Those who’ve worked in the electrical field for many years may remember the days when jobs like cable installations and terminations required four main tools: a wood ruler, a small adjustable pliers, a crimper and a fixed-blade knife. These were the preferred tools that many electricians were trained on and some still use today.
For electricians newer to the trade, some of the old tools may seem barbaric. The evolution of tools has been fascinating to witness over time, including stripping tools that are now smaller, more precise and much more user friendly than they were in the past. With the introduction of these tools, the work of knives of any kind on a jobsite is being taken over by safer, more practical methods.
Fortunately for everyone in the trades, working safely on jobsites has seen many advances over the years. However, one of the types of injuries still seen most often is lacerations caused by knives. Open-blade knives seem to be prevalent on any construction project site, so some companies have taken on the task of working to remove knives from jobsites.
At first, this seems like an impossible task; people in the trades have been using knives to complete many different tasks for many years. Yet today there is a wide variety of alternate tools available, which make it not only feasible, but smart to implement them. These tools include:
- speed-system type tools designed to take off the outer jacket of MV cable, semi con and insulation;
- Knipex tools that score the outer jacket of cable for easy removal;
- tools that attach to a battery drill, designed to strip the outer jacket of cable;
- box cutters that have no exposed blades for opening packages; and
- small hand-held wire strippers for stripping smaller cable and wire.
Prior to implementing any new tools, companies should ensure that all employees are properly trained on their correct usage. This may include written instructions, in-person demonstrations and training videos. In addition to eliminating knives, an additional safety measure companies can take is to ensure they have the strongest cut-resistant gloves for their employees, and ensuring that the wearing of gloves is a PPE requirement.
While change may not be easy, companies that implement new, safer cutting tools on their jobsites are demonstrating the importance of keeping their team members safe. Engaging workers in the implementation of new tools can lead to positive dialog on additional ideas for improving safety on the job.
The elimination of knives on construction jobsites has the potential to change the entire industry, greatly reducing laceration incidents. All trades working together can help keep everyone safer every day.
