OAR 437-002-0309: Hand Tools

(1) General. (a) The correct tool shall be selected for the job. (b) Tools that have been made unsafe by damage or defect shall not be used. (c) When climbing a tree, workers shall not carry tools in their hands other than tools that are used to assist them in climbing. (d) Workers shall maintain a safe working distance from other workers when using hand tools. (e) Tools shall be properly stored or placed in plain sight out of the immediate work area when not in use. (f) Workers shall not throw or drop tools from trees unless warning has been given and the ground area is clear, and the act of dropping will not endanger personnel. (2) Pruners and hand saws. (a) Pole pruners, pole saws, and other similar tools shall be equipped with wood or nonmetallic poles. Actuating cord shall be of nonconducting material. (b) When inserting a blade in a bow-saw frame, workers shall keep their hands and fingers in the clear when the tension lever snaps into or against the saw frame. When removing a bow-saw blade from the frame, the operator shall stay clear of the blade. (3) Chopping tools — axes, brush hooks, machetes, and others. (a) Chopping tools that have loose or cracked heads or splintered handles shall not be used. (b) Chopping tools shall never be used while working aloft. (c) Chopping tools shall be swung away from the feet, legs, and body, using the minimum power practical for control. (d) Chopping tools shall not be driven as wedges or used to drive metal wedges unless specifically designed to be driven or to be used to drive wedges. (4) Injector tools for applying herbicides. (a) The bit of injector tools shall be covered with a shield when not in use. (b) Injectors shall be laid flat on the ground when not in use. (c) The injector shall not be carried on the shoulders but shall be carried by the loop handle on the downhill side, with the bit properly shielded and facing to the rear. (5) Grub hoes, mattocks and picks. (a) The blade eye shall be tight-fitting and wedged so that it cannot slide down the handle. (b) When swinging grub hoes, mattocks, and picks, the worker shall have a secure grip and firm footing. (6) Cant hooks, cant dogs, tongs, and carrying bars. (a) Hooks shall be firmly set before applying pressure. (b) Tools with cracked, splintered, or weakened handles shall not be used. (c) Workers shall be warned and shall be in the clear before logs are moved. (d) The points of hooks shall be at least 2 inches long and kept sharp. (e) Workers shall stand to the rear and uphill when rolling logs. (7) Wedges, chisels, and gouges. (a) Wedges, chisels, and gouges shall be inspected for cracks and flaws before use. (b) Wedges and chisels shall be properly pointed and tempered. Tools with mushroomed heads shall not be used. (c) Only wood, plastic, or soft-metal wedges shall be used with power saws. (d) Wood-handled chisels shall be protected with a ferrule on the striking end. (8) Hammers, mauls, and sledges. Wood, rubber or high-impact plastic mauls, sledges, or hammers shall be used when striking wood-handled chisels or gouges. (9) Ropes. (a) Climbing ropes shall be used when working aloft in trees. Climbing ropes shall have a minimum diameter of 1/2-inch and be a 3- or 4-strand first-grade manila with a nominal breaking strength of 2385 pounds or its equivalent in strength and durability. Synthetic rope shall have a maximum elasticity of not more than 7 percent. (b) Rope made unsafe by damage or defect, or for any other reason, shall not be used. (c) Rope shall be stored away from all cutting edges and sharp tools. Corrosive chemicals, gas, and oil shall be kept away from rope. (d) Climbing ropes and safety lines shall not be used to lower limbs or other parts of trees or to raise or lower equipment. (e) When stored, rope shall be coiled and piled, or suspended, so that air can circulate through the coils. (f) Rope ends shall be secured to prevent unraveling. (g) Climbing and safety rope shall not be spliced to effect repair. (h) Safety snaps shall be rotated from one end of the rope to the other, as needed, and the worn end cut off. (i) A handline shall be used for raising or lowering tools and limbs. (10) Tackle blocks and pulleys. Tackle blocks and pulleys shall be inspected immediately before use and shall be condemned if defective, in accordance with procedures given in ANSI/ASME B30.9-1984, B30.9a-1985, and B30.9b-1987, Safety Standard for Slings. (11) Ladders. (a) When using portable ladders to climb trees, the ladder shall be tied to the tree or supported by another worker. When working from a ladder during cutting operations, the ladder shall be securely tied or braced, and the worker tied in as required by OAR 437-002-0310(1)(a)(A). (b) Ladders, platforms, and aerial devices, including insulated aerial devices, shall not be placed in a position where they could contact an electrical conductor. Reliance shall not be placed on their dielectric capabilities. (c) Ladders made of metal or other conductive material shall not be used where an electrical hazard exists. Only approved wood ladders (constructed in accordance with ANSI A14.1-1982, Safety Requirements for Portable Wood Ladders, or nonconductive ladders made of synthetic material equal to or exceeding the strength of approved wood ladders, shall be used. (d) Metal ladders used where no electrical hazard exists shall conform to ANSI A14.2-1982, Safety Requirements for Portable Metal Ladders. (e) All ladders shall be inspected daily before use. Unsafe ladders shall not be used. (f) The attaching of cleats, metal points, and safety feet; lashing; or other effective means of securing the ladder shall be used if there is danger of its slipping. (g) Ladders shall be supported while in storage so they will not sag. Except when on mobile equipment, ladders shall be stored under suitable cover, protected from the weather, and kept in a dry location away from excessive heat. (h) Ladders shall not be used as bridges or inclined planes to load or handle logs or other material. (12) Climbing spurs. Climbing spurs shall be of the tree-climbing type and have gaffs suitable for the tree being climbed. [Publications: Publications referenced are available from the agency.]