Teaching Power Tool Safety To Children

Teaching power tool safety to children is a critical step of parenthood. Even if your son or daughter shows no interest in heavy-duty woodworking, metalworking, or construction, they will still need to learn how to protect themselves while other people are using power tools. Fortunately the method for teaching safety is simple. Use the five steps below, and you and your child will both share a fine memory.

The first step in teaching power tool safety to children is to practice what you preach. If you say wearing eye protection is important but you don't wear safety goggles yourself, you are sending a powerful-and dangerous-message to your child. Both of you should put on your eye protection, ear protection, and closed-toe shoes. Both of you should roll up your sleeves, keep clothing tight to your bodies, and tie back long hair. Lead by example, and follow the rules you set for your child.

Your second goal should be to make sure power tools are age appropriate. The best method is to start teaching safety through hand tools, such as a small handsaw, and then work your way up to more complex power tools once your son or daughter feels comfortable. This approach can also be more educational, since explaining the mechanics of a slow-moving, controllable Phillips screwdriver can be a lot easier than teaching the science behind a whirling cordless screwdriver.

Third, clear the workshop and focus your child's attention. Make sure that you both have enough room to work without tripping on cords, knocking down tools, or bumping into each other. Clear an adequate amount of space, and then double-check that there are no remaining distractions or interruptions. Your little student should not be distracted by dogs barking, siblings fighting, phone calls, iPod music, or anything else that could suddenly grab his attention and risk cuts, bruises, or worse.

Now you are ready to teach the basics of power tool safety. Show how tools should be held when they are in use, carried or put down when they are not, and turned off and stored when the job is done. Let children pick up the tools-powered off and unplugged-and investigate them before the initial trial. Just like with scissors, explain why running with power tools is not a good idea. Demonstrate how to control each power tool and possibly what can happen when the tool gets out of control-without hurting yourself! Remember that children's hands are smaller, so they may need the help of a vise or clamps to stabilize materials while they hold the power tool with both hands.

Finally, start the session slowly and begin with low-powered, "safer" tools. Be ready to help your child and take over if necessary. To make this first experience more fun, you may want to take your son or daughter to a kids' power tool class offered by one of the major home improvement chains. Working alongside other children may minimize your child's fears and your own. Even after teaching power tool safety to children, always supervise their actions. Make the introduction both safe and fun, and you will certainly work together on many more projects.

Marley Martinerin is a regular contributor to a number of sites and writes articles about such topics as band saws, and corded power drills.

Daily Welding Safety Tips You Must Use!

There are many different jobs in which a certain set of skills is required. If you are a welder, you know that you must have the right knowledge about welding safety. If you are unsure about the right safety on the job, look here at this guide and get these top tips to help you out! You always want to make sure that you are being as safe as possible out there!

Of course you need to know the job and know how to do it properly. Welding does require a certificate at least in order to start working in a shop. You can also choose a welding specialty and work within a field. Some welders work in car garages, and others will work in plumbing or construction. It all depends on what you are looking to get into. You must know the ins and outs of the job before you even start!

There are training courses that you can sign up for in order to learn more about welding safety. These courses should not be taken lightly, so make sure that you are paying attention and taking notes. If and when you run into an emergency situation, you will have the proper safety knowledge to act quickly and possibly safe lives in the process. Look for these training courses at work or even online for extra help.

A helmet might need to be used depending on where you are welding. It is always wise to invest in a helmet that is going to last and keep your head safe at all times. Look for these helmets online and ensure that you choose the proper size for your head. You can get helmets fitted so that you do not have to worry about your helmet coming loose for falling off during the day.

Along with your helmet, you will also need to have goggles and gloves. Protecting your eyes is vital when you are working with welding tools. You do not want sparks to get into your eyes, otherwise you could be blinded and hindered for the rest of your life. Your gloves will work to protect your hands while you are working as well. These gloves need to be able to withstand heat so buy the proper pair!

Welders that may be doing this a lot longer than you have been will tell you that you need to pay attention. If you look away for even a second, you could slip and injure yourself severely or even one of your co workers. Do not look away from what you are doing at any moment in time. Stay focused and you will all stay as safe as possible!

