The Beginner's Guide to Power Tool Tethering Kits: What You Should Know

If you work from roofs or other elevated surfaces, you may want to invest in a power tool tethering kit. Dropping a power tool from an elevated surface isn't just a nuisance; it's a safety hazard. The power tool may strike someone below you, causing them bodily injury. With a power tool tethering kit, you can rest assured knowing that the power tool will remain attached to your body at all times.

What Is a Power Tool Tethering Kit?

A power tool tethering kit is a system that's designed to connect a power tool to a worker's body or a nearby anchor point. They are commonly used on power drills and nail guns. Power tool tethering kits will connect these tools to the worker's body or a nearby anchor point. Even if the worker accidentally drops the power tool, the tethering kit will prevent it from falling to the ground below.

How a Power Tool Tethering Kit Works

There are different types of power tool tethering kits, some of which contain different components. There are power tool tethering kits with a battery trap. As the name suggests, the battery trap is designed to hold the battery. You can place the battery of your power tool in the battery trap. You can then connect the tethering kit strap to the battery trap.

Reasons to Use a Power Tool Tethering Kit

A power tool tethering kit can improve your productivity by eliminating the risk of fallen power tools. If you drop a power tool while working from an elevated surface, you may have to retrieve it. Depending on how high up you are working, it may take anywhere from a few minutes to over a half-hour to retrieve the power tool. All of that time is lost productivity. With a power tool tethering kit, you won't have to retrieve fallen power tools because they will remain attached to your body or a nearby anchor point.

The main reason to use a power tool tethering kit, of course, is safety. It will protect other workers and people around you from injuries caused by fallen power tools. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), over 42,000 workers sustain an injury from a fallen object each year in the United States. Power tools are relatively heavy, and when dropped from a roof or other elevated surface, they can cause severe bodily injury.

A power tool tethering kit will prevent this from happening by ensuring that the connected power tool doesn't fall. You may lose your grip while holding the power tool, but the tethering kit will prevent it from falling.