Safety features

When drilling through reinforced concrete, drill bits can jam or bind on rebar, especially in high speed or torque applications. When that happens, the tool can “kickback”, continuing to spin uncontrollably while the bit is stuck in the base material, which means there's a high risk of wrist injury. Additionally, the momentum of the tool can throw the worker off balance, which is particularly hazardous when working at height.

Designing out drilling

Place our HAC cast-in anchor channels around the rebar before the concrete is poured. This means there is little to no drilling drilling required and therefore no chance of hitting rebar and reduced exposure to hand-arm vibration or dust.

Check-out our HAC cast-in anchor channels>

Choosing tools with technologies such as Hilti Active Torque Control (ATC) can help reduce the hazard of kickback.

Advanced sensors and a motor brake help reduce kickback, by stopping the tool body from spinning uncontrollably, if a drill bit snags on rebar, or other hidden materials. This can prevent wrist injuries and other accidents that could occur from a tool spinning uncontrollably.

ATC is featured in a range of Hilti tools, including: 

Colleagues at all levels should be knowledgeable about the risks of kickback and trained to minimise their exposure to it. To help you with this, why not speak to one of our expert Account Managers who offer support, advice and practical tool box talks onsite. 

When using power tools and other equipment, workers must have full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including hard hat, eye protection, ear protection, overalls, gloves, safety shoes and other necessary items.

It’s also essential that all construction workers receive training on the safe use of their tools and carefully follow the operating instructions. When drilling or chiseling you should always hold the tool firmly with both hands, keeping a stable stance. Because there is always a chance that a bit will jam or bind, you should always keep your body out of the kickback recoil area – even if using a tool with Active Torque Control (ATC).

When using cutting tools - such as angle grinders, petrol saws and handheld saws, particular care should be taken due to the potential risk of cuts. Injuries can occur if a blade or disc comes into contact with a construction worker and if a grinding or cutting disc breaks, the broken bits can hit the user or other workers.

Applying the “STOP Principle” of Substitution, Technical, Organisational and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can increase safety in the following ways:

Reduce the amount of material that needs to be cut onsite by ordering pre-cut items from the manufacturer (Hilti offers this service) or by cutting them offsite in a more controlled and safer environment. Prefabrication is on the rise in the industry across Europe^[1] and is set to be a key driver of reduced risk onsite as more and more applications are taken into the manufacturing process. 

At Hilti, innovation is in our DNA. That's why we continue to invest around 6% of our annual turnover in research and development to help make your work faster, safer and more productive.

It's often the little things that can make a big difference to reduce risk onsite so we continue to incorporate new safety features into our tools to minimise the risk of injury, such as our dead man's switch, blade break technology and disc guard design.

Reviewing organisational practices and procedures is vital to increase construction site safety for workers using cutting tools. Measures you can take include:

• Regular tool and consumables checks: tools should be regularly tested, maintained and cords and consumables checked for damage. Workers should complete a visual check of the tool – cord, consumable, disc guard etc. – before starting work
• Policies that improve safety: to ensure guards, covers or other safety features are in good working order and are not tampered with
• Comprehensive training: colleagues at all levels should receive detailed industry training and regular refresher sessions to ensure workers understand the risks of working with cutting tools.

Need help identifying opportunities to minimise risk onsite and support with training your team on safe working practices? Why not speak to one of our expert Account Managers who offer support, advice and practical tool box talks onsite. 

When using cutting tools, workers must have full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including hard hat, eye protection, ear protection, overalls, gloves, safety shoes and other necessary items.

Cutting tools should be guided with both hands and used from a safe and balanced standing position. To avoid risk to others, they shouldn’t be used in proximity to other construction workers.