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ASME B107.55-2002 — Axes: Safety Requirements
🪓 ASME B107.55-2002, issued by the ASME B107 Standards Committee on Hand Tools and Accessories, provides safety requirements for the design, construction, testing, and use of axes intended specifically for felling, trimming, and pruning trees; splitting and cutting wood; notching and shaping logs and timbers; driving wooden or plastic stakes; pulling unhardened nails when the tool is provided with a nail slot; and digging when the tool is provided with a digging blade. The Standard was previously numbered ANSI/HTI B173.4-1991 (developed within the old B209.7 committee) and was approved as an American National Standard on May 13, 2002.
💡 This edition revised the hardness requirement in para. 4.3.2 — a key item to check when reviewing axe performance and compliance documents.
1. Scope and Purpose 📌
The intended uses covered by Section 1.1 (Scope) include:
- Felling, trimming, and pruning trees;
- Splitting and cutting wood;
- Notching and shaping logs and timbers;
- Driving wooden or plastic stakes;
- Pulling unhardened nails when a nail slot is provided;
- Digging when a digging blade is provided.
As with the rest of the B107 family, the Standard serves as a guide for selecting, testing, and using the covered tools; specifies design, testing, and use details only as they relate to safety; does not specify manufacturing details; supports safety manuals, posters, and personnel training; and may be used by state authorities in formulating regulations.
⚠️ Axe functions differ: an axe with a nail slot can pull nails, an axe with a digging blade can dig. Verify the model and attachments against your actual job before purchasing — “covered by the standard” does not mean every axe does everything.
2. Steel Ax Head Chemical Properties 🔬
Section 4 (General Requirements) and Table 1 (Chemical Properties of Steel Ax Heads) set the chemical composition requirements for steel ax heads. The head steel must balance edge hardness for cutting performance against overall toughness to survive chopping impacts without chipping. Table 1 element control runs along these lines:
| Element | Control Direction | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | Medium-to-high | Provides edge hardening and wear resistance |
| Manganese (Mn) | Controlled | Improves hardenability and strength |
| Sulfur (S), Phosphorus (P) | Tightly limited | Avoids hot/cold shortness and edge chipping |
| Alloying elements (Cr, Ni, Mo, etc.) | Per steel grade | Improve hardenability, toughness, impact resistance |
The Standard permits materials to bar specifications such as ASTM A 322 (alloy steel bars), ASTM A 576 (hot-wrought carbon steel bars, special quality), and ASTM A 681 (alloy tool steels), or equivalent.
3. Design Requirements and Hardness 🔩
Section 4 also covers the head-handle joint and the construction of the blade and poll. The head must be free of cracks, seams, laps, pipes, and cold shuts that would jeopardize sound construction; the handle must be firmly seated and wedged into the head. Section 4.3 covers mechanical properties; the revised 4.3.2 sets head hardness limits so the edge stays functional without making the head brittle. Handle integrity and secure grip are also assessed.
| Item | Main Requirement | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Carbon/alloy steel bars or equivalent, free of harmful defects | 4.2 / Table 1 |
| Hardness | Edge and overall hardness per the revised para. 4.3.2 limits | 4.3.2 |
| Head-handle joint | Firm seating and wedging; handle free of cracks and splits | 4.1 |
| Surface quality | No nonfunctional sharp edges or burrs that could injure the user | 4.1 |
4. Test Methods and Verification 📊
The verification tests specified by the Standard include:
- Hardness determination: per ASTM E 18, verifying the edge hardness and overall toughness balance;
- Typical Static Force Test (Fig. 2): applies a specified static load through a fixture to the head, proving structural strength and the head-handle joint;
- Nail-slot / blade functional checks: for axes with a nail slot, verifying the nail-pulling function does not compromise edge structure safety.
Test setups are inherently hazardous and require personnel and property safeguards. The Standard also references ANSI Z87.1 (eye and face protection) and ANSI Z535.4 (product safety signs and labels).
5. Engineering Practice Essentials 🛠️
- 🔍 Selection: choose felling axes for felling, splitting mauls for splitting, and light axes for pruning; match handle length and head weight to the workload and swing space.
- 🔧 Edge maintenance: sharpen per manufacturer guidance, preserving the correct edge angle; wear eye protection when grinding.
- 📊 Site safety: confirm bystander clearance before swinging and cordon off the work area; store axes edge-down or sheathed.
- 📋 Inspection and retirement: check the head for cracks, the handle for splits or looseness, and the edge for chips; retire cracked tools — never weld-repair them.
6. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: Which axes does this Standard cover?
A: Axes for felling, trimming, pruning, splitting and cutting wood, notching and shaping timbers, driving stakes, pulling nails (with a nail slot), and digging (with a digging blade); actual capability depends on model and attachments.
A: Axes for felling, trimming, pruning, splitting and cutting wood, notching and shaping timbers, driving stakes, pulling nails (with a nail slot), and digging (with a digging blade); actual capability depends on model and attachments.
❓ Q: What hardness requirement was revised in 2002?
A: Per the Foreword, this edition revised the hardness requirement in para. 4.3.2. Compliance reviews should use the 2002 text and check both edge and overall hardness limits.
A: Per the Foreword, this edition revised the hardness requirement in para. 4.3.2. Compliance reviews should use the 2002 text and check both edge and overall hardness limits.
❓ Q: Why are chemical properties specified for ax heads?
A: Composition balances edge hardness against overall toughness: too little carbon dulls the edge, too much makes the head brittle, and sulfur/phosphorus impurities cause edge chipping — hence the limits.
A: Composition balances edge hardness against overall toughness: too little carbon dulls the edge, too much makes the head brittle, and sulfur/phosphorus impurities cause edge chipping — hence the limits.
🔍 Q: Can an axe be used as a pry bar or hammer?
A: It should not be used beyond the intended uses in the Standard. Striking hard objects with the poll or prying with the blade imposes unintended loads that cause edge chipping and handle breakage.
A: It should not be used beyond the intended uses in the Standard. Striking hard objects with the poll or prying with the blade imposes unintended loads that cause edge chipping and handle breakage.
