• OSHA requires tools to have necessary guards and safety measures.Sciage image by lamax from Fotolia.com
  
  Many workers in the U.S. sustain major injuries and even die on the job, especially while using potentially dangerous work equipment. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration requirements for tools help protect the health and safety of employees who use tools to perform their work. OSHA holds employers responsible for making sure tools stay in safe operating condition and have the necessary safety mechanisms.
  
  

Saw Guards

• OSHA requirements for tools say that powered saws with blades that have at least 2 inch diameters need appropriate guards. They should have guards on top of and underneath the base plate or shoe of the saw, and the guards should be deep enough to cover the saw's teeth.
  
  

Pressure Controls

• Powered saws with blades 2 inches or larger in diameter should have pressure switches to turn on the saws, so that saws turn off when a worker stops applying pressure to a switch.
  
  

Belt Sanding Machines

• Belt sanding machines should have guards, according to OSHA guidelines, at the points where the belt has a "nip point." On a sander, the nip points are the spots where the sanding belt runs into the pulley and could potentially catch workers' fingers.
  
  

Shipyard Tool Carrying

• OSHA shipyard requirements for tools say that employees should have belts or some other types of carriers so that their hands stay free for climbing ladders on the ship.
  
  

Shipyard Tool Guards

• OSHA requirements for tools also tell employers to make sure moving parts of machinery on dry docks have guards and that gears and belts on portable tools have guards.
  
  

Personal Protective Equipment

• Employees who work with tools that generate dust, unhealthy fumes, unhealthy vapors or other respiratory hazards should have personal protective equipment, according to OSHA requirements. The OSHA requires respirators for employees who need respiratory protection to stay healthy at work. The OSHA also requires protective equipment for woodworking employees, such as goggles to protect the eyes from flying debris.
  
  

Woodworking Tool Switches

• The OSHA requires woodworking tools to have switches that can lock or be tagged in a position that keeps the tool off.
  
  

Jacks

• OSHA requirements tell employers to train workers to make sure that jacks can hold the load being lifted. After workers lift a heavy load with a jack, they should secure the load with another form of support immediately.
  
  

Blast Cleaning Nozzles

• Abrasive blast cleaning nozzles should not stay open when resting. Instead, OSHA requirements say that blast cleaning nozzles should work only when employees manually hold them open.