The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2024, the employment of brazers, solderers, cutters, and welders will reach about 412,300. The earliest record of welding dating back to 3,500 B.C., making it an old profession. But much has changed throughout the years. Now, many welders and laborers are required to use non magnetic tools on certain jobs.
Why Use Non Magnetic Tools? Consider Where You’re Standing.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is clearly tasked by the U.S. to provide guidelines that prevent illness, injury, and death in workers. For working environments that have flammable materials, OSHA has mandated the usage of non magnetic tools to reduce the risk of an accident. In plain terms, it would be catastrophic if a tool created a spark that caught a flammable material on fire. The damage would have been entirely preventable.
What’s special about non magnetic tools? These are non sparking hand tools. A non sparking wrench differs from a regular wrench in that it is made from non ferrous metals, which greatly decrease the chances of a spark forming from the tool accidentally scraping the metal of a machine part. For a laborer who routinely works around flammable materials, a non sparking tool kit is a smart investment.
Where to Find Non Magnetic Tools For the Job.
For nearly every type of tool, there is likely a non magnetic or non sparking counterpart. From wrenches to screwdrivers, any tool that is needed on a job where there are flammable materials must not be a potential cause of fire. The safety of the workers depends on it.
Should you find that the tools you need on jobs are not available through the regular channels, you can contact the suppliers for non sparking tools directly to request a custom built tool. While a custom built tool is sure to be a bit more expensive, it is surely an investment in one’s safety. Also remember that OSHA has mandated its usage.
You need to be safe on the job. In the case of certain work environments, that might mean taking the extra step of re-outfitting your tool kit with non magnetic tools. Finding a counterpart should be simple, but if need be it should be possible to order a custom tool to your specifications. It is your safety, after all.