Hand Tools - Hammers

Hammers account for another quarter of hand tool accidents. The most common accident occurs when miners are struck by chips flying from the hammer or the struck object. These chips often became embedded in the miner's eye, face, rib cage, or leg.

Miners can avoid these accidents by remembering the following:

• Use the proper hammer.
• Always wear personal protective equipment when hammering, especially eye protection.
• When possible, use a holder, instead of the hand, to hold an object.
• Avoid using hammers with damaged heads.
• Do not wear gloves that are wet, oily, or greasy.
• Warn others in the area of the danger of flying metal chips.

To learn more about MSHA Part 48 training requirements visit our MSHA Part 48 Subpart B Surface Mining Online Training web page.