Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/401422
50 • NOVEMBER 2014 • WORLD FENCE NEWS A topic for a tool box talk Association issues safety guidelines for hand tools The Hand Tools Institute (HTI) is the trade association of North Amer- ican manufacturers of non-powered hand tools and tool boxes. The objec- tives of the Hand Tools Institute are to promote and further the interests of its members relative to manufacturing, safety, standardization, international trade and government relations. The following recommendations were issued by HTI, and could serve as the basis for a tool box safety talk. – Use each tool only for the job it was designed to do. – Discard damaged or abused tools promptly. – Buy several versions or sizes of the same tool. – Inspect for distortion, cracks, chips, wear or mushrooming. – Keep all tools clean and in working order. – Be sure handles are fixed firmly to a tool's working end. – Be sure tools and work mate properly to avoid slippage. – Handles are made for the tool; never use extensions. – Confine impact forces to strik- ing and struck tools. – Hold work in a clamp or vise, not in your hand. – Start off slowly when engaging the tool and the work. – Shut current off before using a tool near electricity. – Make sure the handle sits se- curely in your hand. – Keep moving parts lightly lubed; avoid lube leakage. – Wear approved safety goggles when using hand tools. – Keep hands away from sharp edges. – Pull, don't push, a wrench han- dle for more leverage. – Position your body securely while working with the tool. – Keep jaw teeth, cutters, and blades sharp for better results. – Keep tool's moving parts prop- erly cleaned and tightened – Use steady pressure on jaws and cutters; don't rock the tool. – Support long, overhanging work in a vise at the far end. – Use pads in the jaws to protect soft or crushable work. – Use a tool close to the vise or clamp. – Hold work in a clamp or vise with sufficient pressure. – Keep clamped assemblies away from vibration and bumping. – Discard a tool instead of repair- ing it by welding or brazing. For more information on the asso- ciation and its objectives, visit the web site www/hti.org. Visit the World Fence News Crew At FenceTech 2015! Booth #925! At Western Tube & Conduit customer satisfaction and quality are the first order of business. Our Fencepost and Fencerail production is ISO-9001:2008 certified - and our products are manufactured to meet all the applicable state, federal, industrial and regulatory specifications and requirements. While we regularly stock standardized products and sizes, we are happy to provide custom dimensions as well. All our Fence products are galvanized with high purity zinc. We use high frequency welding (ERW) to turn the highest quality strip steel into tubing, and then a continuous hot-galvanizing process to zinc-coat the products smoothly and evenly. A zinc-rich interior organic coating, a chromate conversion coating, and a clear exterior organic coating provide the complete finish package that gives them superior protection against the elements and long life as a result. Gal-Z serves customers looking for shaped Fence tubing as well as corrosion-protected mechanical tubing. It can be purchased in squares and in rectangles, and it provides excellent environmental durability while also fulfilling the need for strength and weldability.