster rate will damage the temper of the teeth.
1.3.10 Pliers
a. Types





Cir clip pliers.
Engineers pliers.
Long nose pliers.
Water pump pliers.
Side cutters.
b. Usage
 Always choose the correct pliers for the job.
 Inspect the handles, jaws for wear and cutting edges for good condition.
 Always clean the tool after use and store correctly.
c. Cir clip pliers
 There are two types, the one type for internal and the other type for external cir
clips.
d. Engineers pliers
 Usage is for general engineering purposes.
e. Long nose pliers
 Long nose pliers are made with a long tapering nose or jaws.
 Usage is for placing and removing small items in narrow spaces. It is also used
for electrical and radio repair work.
f.
Water pump pliers
 These pliers are made from alloy steel and have a slip joint and six adjustments.
 The jaws can easily be adjusted to different sizes.
 Usage is to grip pipe fittings of various sizes.
g. Side cutters
 The side cutter consists of two handles and two cutting jaws that form part of
each handle.
 Usage is to cut wire and small nails.
 Ensure that the side cutter handles are insulated when used to cut electrical
wiring.
1.3.11 Allen key
 Always choose the correct allen key.
 Ensure the hexagon head is not round.
 Check that the allen key is in the shape of a letter ‘L” and that it is not bent.
 Never use a pipe on the allen key for extra torque, the allen key can break and
cause injury.
1.4
AIR OPERATED TOOLS
 Airlines must not have joints.
 All fittings must not be braised or welded.
 Always wear eye and ear protection when using air tools.
 NEVER blow yourself off with air.
 All air tools to be operated at the correct air pressure according to the manufactures
specifications.
 Ensure that there is a safety sling/chain attached to the hose and fitting that goes
into the tool.
1.5
HAZARDS IDENTIFIED












Electric shock.
Fire.
Explosion.
Caught between.
Slip and fall.
Dust.
Noise.
Moving parts.
Struck by object.
Sliver into body parts.
Cut by sharp edges or blades
Foreign objects into eyes