The earliest human-made stone tools are at least 2.6 million years old. A lot’s changed since then. Back in the caveman days, there were no emergency rooms, no documentation for proper tool use, no Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and no workers’ compensation claims. (Well, as far as we know.)
Yet people still make the boneheaded mistakes our ancestors must have made. Workers misuse and overuse tools. They fail to maintain those tools properly. They underestimate the risks associated with tools.
Given that we’re not just working with sharpened rocks, but things like handsaws and sledgehammers, a caveman-like attitude towards tools can result in serious injuries. I’m talking cuts, amputations, repetitive strain, broken bones, enucleation, and more. In fact, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (PDF), misuse of hand and power tools results in about 400,000 ER visits every year.
Do you know how to use and care for your tools correctly? Can you prove you’re smarter than a caveman? Find out by taking KPA’s Hand & Power Tool Safety Pop Quiz.
Each quiz question below is adapted from material in our training resources. See if you can answer these real compliance questions correctly.
