3.1 Electrical safety

• Do not touch the person.
• Send for adult help.
• Press the stop button to cut off the mains power.
• Switch off the appliance at the socket and pull out the plug.
• If this is not possible, try to push them away from the electricity. Use something made of wood which does not conduct the electricity to you.
• If you are certain that the power is off, then you can attempt to give the person first aid if you have been trained to do it.
• If you give yourself a slight electric shock you may feel weak, so relax a bit before carrying on working.

N.B.: Take good care of a person who has been injured. Keep him / her warm, let him / her lie down and call for help.

Safety measures with regard to

Scissors

• A scissors must be good quality, sharp and in good working order.
• Never let the tips of the scissors close when cutting a line greater than the length of the blades.
• When cutting curves always turn the card and not the scissors.

Craft knives

• Only to be used under very close supervision together with a metal safety ruler.
• Cut onto a suitable safety surface e.g. Very thick card/ cutting board.
• Stand when you cut and retract the blade when you need to put it away.
• The blade should not be to far out.
• You are allowed with the knife in your hand only when you are going to cut.

Drills

• You should know how to change twist drills, how to hold the hand drill and how to keep it at right angles to their work.
• The material to be drilled must be cramped securely.
• Do not remove the chuck completely as it is very difficult to reassemble.
• Select the appropriate twist drill – choosing one too small rather than one too big if in doubt.
• When drilling turn the handle in a clockwise direction and continue turning the same way when removing the drill bit from the hole.
• Hand drills are for holes up to 6mm in diameter; use a brace and bit for larger holes.
• Never leave a hand drill lying on a work top as it can so easily fall off and damage the twist drill.

Glue guns

• Must only be used under very close supervision.
• It is suitable for wood, metals and certain plastics.
• When it is switched on and not in use ensure that it is correctly positioned on its stand.
• Switch off after use.
• Be careful of glue that drips and put it away after the gun is cooled off.

General

• When sawing plastics and metals , safety spectacles should be worn, because there is a risk of eye damage.
• Some plastics become pliable when heated but care must be taken to control the temperature because the burning of plastics is dangerous as many give off poisonous fumes.
• Polystyrene should be cut with a hot wire cutter set low and used in a well ventilated room.

Soldering irons

• Soldering irons must be treated with respect. They often use mains electricity and get very hot.

The rules for correct use are as follows:

1. Do not leave them switched on for possible future use. Always switch them off when not in use, because this will prolong the life of the iron.
2. Never touch the mains lead with the tip of the iron. It will melt and expose bare wires which could lead to an electric shock.
3. Always use a proper soldering iron stand. Failure to do so will mean that there is a risk of the hot iron setting fire to things.
4. Avoid breathing in the resin fumes from the flux.
5. Protect the work surface with hardboard.