9.5 Hand & Portable Powered Tools (Subpart P, 1910.241-1910.244)

9.5 Hand & Portable Powered Tools (Subpart P, 1910.241-1910.244)

The Smallest Subpart That Still Shows Up on the Exam

29 CFR 1910 Subpart P - Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment is four sections long, but it is a named module in the OSHA 511 course outline and it produces steady general industry citations. Subpart P covers the tool in the worker's hands; Subpart O covers the fixed machine bolted to the floor. The abrasive wheel on a pedestal grinder is 1910.215 (Subpart O); the same abrasive wheel on a portable right-angle grinder is 1910.243(c) (Subpart P).

General Requirements (1910.242)

The Employee-Owned Tool Rule (1910.242(a))

The operative sentence is short and heavily tested:

"Each employer shall be responsible for the safe condition of tools and equipment used by employees, including tools and equipment which may be furnished by employees."

An employer cannot disclaim responsibility for a defective tool by pointing out that the worker brought it from home. The duty to inspect, condemn, and remove damaged tools follows the use, not the ownership. This mirrors 1910.132(b) for employee-owned PPE.

The 30 p.s.i. Compressed Air Rule (1910.242(b))

"Compressed air shall not be used for cleaning purposes except where reduced to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment."

Three elements must all be present, and exam distractors typically drop one of them:

1. The static pressure at the point of the nozzle must be reduced to less than 30 p.s.i. when the nozzle end is dead-ended or blocked. In practice this is achieved with a relieving-type nozzle, a pressure-reducing regulator, or a diffuser - not by telling the worker to squeeze the trigger gently.
2. Effective chip guarding must be in place - a barrier, screen, or shield that keeps flying particles from striking anyone.
3. Personal protective equipment must be used, most obviously ANSI Z87.1 eye and face protection.

Two important boundaries: the 30 p.s.i. limit applies to cleaning, not to the operating pressure of pneumatic tools; and using compressed air of any pressure to blow dust or debris off a person's skin, hair, or clothing creates an air-embolism and eye-injury hazard that OSHA treats as a serious violation.

Guarding of Portable Powered Tools (1910.243)

Portable Circular Saws (1910.243(a)(1))

Portable circular saws with a blade diameter greater than 2 inches must be equipped with guards above and below the base plate or shoe:

• The upper guard must cover the saw to the depth of the teeth, except for the minimum arc required to permit the base to be tilted for bevel cuts and to allow proper retraction of the lower guard.
• The lower guard must cover the saw to the depth of the teeth, except for the minimum arc required to allow proper contact with the work, and must automatically and instantly return to the covering position when the tool is withdrawn from the work.
• Wedging or tying back the lower guard - the single most common field violation - defeats the guard and is prohibited.

Circular saws used in a cutting head or under-table saw configuration are excepted, because the blade is not exposed in the same way.

Portable Belt Sanding Machines (1910.243(a)(3))

Belt sanders must be provided with guards at each nip point where the sanding belt runs onto a pulley. The guard must effectively prevent the hands or fingers of the operator from coming in contact with the nip points, and the unused run of the sanding belt must be guarded against accidental contact.

Pneumatic Powered Tools and Hose (1910.243(b))

• Tool retainers (1910.243(b)(1)): pneumatic power tools shall be secured to the hose or whip by some positive means to prevent the tool from becoming accidentally disconnected. Chisels, rivet busters, and other impact tools that could be ejected from the barrel must have a tool retainer installed.
• Hose and connections (1910.243(b)(2)): hose and hose connections used to conduct compressed air to utilization equipment must be designed for the pressure and service to which they are subjected.

Portable Abrasive Wheels (1910.243(c))

Portable abrasive wheels must be equipped with safety guards meeting the design, construction, and material requirements of the standard, except for:

• Wheels used for internal work while within the work being ground, and
• Mounted wheels 2 inches or less in diameter used in portable operations.

The guard must be mounted so as to maintain proper alignment with the wheel, and the fastenings must have strength exceeding the strength of the guard - because a bursting wheel exerts more force on the guard mounting than on the guard itself. Cup wheels may use revolving cup guards or band-type guards.

Explosive-Actuated (Powder-Actuated) Fastening Tools (1910.243(d))

Powder-actuated tools drive fasteners with a controlled explosive charge and are treated as firearms in all but name. The standard requires that tools be tested each day before loading to ensure the safety devices are working, that a tool never be loaded until just prior to firing, that a loaded tool never be left unattended, and that the operator not point the tool at any person whether loaded or unloaded. Only trained operators may use them, and manufacturers' operator qualification cards are the standard evidence of that training.

Other Portable Tools and Equipment (1910.244)

Jacks (1910.244(a))

Inspection intervals scale to exposure:

• Jacks in constant or intermittent use at one location: inspected at least once every 6 months.
• Jacks sent out of the shop for special work: inspected when sent out and when returned.
• Jacks subjected to an abnormal load or shock: inspected immediately before and immediately after the event.

Abrasive Blast Cleaning Nozzles (1910.244(b))

The blast cleaning nozzle must be equipped with an operating valve that must be held open manually - a deadman control. A support must be provided on which the nozzle may be safely retained when it is not in use, so a live nozzle is never left loose to whip under pressure.