

Solution: Power Cleaning and Reaming With a Brush

E-mail this Solution to a Friend


	Description:	Use a power drill screwdriver with a rotary brush or reaming attachment, instead of hand brush or reaming tools. Frequent use of a wire brush to clean or ream pipes, grates, and other building materials can strain your hands, wrists, forearms, and elbows. Using the brush may be light work, but you must bend your wrist and use fast pulling, pushing, or rotating motions. If you do this work often, you can be at risk of a serious muscle or joint injury. Your chance of developing a serious injury increases when you have to apply high hand force to the brush or use a pinch grip to hold it. If you wear loose-ftting, thick gloves, the brush may be harder to hold and require more force. The photos below provide an example of the problem, and an illustration of the solution: The power tool rotates the brush for you. Choose a power tool with a soft, non-slip handle (plastic or rubber covering). The handle should be large enough to fit your whole hand. It should not have sharp edges or ridges. You will need less hand strength to grip this type of handle than to grip a brush. The smaller handles on manual wire brushes must be gripped with a few fingers, rather than with the full hand. This requires more muscle force. There will be less localized pressure on your hand because the handle won't dig into your skin. There also will be fewer rapid movement of your hand, wrist, and forearm. The rotation of the power tool replaces the motions necessary with the manual wire brush. Many power tools can help keep your wrist straight. Some have handles that change from in-line to pistol-grip (two-way handles). These prevent awkward wrist positions because the tool bends—not your wrist. Or, depending on the location of the work, you can use a power tool with either a pistol grip or inline handle, whichever best reduces wrist bending in each situation. More Detail
	Risks Addressed:	Serious muscle or joint injury for bending, fast pulling, pushing or rotating of the wrist while cleaning or reaming pipes, grates or other building materials.
	How Risks are Reduced:	Using a power tool with the wire brush should result in less strain on your hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow. The work is faster than using a brush by hand. You do need access to a power source. This may be an electrical outlet or generator to run a corded tool or to charge the batteries in a cordless one.
	Quality of Evidence (Risk Reduction):	Safety and health experts believe there is a risk reduction.
	Quality of Evidence Explanation (Risk Reduction):	Reduced exposure frequency and repetitions or duration of wrist twisting should reduce probability of injury.
	Effects on Productivity:	Using a power tool with the wire brush should result in less strain on your hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow. It will also improve productivity because the work is faster than using a brush by hand.
	Return on Investment:	To calculate the return on investment (ROI) for your specific application, please visit our Return on Investment Calculator. While a specific ROI example has not been developed for this particular solution, the ROI Calculator provides a useful tool and guidance on how to generate your own on investment analysis.
	Availability:	Where to Get It Professional-quality tools can be purchased at most hardware, home improvement, and commercial building supply stores. Major manufacturers include: Makita USA, La Mirada, CA, www.makita.com Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., Brookfeld, WI, www.milwaukeetool.com Equipment like that described here may be available from local retailers or rental companies. Approximate Cost Power tool prices vary and you should shop around before purchasing one. If you plan to use the tool often, consider purchasing a heavy-duty contractor or professional-quality model. For professional models, a corded screw gun runs $125-150. A battery-powered screw gun (14.4-18 volts) is $180-250. A battery-powered screwdriver (2.4-3.4 volts) is $100-125. Wire brushes are available as accessories from many power tool manufacturers.
	Additional Considerations:	You do need access to a power source. This may be an electrical outlet or generator to run a corded tool or to change the batteries in a cordless one.
	Hazards Addressed:	Reinforced Concrete Finish concrete Hand-Arm Vibration Prepare and chip surfaces Hand-Arm Vibration
	Sources:	Albers, James T., and Estill, Cheryl F. Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Construction Workers. DHHS (NIOSH) Publications. March 2007. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh. To view the Table of Contents for the Simple Solutions Document, please visit: http://www.cpwr.com/simple.html. Please send requests for copies of this publication to cdcinfo@cdc.gov, referencing document number 2007-122.