It’s a fact of life that if you are using power tools of any type in the workplace, you will be wearing the relevant protective equipment while you operate the tool. This is because of Health and Safety legislation which is designed to ensure that anyone in the workplace is protected as fully as possible while they carry out their job. This equipment includes items such as goggles and gloves to protect against vibration from the tool.

If power tools are used over a long period without protection it’s likely that the user will develop ‘white finger’, a condition which is caused by constant vibration and causes numbness and other problems in later life. This is why it is essential to use all the protective kit available, including ear defenders. Long term use of power tools will have an effect on your hearing, and although you may think that this is not a problem – particularly if you are young – the chances are you will suffer some kind of hearing problem when you get older if ear defenders are not used.

The same should apply if you use power tools just occasionally at home, because while there is no legislation to enforce this, it’s in your own interests to make sure you have all the protection necessary. This should include at the very least goggles to protect the eyes from any debris which comes off the material you are working on, and gloves to protect against the vibration mentioned earlier.