We have already published our own Longs Peak Council power tool safety guidelines, which can still be used by adults who supervise our teens who use power tools. It includes both safety considerations that can be used as a checklist to teach our youth how to handle power tools properly and a promise to follow these guidelines. Qualified means that an adult familiar with the tool is present, and supervision means that these qualified adults actively monitor the use of the tools. This all-in-one guide was created to provide guidance to board-level committees on key enterprise risk management functions. Here you will find information on risk assessment strategies and tools, professional resources and much more. The powerful snails I`ve used can quickly get out of control and I would say no unless the scout is big enough to handle and an adult is on the other side. Gasoline rammers are less of a problem, but you need size and strength. Screwdriver? Saw? No problem. Wenches can also get out of control.
It`s more a matter of mind play than the size required. What kind of service project does Wenches use anyway? First of all, it can be assumed that boys (or other adults) have more skills than them, right? Yeh wants them to handle a tool in controlled circumstances and not rely on what a colleague says or that you think a boy or adult of that age should be able to do. It takes more than just instructions to have judgment, to manage the tools well, right? It takes time and experience. For example, I would equate a snow blower with a lawn mower, so I would say 16 plus (there is a “bridge” between the operator and the rotating blade in the same way that there is a bridge between the operator and the rotating blade of a lawn mower – and most lawn mowers and snow blowers have the same type of safety handle, where, if you let it go, prevents the blades from turning). I would probably say 18 plus for a power screw, because the rotary blade of the screw does not have a bridge (or safety shield) between the operator and the blade. We continue to have disagreements within our team about how old a scout should be to use power tools. Some equipment such as hammer drill, snow blower, drill, motor screw for digging post holes, quenching or gas handling are not listed in the list of guidelines on scouting.org. If it is not listed, do we assume that it cannot be used before the age of 18? www.scouting.org/filestore/healthsafety/pdf/680-028.pdf. Is there a more complete or up-to-date list elsewhere? I`m a bit new to this! I work with a troupe and OA in Virginia. Once upon a time, I took art classes at school in the architecture department. They offered a “hands-on” week during a restoration project in Cape May NJ.
This was the historic hotel  Chalfonte (look at it, beautiful old place). I went upstairs with a dozen Archy students. I have never met so many bulky children so far in my life. Some needed a guide (!) on how to use a hammer. Do you clean the brush after use? We bought so many new brushes that I couldn`t believe it. Some took the construction industry seriously, but many, seriously, viewed the “convenient” week as a free ride to the beach. Someone else is going to clean, someone else is going to put away the tools, someone else is going to cover that hole. So, when choosing tools for a project, it is advisable to ask yourself if you can get by with several post-hole excavators. There will be ways to harness a power snail if they have a better idea of the forces that play a role in the movement of the Earth. Age limits are therefore uses.
A 17-year-old who just picked up an auger without ever digging a hole (let alone using it before) is very different from a 16-year-old who has been running his own landscaping business for a year and has a proven track record of reading and following safety instructions when choosing a new tool. These tools are approved for all scouts to use in service projects – but use safety equipment if necessary: Safe use of project toolsA one-glance reference for service projects. The use of tools by teenagers or adults requires training in the correct use of these tools before the start of a project. It also requires continuous and qualified supervision and adult discipline during the project. Manufacturers` literature as well as age and qualification restrictions replace the publication`s recommendations. Most Scout-aged teenagers are able to handle ordinary power tools, and most high school-aged teenagers are able to handle everything with lessons and a little practice. So help them learn and help them develop good safety habits when they are young that will protect them (and others) for the rest of their lives. In this sense, keep in mind that our service projects must be oriented towards vocational training in the broad sense. That said, Scouts aren`t apprentice carpenters, but some might one day be, while others will be the architects who design the plans, the engineers who design the tools and materials, and the executives who determine whether to build their next warehouse.
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