The Hurting Tool

I remember back in high school when a friend of mine was injured working in an auto mechanics class. He was working on a set of brakes, and using a pair of needle nose pliers. He was trying to remove a spring. He pulled on the spring and when the tool slipped, it poked him right in the eye. The instructor tried to perform first aid, but my friend lost his eye that day.

Now, every time I see a pair of needle nose pliers, I cringe a little inside and use them a lot more cautiously. Had he used the correct tool, the accident wouldn't have happened, and my friend would still have both of his eyes.

Have you ever used a wrench to pound on a nail? Have you ever tired to spin a nut loose by striking the side of it? If we are being honest with ourselves, we all have used the wrong tool at one time or another. We probably have all hurt ourselves by using the wrong tool in the wrong way, or we at least know someone who has.

So how do we keep this from happening? Think about a really good craftsman that you have worked with, or around. Think about how they work and how they make it look easy. They know their craft and they know how to use tools. They don't struggle, they don't get hurt, and they don't have to re-do their work. They take pride in their work and they take pride in their products. They don't rush things, and they don't compromise quality. We should all be approaching our work this way.

Good work comes with proper training, and proper training leads to a safer jobsite.