Safe use of hand tools 

Accidents caused by the incorrect use of hand
tools are common in the workplace.

Managing the risks

To help you identify the hazards and appropriate ways of controlling them, use our example Risk Assessment - Safe use of Hand Tools document.  It covers the generic hazards found with the use of most of the common types of hand tools and suggests control measures to reduce risks to an acceptable level.

You should ensure that your document only addresses “significant” hazards, i.e. any that could and more importantly are likely to, cause an accident or injury.

Make your instructions clear

Work to the principle that if there is any chance of your staff being unaware of the safe way of using particular hand tools, then you will need to make it clear on your document. Finally, always ensure any control measures you identify and follow only go so far “as is reasonably practicable”.  

Note. The list of potential hazards is not exhaustive, as you will know your workplace and the hand tools your staff use, better than we do. However, for your risk assessment to be considered suitable and sufficient in the eyes of the law it must accurately reflect the “significant” hazards found in your workplace.