by Paul V. Arnold

Do you misuse your hand tools? Do you use them for tasks they weren’t meant to perform? 

Do you use damaged (chipped, cracked, bent, redressed) tools?

Never, you say? C’mon, fess up.

A large percentage of plant workers who use hand tools on the job do it. Just ask the companies that manufacture these tools.

"We’ll visit a plant and talk with a group of professionals, experienced people with many years on the job," says John Rossi, marketing manager for Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools. "We’ll ask, ‘Has anybody here used a screwdriver as a pry bar? Anyone struck a combination wrench with a hammer? Anyone used a cheater bar on a wrench? Anyone used an SAE socket on a metric fastener? How about a tool they knew was chipped, cracked or warped?’

"It’s amazing the number of people who raise their hands. Everybody does it. Everybody knows they aren’t supposed to do any of those things, but they do."

Jay Drummond, channel marketing manager for Stanley Proto Hand Tools, says it’s a mix of busy workers and bad habits.

"It comes down to people rushing to finish a job and taking a short cut with whatever tool is available," he says. "A person may have used a cheater bar every day for the past five years, but it only takes one time for a tool to break."

Such a mishap can lead to injury.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says more than 100,000 injuries occur each year due to misuse of common hand tools.

Tool makers like Armstrong and Stanley are working hard to reduce injuries and reinforce proper hand tools practices.

A safety tool box
One of the hottest Armstrong products last year didn’t turn a fastener, cut metal or secure a workpiece. It was the Safety Solutions kit, which houses information on improper and proper practices for 10 hand tool categories.

The kit — available for $295 at www.armstrongtools.com — includes a 30-minute video, PowerPoint presentation, abused tool demonstration, pocket-sized guidebooks, and instructor materials, including a safety quiz, certificates and stickers.

"There are resources that tell you, ‘don’t do this, don’t do that,’" says Rossi. "But, there aren’t many resources to help solve the problem. We go through the do’s and don’ts, but we also go through solutions."

On the road again
Stanley Proto also got proactive last year, rolling out six SSVs, Strategic Solutions Vehicles. These vehicles travel to large industrial sites and provide safety seminars and tool inspections.

Stanley also offers safety videos through its program, "Proceed With Caution." Besides an overview, there are detailed videos on sockets and attachments, striking and struck tools, and knives and blades. 

Video kits include posters, tests and certificates. For kit pricing information or to order, call .

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