Skip Maine state header navigation
- Do not use power equipment or tools on which you have not been trained.
- Keep power cords away from the path of drills, saws, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, mowers, slicers, knives, grinders, irons and presses.
- Do not use cords that have splices, exposed wires, or cracked or frayed ends.
- Do not carry plugged in equipment or tools with your finger on the switch.
- Do not carry equipment or tools by the cord.
- Disconnect the tool from the outlet by pulling on the plug, not the cord.
- Turn the tool off before plugging or unplugging it.
- Do not leave tools that are "On" unattended.
- Do not handle or operate electrical tools when your hands are wet or when you are standing on wet floors.
- Do not operate spark inducing tools such as grinders, drills or saws near containers labeled "Flammable" or in an explosive atmosphere such as a paint spraybooth.
- Turn off the electrical tool and unplug it from the outlet before attempting repairs or service work. Tag the tool "Out of Service".
- Do not use extension cords or other three pronged power cords that have a missing prong.
- Do not remove the ground prong from electrical cords.
- Do not use an adapter such as a cheater plug that eliminates the ground.
- Do not plug multiple electrical cords into a single outlet.
- Do not run extension cords through doorways, through holes in ceilings, walls or floors.
- Do not drive over, drag, step on or place objects on a cord.
- Do not use portable power tools unless they have color-coded green bands taped to the handles. These green labeled tools have ground Fault Circuit Interrupters incorporated into the plug end of the power cord. The use of these power tools is required when working in older buildings or temporary work locations where the work environment is often damp, and the available electrical outlets may not meet our wiring standards.
- Do not stand in water or on wet surfaces when operating power hand tools or portable electrical appliances.
- Do not use a power hand tool to cut wet or water soaked building materials or to repair pipe leaks.
- Do not use a power hand tool while wearing wet cotton gloves or wet leather gloves.
- Never operate electrical equipment barefooted. Wear rubber-soled or insulated work boots.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance that has a frayed, worn, cut, improperly spliced or damaged power cord.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance if a prong from the three-pronged power plug is missing or has been removed.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance that has a two-pronged adapter or a two conductor extension cord.
- Do not operate a power hand tool or portable appliance while holding a part of the metal casing or while holding the extension cord in your hand.
- Hold all portable power tools by the plastic hand grips or other nonconductive areas designed for gripping purposes.
- Do not use dull, cracked or bent drill bits.
- Do not use grinding wheels that have chips, cracks or grooves.
- Do not use the grinding wheel if it wobbles. Tag it "Out of Service".
- Do not try to stop the wheel using your hand, even if you are wearing gloves. To prevent your gloves from getting caught by the grinding wheel, hold the work-piece by using vice grip pliers, clamps, or a jig.
- Adjust the tongue guard so that it is no more than 1/8 inch from the grinding wheel.