L6: Transitioning to Safer and More Productive Power Tools

Kansas City Convention Center 

Room: 2502 A 

CM Credit Hours: 1 

In modern industries, power hand tools are indispensable, but they are associated with many S&H risks. S&H hazards include: hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVs), noise, dust exposures, ergonomics, and mechanical/physical safety. Recent technological changes have improved the ability to reduce these hazards while optimizing productivity. S&H professionals have lacked a process for evaluating the risks of powered hand tools similar to the approach used for chemical hazards. A combination of education, user involvement, and process controls is required to evaluate and select the safest and most efficient tools. The emergence of HAVs will be used to illustrate new technology to risk and subsequent hazard mitigation through regulations, standards, and control technologies. A multi-disciplinary team developed a process management approach to control S&H hazards associated with power hand tool use. The use of a process standard, SAE Standard AS6228A, and associated layperson's guide will be discussed. The use of process standards is especially vital where specific hazards are weakly regulated. Integration into organizational engineering and logistics processes will be reviewed to empower attendees to promote processes for equipment selection enhancing safety.

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

• Discuss the hazards of power hand tools focusing on hand-arm vibration.
• Implement a process for evaluating the risks of power tools.
• Apply a process management approach for the evaluation of power hand tools.
• Develop a methodology for anticipation, recognition evaluation, and control of power tools.
• Review logistics and supply management approaches to power hand tools.
• Apply the linkage between life-cycle cost, productivity, and process safety for tools.
• Review risks of hand-arm vibration disease and the related history.  

Intermediate

Demo

Polling

Q&A

Quiz

Corporation/Company

All Industries

Construction

Manufacturing

Also part of the Virtual Program

Available as part of AIHA Connect OnDemand

Ergonomics

Noise/Hearing Loss Prevention

Risk Assessment and Management