Power Tools for DIYers
Occasional users are at higher risk with power tools: less practice, older tools, and no one around to show them. Table saws and circular saws cause thousands of finger amputations every year.
- Homeowners
- DIY
Before you plug in
- Read the manual, even if you’ve used a similar tool
- Check guards, cords and blades. Use sharp blades.
- Plug into a GFCI outlet, especially outdoors or in garages and basements
- Clamp your work so both hands are free
- Safety glasses, hearing protection, and a dust mask
- No loose sleeves, jewelry or long hair near spinning parts
- Kids and pets out of the area
Tool-by-tool guides
This site has a page for each tool, written for workers but just as useful at home:
- Circular saws, table saws, miter saws, jigsaws
- Drills and impact drivers
- Nail guns
- Angle grinders
- Chainsaws
- Sanders and heat guns
Rented tools: ask the rental store for a demonstration and the manual. Rental tools like floor sanders, tile saws, concrete saws and stump grinders are powerful and unfamiliar.
Storage
Unplug tools and remove batteries when you’re done. Store them locked up and out of reach of children.
Standards & references
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