Equipment and tool safety is critical to your overall safety program. The need for such inspections is covered throughout our CoW program and requires that you correct unsafe or unhealthy conditions, work practices and work procedures in a timely manner when a hazard is observed or discovered. For construction or OM&M operations, tools and equipment need to be inspected daily to make sure that they are in good working order and appropriately guarded. For site activities, tools and equipment should be inspected on a regular basis (except for Personal Protective Equipment, which need to be inspected prior to each use).

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

At Stratus you are obligated to:

• Be competent in the use of your tools;
• Conduct a walk-around inspection and operations self-check before any start-up and operation;
• Inspect tools, equipment and machinery; for hazards before every use;
• If any defects are found, you have the authority to shut down the equipment and render it unusable.
• Unsafe equipment shall be removed from service immediately until it is repaired and verified safe for use.
• Inspections shall be documented on a daily log;
• Defective equipment shall be reported immediately to the appropriate responsible person (usually the PA or PIC), and a thorough check of the equipment shall be conducted.
• Tool and Equipment safety should also be included as part of your Daily Toolbox Meeting.

This requirement extends to all tools and equipment that you use, as well as for tools and equipment owned by employees or subcontractors personally but used on your sites.

GENERAL THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR SAFETY INSPECTIONS

Hand Tools

• Make sure that they are in good working condition.
• Tools need to be capable of performing as required.
• Handles and working parts need to be securely affixed.
• During your inspections, you need to consider if any tools need replacement.

Power Tools

• Alarms shall be checked and operational before startup.
• Tool housings need to be securely connected to protect you from the mechanical and power activated parts of the equipment.
• Plugs, cords, grounding and other power supply components should be in good shape to protect you from direct contact with wires and electricity.
• Make sure that the working part of the tool, at the point of operation, is in good working order and that it works as designed.

Portable Equipment

This type of equipment tends to be heavier than power or hand tools. Consider how you will be moving it onto your site or into your area of operation, before getting it into position. How it’s moved is just as important as where it is moved. Transporting, loading or unloading portable equipment manually can stress the back, shoulders and other extremities causing strains. Use good body mechanics, in line with ergonomic principles.

Other than that, the hazards are much the same as for power tools, except for the communal hazard.

Communal Hazards come in 2 forms:

• The presence of portable equipment, in and of themselves may create trip and fall hazards. They also interfere with the work space. Depending on where equipment is placed, it can tend to crowd out others maneuvering room as they perform their jobs. Crowded conditions increase the potential for contusion, laceration and puncture injuries when employees strike objects around them.
• The operation itself, is another type of hazard: If you are welding, drilling, sawing or performing other types of jobs that could give off radiant light or throw off debris; there is danger to others, as well as to yourself. So, when you inspect equipment and your surrounding work area make sure your coworkers have been considered and address the potential for injuries to others within your work process.

Personal Protective Equipment

Don’t forget to check Personal Protective Equipment. It’s part of the working tools and equipment as well, that is there to protect you from injury.