Pre-use safety checklist
Six checks, about thirty seconds.
The checklist
- Surface — suitable, clean, flat, sound, non-porous enough.
- Scan — reinforcement and services located.
- Pad — clean, uncut, conforming.
- Attachment — pump settled, tool does not move when pushed by hand.
- Extraction — connected, filter clear.
- Position — you are not in the fall line; PPE on.
During the hole
Watch for pump behaviour changing, any creep at the base, and any change in sound or feel.
PPE
Eye protection always. Hearing protection for percussive drilling. Respiratory protection per your risk assessment — extraction reduces exposure but does not automatically remove the requirement.
Stop conditions
Any movement of the base. Any doubt about the surface. Any unexpected change in drilling resistance.
Questions about this
What is the single most important check?
That the tool does not move when you push it by hand after the pump has settled. Everything else is preparation for that test.
Does extraction remove the need for a mask?
Not automatically. Extraction is an engineering control and comes first, but whether RPE is still required depends on the task, its duration and your risk assessment.