Safety Rules to Prevent Drill Press Injuries & Accidents

Having power tools like a drill press makes so many tasks easy and smooth. But if you are unknown about hazards related to drilling presses, you cannot prevent them on time, and the result can be injuries and accidents.

You may even end up damaging your eyes, clothes, and even the tool itself if you ignore safety measures. Learning proper use of a drill or wearing guards can reduce accidents to a greater extent.

If you know the hazards of a drill press: and how to prevent them, then you can do tasks more efficiently with the required safety measures.

In case you are new to using this tool, I got you covered. This guide provides 12 drill press safety rules to help you prevent accidents and injuries that can happen by not using the drill press correctly.

Many risk factors can harm you if you do drilling in the wrong way such as

1. Clothing and Hair Can Get Stuck in Moving Parts

A drill is like a spinning rod that can catch anything that gets in touch. If you are wearing some baggy clothes or any jewelry, remove or fold them tightly. An irresponsible behavior results in so much danger as your clothes get stuck into it. Also, open hair has the same problem, so cover them before drilling. Whether you have loose or tight clothing, hanging or fixing jewelry, try to tuck them away from the drill to ensure security.

2. Eye Injuries

While drilling, the rod makes a hole in the material, whether metal or wood and throws excess small parts away with pressure. These tiny dust particles or components can harm your eyes and cause irreversible damage. Although they are small, throwing speed makes them highly hazardous for the eyes. To avoid this damage, wear CSA-certified glasses that provide complete protection.

3. Wounds by Flying Chips/Swarf

As I mentioned earlier, drilling releases some sharp flying chips that damage your skin, clothes, and eyes. Due to the high speed of the flying chips, you can get severe injuries and end up bleeding skin or torn clothes. Therefore, try to wear an apron specially designed for such tasks to get complete protection.

4. Unintentional Restart

Sometimes your drill is turned off because of a sudden power cut-off, and instant recovery of power results in an unintentional restart. This restart is so dangerous if you are not ready for this. Always turn your drill off instantly after an unexpected power cut so sudden power recovery couldn’t cause serious damage.

5. Trip Hazards

People often use drill presses at mechanical shops where many tools already occupy space. An unmanaged place might cause a trip because while drilling, wires come in the way. Therefore, before starting a drill, clear the room and make sure that there is no such thing that gets damaged and causes a trip.

If you want to stay 100% away from any potential injury while using a drill press look for hazards of a drill press: how to prevent their guide will help you to keep you safe.

1. Learn Properly

This is an important factor to reduce the chances of an accident. Learn the correct use of a drill press from an expert. If you are new to drill press, you will definitely find it tough to hold and unable to perform the task smoothly. Therefore, try to practice holding and managing press drills and always stay ready to handle things with a solid grip and smooth drilling.

2. Check All Guards

Drill press guards are one-time but a worthy investment. You can visit any hardware shop for its installation. These guards cost you so low and keep you safe from flying chips, swarfs, and dust. This is not a deal of loss. Must install drill press guards for protective usage.

3. Wear Air Guards

If you use a drill press rarely or use cordless drills, then air guards are not compulsory for you because less use cannot damage hearing. In contrast, if you have to drill regularly, then you should wear air guards as the drill press produces 100dB sound, which is relatively high. Also, prolonged exposure can damage air and cause loss of hearing with time. So never forget to wear on while drilling.

4. Protect Your Lungs

While drilling the hole, produce dust to make space, and exposure to dust of various materials can be dangerous for your lungs. Also, drilling rocks or bricks can damage your lungs more severely. Therefore, try to wear a mask while drilling.

5. Avoid Overheating

Drilling used a friction mechanism to make holes. If you have to make deep holes, especially in hard materials, prolonged friction results in heat. Extra overheating damages the drill press. Therefore, after knowing the hazards of a drill press: how to prevent them is not tough, start at a slow speed and take brakes for a few seconds to lower the heat production.

6. Avoid Forcing Jam Bit

If you suddenly stuck your drill in the material, don’t try to remove it by starting the drill. Instead, power off the machine and remove the drill bit from the drill press. Next, remove the drill bit from the metal by using another tool for safety purposes.

7. Completely Off Drill Before Making Any Adjustments

While making any changes in drill setting and drill bit, never forget to power off the drill press first. Avoiding this step might result in serious accidents because the drill press can restart. Once you turn it off, you are free to make safe adjustments.

8. Operate Carefully and Slowly

Drilling is a serious matter, so if you are in a hurry and want to finish a task instantly, you shouldn’t do this. Drill slowly because an unrespectful drill which is a fast drill causes mishandling and irreversible damage. So, always drill with a calm and focused mind to avoid accidents.

9. Vacuum Cuttings

Drilling in metal creates holes and debris that fly here and there with great speed. To avoid any accident due to them, try to clean the spot on time. For this, clean the area around and in the hole after a little drill till you complete your task. You can do this by using a brush.

10. Clamp Everything Down

If you are drilling two or three pieces simultaneously, it is important to clamp them. You often try to hold them with your hands, but it can cause accidents if you lose grip. Attaching those pieces makes it easy to drill with precision.

11. Wear Proper Equipment

Guarding the drill press is essential, but it is also vital that you wear a complete guard kit which includes glasses and an apron. Glasses protect your eyes from dust and broken pieces, while an apron protects your skin and clothes. Never forget to wear them before using a drill press.

12. Fit the Drill Bit Properly

To exchange the drill bit or to use an already placed drill bit, fix it at its fullest to reduce the chance of suddenly losing the drill. For this, grab the drill bit and adjust it appropriately. However, never forget to turn off the power button for safe adjustment or replacement.

Now you know the hazards of a drill press: how to prevent them both for productive use. Always wear a guard kit like an apron and CSA-certified glasses to keep you safe from sharp-ended flying wooden pieces. Also, keep the on/off button near you and make sure that the emergency button is in working condition. Repeatedly clean the hole with a Vacuum while digging deep to avoid debris fly.

With all safety measures, it is a must to check drill bit adjustment, speed, control buttons, and power source. However, following all security steps is not enough if you are not trained enough to handle a drill press because this is the most potent cause of drill press accidents. Learn proper use and follow prevention measures to drill safely and efficiently.