Try to do everything that you can to minimize accidents. Even when not welding, and just in the warehouse, you still need to be safe. Watch out for your fellow workers and there will be no accidents to report. Most companies will have an accident chart to let employees how long they have gone without any accident report!

You need to make sure that you do what you can to learn proper welding safety. Those who do not pay attention or take this seriously, often are the ones that experience some sort of injury. Keep yourself as safe as possible and you should have a find work environment to look forward to!

Charlie Bentson King is a Vice President for Workplace Safety Videos - The world's most comprehensive source of safety video and safety DVD training programs.

Chemical Storage Tanks - Safety Tips

The explosion on chemical storage tank at Packaging Corporation of America, Tomahawk, Wisconsin, on July 29, 2008, which killed three people, has shown how chemical storage tanks could put hazard into reality.

The above accident did not represent the entire potential hazards associated with the presence of chemical storage tanks in a chemical plant. In addition, the condition become worst when chemical stored in the tanks are flammable, combustible, corrosive or even toxic.

Because chemical storage tanks present in all chemical plants, improvement of their safety is very important. That's why this article is written.

Safety tips that I will tell you in this article are extracted from the US Chemical Safety Board bulletin issued in February 2010 entitled Seven Key Lessons to Prevent Worker Deaths During Hot Work In and Around Tanks, and also from other resources.

1. Chemical storage tanks are made of compatible material that will not react with stored chemical.

2. Be careful when you decide to select tank fabricator or manufacturer. Check their products quality and track record.

3. Always refer to appropriate standards when you are going to go into design phase.

4. Some of tank ruptures were caused by defective welds. Effective monitoring and checking including welding test during tanks fabrication are vital.

5. A safe distance between each tank is provided. It will prevent chain reaction when fire occurs at one tank.

6. There should be at least two level indicators installed on chemical tanks to avoid level instrument failure. It had better to provide level glass or something like that for worker to check manually.

7. Do not forget to ensure there are also temperature indicators installed on the tanks. Decomposition reaction, which releases heat, can be easily detected.

8. Instrument calibration is required to ensure correct reading. Set up regular schedule for it.

9. Venting facilities are installed to accommodate over pressure or vacuum.

10. Check regularly the venting facilities. Make sure that they are not blocked by dirt and work properly.

11. Ovoid overfilling tanks. It can be achieved by a combination of manual monitoring or indicating, high level alarm and automatic shut off system.

12. Thickness and welding check may be necessary in some cases, suppose when contained chemical is a highly corrosive. Refer to applicable standards and experts at the field.

13. When you plan to do hydrostatic pressure test or full water test, consider tanks condition and their lifetime. Pressure standard may be slightly lower than the first hydrostatic test.

14. If possible use alternative methods to avoid hot work in and around the tanks.

15. When hot work will be conducted in tank that contains flammable liquid or suspected to be contain flammable liquid, ensure that all possible entrances or inlets have already been isolated. It is applied not only for the tank itself but all connected piping and surrounding the tank. If necessary, drain out all the flammable liquid from the tank and related piping.

16. Monitor flammable gas and vapor before and during the hot work. Use combustible gas detector.

17. Use written permit before hot work can be started in the storage tank.

18. Ensure that all personnel involved in the hot work are trained well, including contractor workers.

19. Secondary containment such as dike is necessary. Dike will reduce the possibility of bigger safety and environment problems when a chemical storage tank is ruptured.

20. Do not operate any storage tank more than allowable maximum operating level as it is designed to. If you frequently perform such operation, then it is strongly recommended to install new storage tank to avoid tank rupture.

21. Any drain valve installed on tanks should be equipped with valve locks, blind flanges or caps to avoid accidental opening or valve failure.

22. Catastrophic chemical storage tank is a kind of emergency condition. So it requires you to establish an emergency response plan.

Inadequate design, fabrication, construction, inspection and maintenance can lead to chemical storage tanks failure. Apply these safety tips consistently. In addition, you can make them as safety inspection checklist for the entire chemical storage tanks inside your chemical plant.

Lukman Nulhakiem is a chemical engineer who has many experiences in hazard recognition and hazard control studies. Learn more about safety tips for workplaces, visit his blog chemicalplantsafety.net.