Anyone who uses a power tool must be trained in how to use it safely. At the same time, there are those who shouldn’t be permitted to use a power tool for their own safety. The exact age people should and shouldn’t be able to use them is a topic of debate.
Instead of focusing on age alone, we’re going to look at categories of people. It’s a matter of discretion, though. The bottom line is to use power tools in a responsible manner.
Young Children
Many parents in the U.S. have no problems allowing their children to use power tools. While you don’t need to be an adult to get your first taste of these powerful implements, if a child is clearly too young they shouldn’t be able to use them.
Even if a child is using a power tool, they should always be under close supervision by a responsible adult. No matter how masterful they are with a jigsaw, there’s always the capacity for something to go wrong. A young child won’t have the experience or the skill to bring such a situation under control by themselves.
Parents should wait until they believe their child is mature enough to use something so dangerous. Children mature at different ages, so there’s no hard and fast rule for this.
Medical Conditions
If you have a medical condition that affects your motor neurons, you should never use something a power tool. There’s always a risk of losing control, or not being able to control the tool in a safe manner.
People with certain medical conditions might find their movements becoming lethargic and inaccurate. As well as medical conditions that impact movement, you also shouldn’t use power tools if your condition causes you to lose concentration at inappropriate times.
An example of a condition that would prohibit someone from using power tools is anything with short-term memory loss. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are two prominent conditions that would rule out someone from using power tools.
Ask your doctor about whether your condition will influence your ability to use a power tool first.
The Inexperienced
Nobody who doesn’t have the proper training should be able to use power tools. Inexperience is a prime cause of injury. Yes, the only way to learn is to start using power tools, but it needs to be done in the correct way. To properly start using power tools, you should look into:
- Getting an expert to supervise you and step in when necessary.
- A basic understanding of how they work.
- Instructions on how to avoid common injuries associated with that tool.
And you shouldn’t assume you know how to use a tool because you’ve worked with a similar tool in the past. There are crucial differences between all tools that must be taken into account.
Overall, you will receive some sort of injury sooner or later. No accomplished handyman has ever gone through their careers without suffering some sort of cut or graze. The difference is education and maturity prevents them from sustaining a serious injury.
Jonathan Hendricks contributed today’s guest post. He is a wonderful author who shares his views and ideas through his articles. For readers who want to buy Dremel Multi Tool Blades or other related tools, visit Fitzallblades.com.
