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General Tool and Machinery

Housekeeping Procedures 

Effective housekeeping can help control or eliminate workplace hazards. Poor housekeeping practices frequently contribute to incidents. If the sight of paper, debris, clutter, and spills is accepted as normal, then other more serious hazards may be taken for granted. 

Housekeeping is not just cleanliness. It includes keeping work areas neat and orderly, maintaining halls and floors free of slip and trip hazards, and removing waste materials (e.g., paper, cardboard) and other fire hazards from work areas. It also requires paying attention to crucial details such as the layout of the whole workplace, aisle marking, the adequacy of storage facilities, and maintenance. Good housekeeping is also a basic part of incident and fire prevention. 

Effective housekeeping is an ongoing operation: it is not a one-time or hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally. Periodic “panic” cleanups are costly and ineffective in reducing incidents.  

Holman Standard Housekeeping Procedures: 

  • Employees are responsible to keep their working areas safe and clean at all times. 
  • After employees have used the operating equipment in the cutting area, excess materials such as cut offs are to be disposed of immediately.  
  • Sawdust must be swept up when finished to avoid a slippery floor. 
  • The workbenches or the general assembly area are to be organized on a daily basis.  
  • Daily clean up (Sat-Thu): 10 minutes prior to the end of the workday. 
  • Weekly cleanup (Fri): 30mins prior to the end of the end of the workday. 
  • All garbage must be dumped at the end of the day into the larger bins. These bins will be dumped every morning at 8:00am. 
  • The dust collector must be emptied every Thursday and Monday at 8:00am. During heavy usage of the CNC or other cutting equipment bins will be emptied more frequently (as needed). 

Tool Handling Reminders 

Holman recognizes the importance of having quality tools to ensure we continue to meet our excellent standards. The way tools and equipment are handled and stored are a real driver of our success, particularly in terms of productivity and efficiency. Without proper tool handling it can lead to increased machine downtime, quality defects, and personal injuries. Below are a few general tools for handling reminders. 

General Tool Handling Reminders: 

  • Tools are to be handled carefully and with respect. 
  • All tools must be returned to their respective storage locations unless in use (i.e. clamps or jigged set ups).  
  • Broken or missing tools MUST be reported immediately to the Production manager/Shop Foreman so a repair or replacement can be arranged. 
  • No tools are to be removed from the premises unless signed out by the foreman for installation/on-site usage. Unauthorized removal of any tool or equipment will be interpreted as theft. Company policy dictates an immediate dismissal as well as legal actions against the employee. 
  • Personal tools are the responsibility of the individual. We do recommend providing a full inventory to us to avoid any misunderstandings about ownership. Furthermore, we suggest color-coding them. Do not borrow personal tools from others without their permission! 

Safety Procedures for Tool and Machinery Operation 

General Power Tools 

At Holman we use a variety of power tools to accomplish our day-to-day tasks and it is important for all our workshops to be aware of the general power tool guidelines. Below is a general guide for power tools, however if you need specific information for specific machine or tools, please refer to the table of contents for that information. 

General Power Tools Guideline: 

  • Ensure that you have been properly trained to use the tool safely. Read the operator’s manual (see table of contents) before using the tool and operate the tool according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use only tested and approved tools. 
  • Ensure that the power tool has the correct guard, shield, or other attachment that the manufacturer recommends. 
  • Prevent shocks. Ensure that the tools are properly grounded using a three-prong plug, are double-insulated (and are labelled as such) or are powered by a low-voltage isolation transformer: this will protect users from an electrical shock. 
  • Check electric tools to ensure that a tool with a 3-prong plug has an approved 3-wire cord and is grounded. The three-prong plug should be plugged in a properly grounded 3-pole outlet. If an adapter must be used to accommodate a two-hole receptacle, the adapter wire must be attached to a known, functioning ground. NEVER remove the third, grounding prong from a plug.  
  • Ensure that you have been properly trained to use the tool safely. Read the operator’s manual before using the tool and operate the tool according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use only tested and approved tools. 
  • Ensure that the power tool has the correct guard, shield, or other attachment that the manufacturer recommends. 
  • Prevent shocks. Ensure that the tools are properly grounded using a three-prong plug, are double-insulated (and are labelled as such) or are powered by a low-voltage isolation transformer: this will protect users from an electrical shock. 
  • Check electric tools to ensure that a tool with a 3-prong plug has an approved 3-wire cord and is grounded. The three-prong plug should be plugged in a properly grounded 3-pole outlet. If an adapter must be used to accommodate a two-hole receptacle, the adapter wire must be attached to a known, functioning ground. NEVER remove the third, grounding prong from a plug.  

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