Workplace safety is always priority #1.

Using wrenches exposes the worker’s hands to the risk of serious injury and
even more if not used properly. Use this guide to make sure your workers staying safe when working with wrenches.

Safe Use of Wrenches: A Guide

Due to the high amount of torque needed when using wrenches in industrial settings, hand injuries are common.
Follow these safety tips to prevent hand injuries when using wrenches.

1) Only use quality wrenches.

Good wrenches will not only last you longer, but will not slip as easily as cheaper ones. They will save you
money over the long haul and provide you better use and safety.

2) Match your wrench size to the job.

You will achieve the best leverage when your wrench size and length is appropriate for your job. Make sure
you achieve complete contact and know which way it needs to be turned before turning.

3) Always pull, never push.

Position your body so that you are pulling to turn the wrench instead of pushing. This will save your knuckles
when the wrench slips.

4) Keep wrenches clean.

Make sure your wrenches are always clean and dry before using. Make sure they are free from oil to avoid
serious injury from slipping.

5) Never strike a wrench with a hammer.

You will risk damaging your wrench if you hit it with a hammer for more power unless it is specifically
designed to be hit. Find another way to loosen it.

6) Do not attempt to add leverage with other objects.

Adding leverage by extending the length of your wrench with a pipe or other object may seem like a smart
technique. However, you risk bending your wrench handle or damaging the head. You also risk the pipe or
other object slipping and causing serious injury to you or someone else. Instead, use a longer wrench.

7) Never use a damaged wrench.

If a wrench handle or jaws are bent, it is weakened and shouldn’t be used. Also, do not try to bend it back
into shape as this will only weaken it further.

The Right Tool for the Job

Workplace hand injuries due to the use of wrenches are common. Use this guide to make sure your worksite is as
safe as possible.

A refresher course on wrench use and safety

Wrenches are designed for holding and turning nuts, bolts, cap screws, plugs and various threaded parts. Quality
wrenches, regardless of their type, are designed to keep leverage and intended load in safe balance. Standard
wrench types are available with both American Standard inch and metric openings. Special wrenches are also
available for servicing and overhaul of certain widely used equipment.

Different types of wrenches are of different strengths and are designed for different purposes, such as for wrenching
high-strength fasteners. Box end and socket type wrenches, because they surround the fastener head, are the
strongest types of wrenches and have less chance of slipping off the fastener. Open end, flare nut and adjustable
wrenches are not as strong as the corresponding sizes of box or socket wrenches because they do not surround the
fastener head, and are not intended for heavy loads, such as breaking loose frozen fasteners.

Proper use and care of wrenches

1) Select a wrench whose opening exactly fits the nut. If the wrench is not exactly the correct size for the fastener, it
may damage the corners of the fastener, slip or break. Care should be exercised in selecting only inch wrenches for
inch fasteners and only metric sizes for metric fasteners

2) Always pull on a wrench handle and adjust your stance to prevent a fall if sudden release occurs.

3) To free a "frozen" nut or bolt, use a striking-face box wrench or a heavy-duty box or socket wrench. Application of
penetrating oil to the fastener threads beforehand is recommended.

Avoiding abuse/misuse
1) Never use a pipe extension or other form of "cheater" to increase the leverage of any wrench.

2) Never cock an open-end wrench. Be sure the nut or bolt head is fully engaged.

3) Avoid over- or under-torquing. A torque wrench will permit tightening to the exact torque required.

4) Never expose any wrench to excessive heat that may change the hardness and metal structure and ruin the tool.

5) Never grind a wrench, even as a means of identification.

6) Never use a wrench that has been damaged by being bent, cracked, or severely worn.

7) Electrical warning: Always disconnect the power before working on electrical equipment or devices. Never depend
on an insulated tool to protect you from electricity. Ordinary plastic-coated handles are designed for comfort and
provide no electrical insulation. Other tools, such as insulated and insulating, that have high-dielectric insulation are
so identified. The high-dielectric insulation is intended only as secondary protection and for use by trained
personnel.

Sockets, handles and attachments

There are two common types of sockets – hand and impact. Each is different in design and hardness. Hand sockets
usually have a bright finish but may have a black finish. Impact sockets have a black finish and usually have thicker
walls.

Sockets are made in regular length and deep length. Openings may be 12-, 8- or 6-point or square. Spark plug
sockets have rubber inserts or other devices to hold the plug. Universal joint sockets are also available.

Proper use and care

1) S elect size and type of socket to fit nut (inch/metric).
2) Select the largest possible drive size – many sockets are available with smaller drive sizes than should be used at
high load. They may be used for run-up (pre-tightening) or other low-load applications.
3) Select appropriate handle.
4) Select extension and joint.
5) Caution: The possibility exists for a lower torque-rated accessory or socket or a combination of accessories and
socket to be used in conjunction with a higher-rated ratchet or drive tool.
6) Care should be exercised so as not to overload the lowest-rated component.
7) Caution: Adapters and attachments reduce the load capacity of the tool, and should not be used under heavy
load.
8) Periodic cleaning and inspection of handles, sockets and attachments is very important. Many manufacturers
supply parts, repair kits and instructions for servicing their ratchet wrenches and handles. Repairs to the handles or
ratcheting mechanism should be made with the manufacturer's own parts.
Avoiding Abuse/Misuse
1) Never increase the leverage of a wrench handle by use of a pipe or other form of cheater on the wrench handle.
2) Never use hand sockets on power drive or impact wrenches.
3) When using adapters, remember that when adapting "down" (big handle, small socket), you build up tremendous
torque potential and risk breaking the socket.
4) When adapting "up" (small handle, big socket), there is a risk of applying too much force to the handle and it may
break.

