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USING A GLUE GUN SAFELY

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When the trigger of a glue gun is squeezed, hot glue comes out of the nozzle.
Do not put your other hand in the way, or it could be injured.
Do not point the glue gun at anyone or in their direction.
The most common glue gun accident is a slight burn, when someone has accidentally touched the hot glue
 
 
 
 
Do not pick up work, that has just been glued with a glue gun. If glue spills out the joint, it is likely to be hot and will burn.
 
 
Do not waste glue. Glue sticks are expensive and are easily sqeezed away pointlessly, leaving no glue for the rest of the class to use. Tell your teacher if you see someone wasting glue, as you could be the person who needs the glue next, only to find it has been used up.
 
 
 
 
A glue gun should always be used at a workstation, where it remains plugged in. Any material requiring gluing, should be taken to the glue gun area. Do not unplug a glue gun and walk across the workshop, with it in your hands. It would be too easy to walk into someone else.
 
 

The electrical cable of a glue gun should be ‘uncoiled’ before plugging in to mains electricity, especially if an extension cable is being used. This allows the heat generated by the electrical current running through the cable, to escape / dissipate. The electrical cable remains cool.

If an electrical lead is left ‘coiled’, when plugged in to the mains, it will generate heat, due to the electrical current flowing through it. The heat will rise, because the cable cannot cool, as there is not enough air flowing around it. It can potentially become so hot, that the cable softens and can even melt. This is very dangerous.

 
 
Glue guns are not designed to be plugged in and left ‘on’ for hours. They should be unplugged when not in use, allowing them to cool down. At the end of the school day, they should be unplugged and allowed to cool down completely, before being stored in a cupboard.
 
 
 
A Portable Appliance Test should be carried out on all electrical items and even extension leads, every year. This is normally carried out by a qualified person, who checks that electrical appliances are in good working order and safe to use.
These checks apply to glue guns.
 
 
 
 
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