Because the frequently used bits, like chuck keys for the lathe and drill chucks, and Allen wrench for the lathe tool holder, are often lost on the work table between other clutter and take time and effort to find even (and especially) when laying in plain sight (or under the table after conspiring with the gravity against the operator).
The procedure was about as simple as it could be; a spray can of a fluorescent orange paint was obtained. The parts were wiped with paper towel soaked with tetrachloroethylene to degrease them, then they were coated with a few layers of the paint.
The frame of the safety goggles got the same treatment.
The tools are now bright, visually standing out instead of getting visually cluttered with other black things - other Allen wrenches, drill bits, shadows on the floor, etc.; the time spent looking for where the tools were placed just a moment before is now dramatically reduced.
Before painting | After painting (safety goggles not shown) |