When to repair or replace

 Do not attempt to repair sockets.
 Discard sockets or attachments with any sign of cracking.
 Discard any socket with rounded or damaged wrench openings, or with worn or deformed drive ends.

There are a lot of ways you can skin your knuckles, but using the wrong wrench for the job surely ranks as one of the
most painful. There are no statistics available on how many people a year are injured when wrenches slip and send
hands smashing into a pipe or machine. But if you’ve been careful enough never to have been one of those people,
I’ll bet you know someone who has endured that painful experience.

There are several important safety rules to follow when you use a wrench. Needless to say, the selection of the right
wrench for the job is one of them. The location and number of nuts and bolts will determine the type of wrench to
use for the most efficient job. The size of the nut or screwhead will determine the size. Be sure not to use a wrench
that’s too big.

Whether you’re using an adjustable wrench or a fixed-jaw wrench, there are general safety points that should be
followed.

First, don’t use a wrench as a hammer. Any one who hasn’t at least had the urge to use the nearest wrench that way
is either fibbing or inhuman. But it’s dangerous for the user and may set up a hazardous condition for someone else
later on if there is undetected damage to the tool.

Never use a damaged wrench. Use only wrenches that are in top condition, and if they become worn or defective,
take them out of service immediately. You can help keep a wrench in good condition by keeping it in its proper place
on a rack or in a tool box when not in use. This will keep it from becoming damaged by other tools and from
becoming the cause of a tripping or struck-by injury.

When a wrench is to be stored for a considerable length of time, it should be kept in a dry place and coated with
rust-preventive compound. Then, upon removal from storage, clean it with a solvent.

Make sure the wrench seats squarely and fits snugly around the nut or bolt. This precaution is particularly important
when it is necessary to pull hard on the wrench. Adjustable wrenches are not made for hard service, so set the
adjusting knurl so the wrench fits the nut snugly. Failure to do this can cause injury and also shorten the life of the
wrench.

When using an adjustable wrench, grip the nut or bolt so that the pulling force is applied to the stationary jaw
section. Note that pulling the wrench is recommended rather than pushing it. Set a pipe wrench so the teeth will grip
the round object with the center of the jaws.

Once you have chosen the right wrench for the job, get a good solid footing before applying the tool. This will help
you keep your balance should the wrench slip or a bolt thread break. Experienced workers soon develop a feel for a
wrench. They know when a bolt or nut is tight enough and can avoid snapping it off or stripping threads. Train
yourself to develop this skill, and you can avoid some sticky problems.
 Remember: Use the right wrench for the job, use it the way it was designed to be used,
and never use one that is defective.
When using a torque wrench, it is extremely important to understand how to correctly use this precision tool.
Following these few simple rules will ensure your safety and longevity of your torque wrench:

-Read instruction manual before using your torque wrench.

-Safety glasses or goggles should be worn at all times when using any hand tool.

-Always pull, DO NOT PUSH, to apply torque and adjust your stance to prevent a fall.

-A cheater bar should NEVER be used on a torque wrench to apply excess leverage.

-Do not use with sockets or fasteners showing wear or cracks.

-Ratchet mechanism may slip or break if dirty, mismatched or worn parts are used, therefore, properly inspect your
torque wrench before using.

-Make sure direction lever is fully engaged on the ratchet.

-All mechanical torque wrenches are calibrated from 20% to 100% of full scale, therefore, they should never be used
below or above those limits.

-To determine which torque wrench capacity is best suited for an application, many factors must be considered.

However, as a recommendation, use a torque wrench in the middle 50% of the overall capacity of the tool. This will
result in longer tool life, ease of use for the operator and increased accuracy from micrometer adjustable type
torque wrenches.

-Always grip handle firmly in the centre of the grip.

-Approach final torque slowly and evenly.

-Stop pulling wrench immediately when target torque is reached.

-Torque Wrench should be properly cleaned and stored.

-Micrometer adjustable type torque wrenches should always be stored at its lowest torque setting. Remember to
always unwind handle after each use.

-Wrenches should be re-calibrated if dropped and should never be used in excess of its capacity.

-Micrometer Adjustable Torque Wrenches should be exercised a minimum of three times at 100% of full scale before
use.

-The wrench selected should be calibrated in the same torque units that are specified.

-Use of a cheater bar will result in an inaccurate reading and can possibly damage the wrench.

-Clean torque wrench by wiping. Do not immerse.

-The wrench should be sent to a qualified calibration lab once every year or every 2,500 cycles for re-calibration.