Ergonomic and safety improvements of power tools (full text in pdf)
Nemanja Bicanin
MUP, SATIT, Belgrade, Serbia
diplnemanjabicanin@gmail.com
Abstract This study presents technical solutions whose implementation on the grinder and electro-pneumatic
hammers may improve safety and handling comfort of operators. Working conditions to which are exposed
workers who are handling with power tools in workshops and construction sites are very often inconvenient
and inadequate (low light, dust, noise and vibrations), which as a consequence may have the reduction of visual
and motoric capability. Inadequate working conditions cause workers to get tired fast and lose concentration,
that may bring to injuries during handling the machines. When it comes to the angle grinders, the
improvements that are suggested refer to better visibility of the power cord, the grinding/cutting disc, and on/of
state of the power switch. The presented solution for electro-pneumatic hammer drills makes possible to place
the machine in vertical position, without deformation and bending of the power cord. Also, there is an
improvement of the comfort of handling, with a new switch position for speed regulation, which allows easier
speed adjustment when the hammer drill is in use. While working on specific improvements, attention has been
paid that the solutions be practical and simple for the tool operators, as well as not to be too demanding for the
manufacturers in the sense of the implementation in a manufacturing process.
Keywords: Power tools; ergonomic design; safety at work.