Woodworking involves the use of a variety of hand and power tools. It's a very important part of the whole woodworking industry because it makes everything a lot easier.
But the convenience comes with a certain price, and that is safety.
If you get a bit clumsy you can easily cut a finger off.
So the question is, how do keep yourself safe from injuries and accidents in the workshop?
THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR IPOD WHEN RUNNING THE SAW, DRILL, OR OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. ============================================================================== I once worked in a shop (machine shop) that did not allow radios but you could listen to something with headphones. Plain stupid. I worked in another that would not let you smoke in the building but you could drink beer.
Become a safety freak. Read books and watch videos to get an idea how to use equipment safely.
For me, it was easy. I was raised among folks who were NOT safety conscious. I would see all those missing fingers, feet, limbs and going to funerals, it made an impression on me. And my all time favorite safety mental picture, I always envisioned my father. I made sure I did NOT do anything like him.
The world is full of stupid people. Strive to be the healthy alternative.
Visualize where the sharp thing and your body is going if something unexpected happens. Know what unexpected things to expect. Most importantly, THIMK.
ownerbuilder2012 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@diybanter.com:
One thing to realize is just how fast the situation changes from "everything's ok" to "I just had an accident." Note how there's no "I'm having an accident." Shop incidents happen fast!
Don't work tired.
Learn the conditions kickbacks are most likely to occur and avoid them. At the same time, position yourself so that if kickbacks occur you won't be in the line of fire. This has been the subject of several threads long ago, but it probably wouldn't hurt to have a new one.
Remember your lungs and ears must be protected as well as your eyes.
Nobody is allowed to approach you while ANY tool is in use. They should stand off to the side until you're at a point where being startled won't be dangerous.
Hand tools and hand-held power tools can be just as dangerous, if not moreso, than stationary power tools.
If you're interested in specific tools, post a thread about that tool.
speaking of ears, I developed an inner ear disease which caused me to lose hearing in my right ear. My left ear is fading as well. When I'm in my shop, I now where hearing protection whenever I'm using any loud tools. I don't need anything to expedite the hearing loss. Put on a pair of hearing protection and imagine if you had to go thru life that way.
Natineah wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@diybanter.com:
In many cases, you can keep yourself from being injured. There will be the times you can't do anything to prevent something from happening, but most of the time you can take steps to be safe.
Safety equipment is available and the good stuff will protect you. In combination with your eyes and brain, you can reduce the chance of injury significantly.
You must learn what goes on when a task is going right, and stop if things aren't going right. It's not right to see a piece of wood move while you're attempting to profile the edge with a hand-held router. Conversely, it's not good to see a table-mounted router move while doing the same operation.
Today, ALL corporations have strict, behavior-based systems in place that stress that virtually ALL ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE (excluding meteors, lightning, earthquakes and other Acts of God [Root Cause No.
8]). If you brougth that attitude to a jobsite or corporate Health and Safety Meeting in today's workplace, you'd be fired on the spot.
Before EVERY task, you ask yourself "What can go wrong"? So, every time you change a tool (say, going from the jointer to the planer, or the planer to the table saw), you take 30 secs and ask the question.
Then ask "What can I do to prevent that from happening"?
What really drives it home is the next question: "If the worst case happens, what will result?" i.e. "I'll lose some fingers, I'll be out of work for some weeks, I'll lose income, I won;t be able to work at this job anymore, I'll spiral into debt and lose my home....."
These pratices are incorporated into several programs that virtually ALL major corporations have integrated into their contracts. e.g. Exxon Mobil's "LOss PRevention System (LPS)'.
People aren't perfect, they do not all react the same way or even hear the same things. You cannot expect a 'digital' type of response action from everybody. And, if you try to remove all the people who do not respond as fully expected, you're doomed to failure from the start.
All you can do is to put reasonable protection devices and training into the mix and hope that most of it hits home.
I'm just saying, if you came to one of our job sites and conveyed that attitude to the designated Health and Safety officer or a client rep, you'd be dismissed on the spot. And the company you work for would face a safety stand-down (i.e. work stoppage) and be subjected to a safety program review by our client.
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