Hang this poster on the tool cabinet, so the rules are in front of whoever takes a tool out.
What is on the poster
Do
- Wear certified ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 eye protection whenever hand tools are in use, impact-rated (Z87+) for hammers and impact tools.
- Inspect before use: tight handles, no cracks or splinters, no chipped screwdriver tips, no mushroomed chisel heads, no sprung wrench jaws.
- Use each tool only for what it is made for, in the right size for the fastener or the job.
- Keep knives, chisels and saw blades sharp. A dull blade needs force, and force slips.
- Direct blades and sharp edges away from your body, from aisles and from the person beside you.
- Clamp the work so both hands are free.
- Clean tools and return them to their place. Leave nothing on the floor or hanging over an edge.
- Report a damaged tool at once; it comes out of use and is tagged.
Never
- Use a screwdriver or a file as a pry bar. A file shatters.
- Use a wrench with sprung jaws, or a saw with a cracked blade.
- Use a hammer with a loose or cracked handle, or a mushroomed head.
- Use steel tools around flammable vapors; spark-resistant tools there.
- Carry tools with the sharp end out, or leave them where someone can trip.
- Use a tool you have not been trained on.
If in doubt, stop and ask the instructor.
Built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard
This poster carries the SSTS mark. Like every Science Safety course, it is built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard (SSTS): every rule on it is taken from the body that governs it, at its current edition, and the source is printed on the poster, so you can check it yourself.
Stay current
When you get this poster, it is saved to your Science Safety account. If we revise the poster, or the Hand Tools module it comes from changes, we will email you, and the latest version will be waiting under Downloads in your account. Every revision carries its revision number and date at the bottom of the poster, so you can tell at a glance whether the copy on your wall is current.
Printing and hanging
- One-page PDF, US letter (8.5 by 11 inches).
- White background, so it prints clearly on any office or classroom printer without using much ink.
- Hang it on the tool cabinet, at eye level.
- The QR code in the blue title band opens this page, so anyone can get their own copy.
- The QR code at the bottom opens the Hand Tools module.
Learn more
The Hand Tools module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- Hand and Power Tools, OSHA 3080 – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (reviewed September 30, 2026)
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart P, Hand and portable powered tools – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (reviewed September 30, 2026)
- Hand tool safety precautions – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (reviewed September 30, 2026)
Poster SSP-0030, Rev. 1, September 2026.
