Page 1784 - Xmo Strata - Bulletin Archive

Safety, Health, Environmental & Quality Bulletin No 673

23 May 2019

Tool Maintenance

We recently received a potential incident were a slogging
spanner was identified as showing excessive wear and
was beginning to mushroom along the edges where it
was being stuck with the hammer.

This is an example of why hand tools, plant and
equipment need to be checked before use. Tools can
slowly become worn during use and need to be checked
regularly to ensure they don’t become a hazard.

We audit all tools on vehicles regularly as part of vehicle
audits, and checking tools is part of the safety inspection
carried out by crews weekly, but don’t rely on a
scheduled audit to check your tools.

Whenever you pick up a hand tool or item of plant, give
it a quick look for damage, you don’t need to spend
several minutes on this or fill in pages of paperwork, just
a take a few seconds, take a quick look over it and check
it’s not damaged or excessively worn, and is still fit for
purpose.

If you find any damage or excessive wear on tools, do not use them and contact your line manager.

We are all a product of learning. Every skill we have; everything we know; everything we believe and everything we do has
been learned throughout the course of our lives. Some of us learn best by studying graphs and charts, some through visual
presentations, and some by reading detailed text books. It is important that we receive information in a format that works for
us as individuals! That’s why at Xmo Strata we use a variety of communication platforms such as bulletins, newsletters,
videos etc. However, if you feel there is a better way for us to share health and safety information, please let us know.
Ultimately, your safety is in your hands – but we will do all we can to keep you well informed!