Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1996 - 63

New Product Reviews

Elbin Cleveland, Editor
Facom Ratchet Wrench

The Rockford Medical and Safety Company's new Lock-Out! Tag-Out
Program should interest every studio or shop manager. The full kit includes a Compliance Manual, a Training Program with Video Tape, and
various hasps, padlocks and warning signs used to implement the program. The padlocks and tags can be mounted at a "lock out station" next
to the appropriate machine(s), switch gear or valves.
The Compliance Manual is very thorough and vet)' clearly organized
and written. The author(s) was (were) well aware of the problems most
of us have reading and understanding "bureau-speak" and they have
taken care to write simply and directly. Section II explains the OSHA
"Lock-Out! Tag-Out" Standard and the Standard itself is reprinted for the
reader. Section III provides clear instructions for developing a site specific Lock-Out! Tag-Out progranl including training the employees. A
"Compliance Checklist" is included at the end of this section. Section IV
specifically discusses employee training at length and is filled with exanlples. Section Vdiscusses the development and use of an energy control system for your company or facility. This may not be applicable for
many small facilities but it is still useful information and well worth reading. (Energy control here does nolmean conservation. It means distribution control.) Many helpful charts are included for photocopying and
installation in your own manual where the blanks can be filled in with
your equipment and the nanles of you personnel. Section VI is a complete sanlple "Energy Control Program" with all the blanks filled in as an
exanlple. The "Manual" concludes with a GlOSSal)' of Terms alld a list of
safety products.
The accompan)~ng video is equally well prepared and is a useful instructional tool. All of the signs alld tags are sturdy and highly visible.
This is a well planned alld produced package for meeting the OSHA
requirement. If you don't already have a lock-out! tag-out program for
electrical gear, machines, rigging, etc., you need to develop one at once.
The Rockford Medical alld Safety Company prograln is a good model to
follow. You can learn more by contacting the company at :
Rockford Medical and Safety COmpaily
Box 5166, Rockford, Ii 61125
Tel: 815-874-7891
Re\~ewed by Elbin Cleveland,
Theatre Design Professor, niversity of South Carolina, Columbia.

Griot's Garage is offering a line of high quality tools malmfactured by
FACOM, a French company. FACOM has developed a "palm control
ratchet" with a seventy-two tooth spline in the ratchet. That means that
the ratchet handle only needs to rotate five degrees to re-engage in a new
tooth. A free-wheeling hub above the ratchet allows the user to apply
a.xial pressure directly over the nut or bolt to reduce the chance of slippage. Below the hub is a knurled circular directional switch which
changes the ratchet from forward to reverse. A drop-forged, chromeplated handle with a special, hard rubber grip completes the picture.
This tool has several nice features. The knurled thumb wheel reversing switch works easily without haVing to release your grasp of the
handle. The hard rubber grip on the halldle has ridges to prevent slipping and its enlarged shape is a comfortable and practical improvement
over common ratchets which have a slim metal handle. Finally, the finetoothed ratchet really does improve halldling and increase speed in confined work spaces.
Although the tool performed flawlessly, in our use of the 1/4"
ratchet, we found three areas where it could be improved. First, it has no
knurled wheel like other ratchets have to help you spin the socket to
speed up the tightening or removal of loose nuts when the ratchet fails to
operate. Second, the free-wheeling hub needs to be a little larger. As it is,
if you press down firmly with your palm alld turn the ratchet many times,
the ribbed thumb wheel reversing switch rubs on your hand. That can
raise a blister qUickly in repeated use. Third, and least important, we
wished that the handle could be about all inch longer. (It's already about
one-half inch shorter than typical American ratchet handles.) The length
is not needed for leverage but it would be helpful in handling. Of corse,
the extra length could be a disadvantage in confined spaces so it's probably an even trade-off.
Otherwise we were very pleased with the 1/4" FACOM Ratchet. It is
also available in 3/8" and 12" drives. Prices are $24.95, $25.95, and
$37.95 respectively plus shipping and handling. You can order these alld
other fine FACOM products directly from the company:
Griot's Garage
3500-A 20th Street E.
Tacoma, WA 98424
800-345-5789

Reviewed by Elbin Cleveland,
Theatre Design Professor,
niversity of South Carolina, Columbia.

TD&T

SrRING

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1996