Power tools have a suggested safety inspection checklist that should be followed to prevent injury during a home improvement job. The tool should be checked for damage, the work area should be checked for safety and the person should wear proper protective equipment. If any of these events are not followed, it is recommended that the tool is not used. However, there are many injuries reported due to the failure to follow the checklist, resulting in mechanical failure or environmental injury.



Creating a safety inspection checklist to follow is relatively simple. Simply find out what the most common injuries for an area or action are and how to prevent those injuries. Once this information is known, check that the risk factors for these injuries are not present. This can include debris to trip on, water or oil to slip on, sharp objects to cause lacerations and climbs that result in falls.



A lot of money can be saved for the individual, the companies and the insurance adjusters if more safety inspection checklists are used. These checklists enable people to identify dangers before it is too late. These checklists ensure that all of the equipment being used is safe to use and the area in which a person is working is safe. OSHA requires that all companies use safety checklists when working with equipment. Some equipment even requires documentation of these checklists to ensure such completion. The equipment and facility checklists can also diagnose the fault behind a broken or damaged area, ensuring that the proper person takes responsibility for an unsafe condition. Companies that fail to use such checklists are often hit with heavy fines and experience a higher injury rate than those who do use the checklists. Implementing the lists in the home can only further create safe environments and lower injury and incidents.