Safety Procedures and Common Malfunctions in

using Hand tools, Equipment, and Paraphernalia

• Tools are part of everybody’s lives, but it is quite
difficult for animators to be fully aware that
these may pose hazards. Serious accidents can
happen no matter how cautious animators are in
taking steps to avoid or eliminate tool-related
hazards. Animators must learn to recognize the
azard associated with the different tools they use
and the safety precautions necessary to prevent
those hazards. Mishandling of hand tools and
equipment is a source of injury to workers. In
many cases, injury happens because we assume
that we know how to use the tool.
 General Safety Rules
• Safety procedure and proper handling of tools and
equipment are highly observed when working with
any electronic devices in the animation industry to
avoid damages or injuries. An animator works with so
many things on his or her desk such as lamp, lightbox,
animation disc, graphic tables, and computer. It is
important that an animator is familiar with each tool
correctly. With the proper knowledge of the use of
tools, the job of an animator is less difficult. The
following safety rules apply to every animator:
1. Workstation
a. keep your work area clean
b. dust and papers are fire hazards and can
damage your tools and equipment
c. an animator’s desk has a lot of paper. Never
leave sheets lying around the table.
d. place scarp materials in appropriate containers
e. keep your workstation well-lit, if you cannot see
your work, the you cannot see the hazard.
f. keep the surrounding free from ignitable
materials before working with tools that can produce
sparks.
2. Tools
a. inspect your tools before using
b. check the breakage of parts if there are
cracks on the glass of the animation light box
and animation disc
c. disconnect the power source when
performing maintenance and cleaning the
computer, scanner, digital camera, and other
electronic devices.
Common Malfunctions when Using Hand tools,
Equipment, and Paraphernalia
• In today’s world, computers and other electronic
devices are essential to every person to the extent
that it became a necessity to have one of these
electronic devices. However, a device wears out due
to several factors such as environmental effects,
corrosion, vibration, and temperature. Wrong ways of
using these devices can contribute to faulty defects.
Therefore, knowing how to use and take care of one’s
device is essential to prolong its usefulness and limit
the damages it could bring. These are the common
malfunctions when using hand tools and equipment.
• 1. wrong use of tools for the task will create
bad effect on the tools.
• 2. too much imposition of force on tools,
which is less than its capacity to endure,
causes the tools t be unserviceable.
• 3. tools not kept and maintained will be
nonfunctional and difficult to operate.
 Methods of identifying Nonfunctional Tools
and Equipment
• To identify nonfunctional tools and equipment, the following
inspections should be done.
1. Visual inspection – the animator has to see and check the
appearance of the tools and equipment.
2. Functionality – the animator has to check the range of operations
that can be run on a computer or other electronics system.
3. Performance – the animator has to check the process of
accomplishing a ask
4. Power supply – the animator as to check the hardware
component that supplies power to an electrical devices.
5. Person involved – the animator has to consult someone who is
technically expert on the task.
Procedures in Cleaning, Repairing
and Preparing of Reports
• In any workplace, our safety depends on cleanliness. Having the
appropriate cleaning tools is essential when maintaining and
repairing computers and other electronic devices used in the
animation workstation. Using the appropriate cleaning tools
helps ensure that electronic components are not damaged during
cleaning. Keeping computers and other electronic devices clean
inside and out is a vital part of a maintenance program. Dirt
accumulated from pencil erasures can cause problems with the
physical operation of fans, buttons, and other mechanical
components of computers. An excessive buildup of dust acts like
an insulator an traps the heat on any electrical component. This
solution impairs the ability of heat sinks and cooling fans to keep
components cool, causing chips and circuits to overheat and fail.
Dirty animation light box or animation disc may prevent
animators from producing a good clean-up drawing. The
following are common cleaning tools used in the animation room.
 Cleaning Tools
1. Lint free cloth – is used to
clean different computer
components without
scratching or leaving debris.
2. Compressed air – is used to
blow away the dust and
debris from different
computer parts without
touching the components.
3. Brush – is used to sweep
away dust and pencil
erasures from electrical
components

4. Cable ties – are used to

bundle cables neatly inside
and outside of computer

5. Vacuum cleaner – is used

to suck up dirt and dust.
7. Glass cleaner – is used to clean mirrors, glass,
and screen of computer monitors.
 Procedures in Cleaning Hand tools, and
Equipment, and Paraphernalia
1. Keep hand tools in good and clean condition using two sets of rags. One rag should be
lint-free to clean or handle electrical components. The other rag should be oily to
prevent rust and corrosion.
2. Clean all electronic devices by brushing off any dust and wiping off excess oil or grease
with a clean rag.
3. Inspect any electrical cables for dirt and for any chafing or exposed wires.
4. Clean the computer case and the monitor screen with mild-cleaning solution on a
damp, lint-free cloth.
5. Clean dusty components with a can of compressed air. Compressed air does not cause
electrostatic buildup on components.
6. Clean computer monitor with a soft, clean, lint-free cloth with distilled water, and wipe
the screen from top to bottom.
7. Clean animation light box with sift, clean damp cloth to prevent scratches on the glass.
8. Clean desktop keyboard with compressed air or a small, handled vacuum cleaner with a
brush attached to it.
9. Use only a vacuum cleaner approved for electronics components.
Preparing a Report to a Property Custodian

1. Conduct an inventory of tools and equipment.

2. Record he number of nonfunctional tools and
equipment.
3. Segregate tools that are serviceable or unserviceable.
4. Report the number of tools and the equipment that are
nonfunctional but subject for repair.
5. Label tools and equipment that are condemnable.
6. List the missing and borrowed tools and equipment
7. Return tools and equipment in the tool cabinet per
operating procedure.
 Sample of report form
Name:
Year & Section
Purpose:
Tools/Equi Qty. No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of
pment Functional Nonfuncti Condemn Borrowed Missing
onal but able
Repairable
Reporting to a Property Custodian
1. Secure an inspection report rom the person
responsible
2. Determine the defective instrument based on
the report form.
3. Replace inspected tool and equipment with
defects based on the report form.
4. Use the repair manual in replacing the
defective parts.