Tin Snips & Metal Shears

The cutting is rarely the problem. The razor-sharp edges and slivers left behind are. Sheet metal cuts are deep and happen fast, and they often happen when you are carrying, handling or cleaning up, not while you are cutting. Choosing the right snips, protecting your hands and arms, and handling the metal and scrap carefully prevent most injuries.

• Construction
• HVAC
• Roofing

How snips work and why they hurt people

• Snips are a pair of cutting blades on a pivot. Compound-action snips use extra leverage so a hand can cut thin metal.
• The edges they leave behind are razor sharp, and the thin metal curls, springs and slides. Sheet metal can slice through skin and gloves in an instant.
• Cuts to the hands, wrists and forearms are the most common injuries. Eye injuries from flying slivers and tears from wire or sharp scraps happen too.
• Cuts from dirty metal can become infected. Tetanus bacteria live in soil, dust and rust. See Puncture Wounds & Nail Gun Injuries.

Pick the right snips

• Check the rating. Don’t cut thicker or harder metal than the snips are rated for. Typical aviation snips handle thin mild steel and softer metals such as aluminum, copper and thin stainless steel, and the maker’s label lists the limit. Use power shears or nibblers for heavy gauge, and a grinder or saw for hard or thick stock.
• Choose a size and grip that fit your hand, since a tool that is too big or heavy causes slips and strain.
• Hardened or galvanized metal is tougher on blades. Use snips made for the job.

Protect yourself

• Wear cut-resistant gloves rated for the hazard, and cut-resistant sleeves to protect wrists and forearms. Look at the cut level (the ANSI/ISEA 105 scale runs from A1 to A9) and pick one that suits sheet metal. See Hand Protection.
• Wear safety glasses with side shields to protect your eyes from slivers. See Eye & Face Protection.
• Wear long sleeves and sturdy boots. Metal scraps can fall or slide.
• Keep a first aid kit nearby, and get cuts cleaned and checked promptly. See Bleeding Control and First Aid Basics.

Note that gloves aren’t a license to grab the blade. Even cut-resistant gloves can be cut by a fast, sharp edge, and loose or worn gloves can be caught.

Cutting safely

• Support the sheet on a bench, a stand or sawhorses, and keep the waste side curling away from you. Clamp small pieces. Don’t hold metal in the air against your body.
• Mark the line with a scribe or marker before cutting, so you can cut once and cleanly.
• Make shorter cuts rather than closing the jaws all the way. Closing the blades completely leaves a jagged, sharp notch. Open the jaws about two thirds, cut, and re-open.
• Keep the blades square to the metal and use steady, even pressure, gripping near the end of the handles.
• Keep your free hand away from the blades and the cut line, and out of the path of the curling waste.
• Cut away from your body, and keep other people out of the area.
• Stop and change tools if the cut is hard to make. Forcing it causes the blades to slip and the tool to jump.
• Use a stable position, and keep your feet and footing clear of scraps. See Slips, Trips & Falls.

• Don’t use snips to cut wire, nails, screws or bolts. They nick the blades. Use the right cutters. See Bolt Cutters.
• Don’t use a hammer on the handles or extend the handles with a pipe.
• Don’t carry sheet metal against your body without gloves and sleeves.
• Don’t cut metal that may be energized or under tension, such as pipe or conduit. See Lockout/Tagout.
• Don’t cut overhead or from a ladder in a way that drops sharp scrap onto others.

Handling sheet metal and scrap

• Carry sheets on edge, not flat against your body, with gloves, and have a second person for long or large sheets. Keep the leading edge up and watch for wind, which can swing a sheet like a sail on a roof.
• Deburr and fold the cut edges with a file, a deburring tool or by hemming, and tape or cover sharp edges until they’re installed.
• Pick up scrap right away and put it in a metal-only bin or a container with a lid. Keep scraps off the floor and off walkways, where they cut feet and legs and puncture tires. Never throw scrap in a trash bag that others will handle by hand.
• Store sheet stock flat or vertical in racks, with edges guarded, away from walkways.
• Watch for coatings and oils that make metal slippery. Clean the surface when needed.
• Use gloves and eye protection when you handle galvanized metal, and don’t heat it without ventilation. See Galvanized Metal & Fume Fever.

Ergonomics

Cutting with snips all day strains the hands, wrists and forearms. Choose compound-action snips with good grips, keep your wrist straight, alternate hands, take breaks, and switch to power shears for long runs. See Musculoskeletal Disorders and Repetitive Motion.

Care and inspection

• Check before use for loose or missing pivot bolts, nicked or dull blades, wide jaw gaps, bent handles and cracked grips. Take damaged snips out of service. See Tagging Out Damaged Tools.
• Oil the pivot and clean the blades. Adjust the pivot bolt so the blades meet cleanly without binding.
• Sharpen the blades or have them sharpened by someone who knows how, since a dull blade tears and slips.
• Store snips closed, with the lock or latch engaged, in a dry place.

Before you cut

• Right snips for the metal type and thickness
• Cut-resistant gloves and sleeves, safety glasses and boots on
• Sheet supported; waste curling away; free hand clear
• Short cuts, not full closes; no cutting of wire, nails or bolts
• Edges deburred or hemmed; scrap collected in a metal bin right away
• First aid kit within reach

Last updated: October 4, 2026