Inspect before use
Identify damaged handles, unsafe guards, cords, hoses and accessories.
CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCEHand & Power
Hand & Power
Tool Safety
Recognize hand- and power-tool hazards before work begins. Practice pre-use inspection, safe setup, guard and accessory checks, electrical protection, dust and noise controls, and stop-work decisions for construction and maintenance.
Training timeApproximately 131 minutes
Learning contentOSHA tool-safety awareness topics
Final assessment20 randomized questions · 70% to pass · 3 attempts
Passing attempts3 attempts
LanguagesEnglish and Spanish available · Russian in preparation
CompletionVerifiable course completion record
Before you start
Small tools. Serious decisions.
Learn to spot damaged tools, check guards and accessories, control energy, and stop when a setup is unsafe. Three illustrated activities ask you to identify a defect, arrange safe preparation and respond to a cracked abrasive wheel.
Employers must complete the necessary task-specific instruction and practical preparation. A printable readiness checklist supports that process; the online course does not replace it.
Recognize. Verify. Control.
Set up safely
Plan work support, energy control, body position and bystander protection.
Control exposures
Understand electrical, dust, noise, flying-particle and entanglement hazards.
Know when to stop
Report defects and recognize when specialized training is needed.
Course outline
20 lessons, 10 module reviews, three required illustrated checks, an employer checklist and a final assessment.
1
1. Choose the task, tool and controls
Identify the rules, responsibilities and operating boundaries.
- What this course does—and does not—authorize
- Plan before picking up a tool
2
2. Inspect and use hand tools
Find defects before they become flying objects or loss of control.
- Recognize reject conditions
- Control the striking and cutting path
3
3. Electrical supply, cords and batteries
Separate shock protection from safe handling and energy isolation.
- Check the power source
- Prevent damage and unexpected starting
4
4. Guards, drills and saws
Prepare the workpiece and protect the cutting and rotating zones.
- Put setup in the right order
- Know when a guard is not doing its job
5
5. Abrasive wheels and grinders
Check compatibility, condition and guarding before installation.
- Reject a damaged wheel
- Control fragments, sparks and contact
6
6. Pneumatic tools and nail guns
Control hose energy and unintended fastener discharge.
- Inspect the air system
- Prevent an unintended shot
7
7. Specialized power sources and jacks
Recognize tools that require additional preparation.
- Powder-actuated and fuel-powered tools
- Hydraulic pressure and supported loads
8
8. PPE, dust, noise and work-area controls
Control the hazard before relying on protective equipment.
- Select protection for the actual exposure
- Control dust at its source
9
9. Inspection records and stop-work response
Keep equipment status and changing site conditions visible.
- Make an inspection record useful
- Stop, secure and communicate
10
10. Workplace readiness and final review
Turn awareness into an employer-supervised task check.
- Employer practical readiness review
- Final decision framework
11
Applied field decisions and evidence review
Work through six realistic decisions, explain the missing evidence, and verify the release conditions.
- Read the accessory as a separate component
- Follow the energy through an accessory change
- Turn a dust-control plan into a setup check
- Separate a defect, a symptom and a repair
- Plan the people around the tool
- Demonstrate competence without creating a fault
Official reference library
Official OSHA requirements and guidance. Construction, general-industry and State Plan requirements may differ. Always consult the current model instructions and employer procedures.