Tools must be:

  • kept in good working order
  • properly sharpened if they are required to cut
  • used only for the purpose for which they were designed
  • stored safely.

For operator safety:

  • use a dust mask when sanding, cutting or creating any dust
  • use eye protection with power-cutting tools and hand tools where flying chips are a risk
  • wear good quality ear muffs
  • use cordless tools outside where possible, but if you need to use a tool with a cable, connect it to an isolating transformer or residual current device (RCD)
  • put loose materials in a vice if you need to work on them with a power tool – do not put the power tool in the vice and pull the material over it