Today’s cordless power tools are indispensable in industry. They offer portability, freedom of movement and convenience, while delivering high power on the jobsite. But like corded tools, their use comes with certain safety risks. Injuries can result from misuse, if they are dropped or incorrectly used, or if the wrong tool is selected for the job.
Bosch’s cordless Power Tools range incorporates smart sensors that help overcome some of these challenges, levelling up worker safety.
The risks of using cordless power tools.
Even with the best safety practices – use of PPE, proper training and making sure tools are correctly serviced – accidents can still happen. In fact, SafeWork Australia says workers using power tools can go from safe to unsafe in less than a second!
The risks include:
- Kickback: tools can jam, but continue to operate. This can lead to wrist injuries, broken arms, lacerations or worse.
- Drop-damage: if workers drop a power tool and it keeps on operating in an uncontrolled manner, the result can be injury and/or damage to the tool or battery.
- Tool vibration – this can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). SafeWork Australia says the symptoms of HAVS include disrupted circulation, damage to nerves, numbness, tendon and joints damage and carpel tunnel.
- Hot work spark – increasing the risk of fires and of burns from touching hot material.
- Low quality discs – for example on angle grinders. Poor quality discs can shatter, sending debris flying.
How Bosch cordless tools help reduce the risks?
Bosch’s extensive range of 18V cordless power tools come with safety features designed to protect users. Bosch Advanced Sensor Technology detects and reacts to potential risks in milliseconds, before the worker may even be aware of them.
The safety features include:
- Kickback control: instantly shuts down the tool in the event of kickback. This feature is available in over 50 tools, including 18V drills, grinders, rotary hammers, stirrers and now, in a world-first innovation, in reciprocating saws.
- Cut Stop Control: this feature detects when a cut is completed and automatically shuts off the tool in response. It helps prevent cut injuries and other dangers such as accidentally cutting into hidden electrical wires.
- Vibration control: tools with this feature reduce the level of vibration felt by the user by up to 60%.
- Cold Cut Technology: allows for metal cutting applications with near-zero spark. This improves the safety of the working environment and reduces the risk of burns from touching hot materials, fires (including bushfires where hot work is done by farmers) and laceration from burrs.
- Advanced diamond-edged metal cutting discs: replaces bonded abrasive discs but improves user safety. The metal body cannot shatter, will not expire and maintains its size and cut depth.
The range includes:
- GSA18V-32-2: 18V BITURBO Brushless Reciprocating Saw with Kickback Control and Cut Stop Control.
- GWS18V-15PSC: 18V 125mm BITBURBO Brushless angle grinder with kickback control, drop control and vibration control.
- GCD18V-355: 18V 355mm cold cut metal cut-off saw.
- EXPERT: 125mm diamond edged metal cutting disc.
Why it matters?
Richard Fallon, Marketing and Commercial Manager at Bosch, has seen many accidents from power tools over the years.
“Severe, sometimes fatal injuries can occur as a result of incorrect tool selection, misuse or poor work practices,” he says. “With Bosch’s cutting-edge technology, our tools and consumables deliver higher user safety than ever before, significantly improving risk mitigation on today’s job sites. The core focus of our Key User team is to bring these solutions direct to site and create a proactive safety culture with our users.”
Available at Blackwoods – Your safety equipment partner.
Blackwoods is proud to offer Bosch as part of our commitment to keeping Australian workers safe. As the country’s largest provider of industrial and safety equipment, we’ve got everything you need to protect your team Shop the Bosch cordless tool range online.