I remember watching Norm Abram on TV years ago and enjoyed each and every show. Those shows taught be a lot about woodworking. One of the things that I remember most is the warning “Always read and follow all the safety information on your power tools”. He also spoke about safety glasses, and that is one of the most important ones.
In the years since the show, tool makers have tried to make woodworking safer, Saw Stop has a very nice feature that prevents severe damage due to table saws. I don’t have one of those saws. Because I don’t, I take extra care to make sure any cut I do is a safe one. I have had a few kickbacks, and I’ve had a close call, but no major injuries yet. I am very respectful of my power tools.
I have been injured in the shop environment in my work when I was an automotive technician. I’ve spent some time in the hospital for things that could have easily been prevented due to failing equipment or lack of paying attention. Not every injury that is experienced will be someone’s fault as accidents happen, but most are preventable.
Some items that could be considered (this list isn’t exhaustive by any means):
- Loose clothing – sleeves can be caught up in spinning work on a lathe and pull you into the lathe breaking your arm, or worse. Also loose clothing around a table saw can catch on the blade and pull you in.
- Not using push sticks on a table saw, jointer, band saw, or other stock-fed cutting device. Fingers aren’t push sticks, especially on small items. There are many styles of push sticks, one tool that I really like is a Gripper.
- Wearing jewelry. I have seen a finger ‘degloved’ because a ring was caught on something as the hand was quickly withdrawn from an unsafe area.
- Working tired. Attention gets low when you’re tired. If you find yourself making simple mistakes and you’ve been at it a while, it likely is time to take a break and get some rest.
- Work in a well ventilated area, especially when using finishes. Toxic gasses may be present that would make you drowsy or worse if you’re not getting enough fresh air.
- Use dust collection all the time. Dust from machines that cut wood create chips and fine dust. The chips we can see on the floor, but the fine dust will land on everything, including your lungs. You can set yourself up for a raspatory illness if you are exposed to dust long enough. Some wood species are also known to create lung issues when machined. Most exotic tropical woods fit into this category. but also sassafras which is common in North America also falls into that category.
- Clean up the shop, sweep up the floor often, clean tools often, put tools away often. These things prevent slips, trips, and falls that can injure you or others in your shop. A clean floor keeps your mind on your work, not your feet. While we’re on feet, wear proper shoes, something that won’t allow falling wood pieces to hurt your toes.
- Wear hearing protection. Your hearing will diminish with age if you’re like most people, and loud noises will accelerate that process. You should protect your hearing from loud noises as much as possible, you can use things like ear plugs, or noise cancelling headphones, or earmuffs.
- Keep rags in a safe place. Rags with paint thinners and cleaners can be combustible. Any rags that have chemicals in them should be either spread out flat to dry, or put into a metal bin that keeps air out to prevent fires. Don’t leave rags piled up in a wad, they can generate enough heat to begin to burn, and burn your shop/home to the ground.
- If you have children around, it is a good idea to pull the safety clip from the power tool to prevent accidental starting of those tools by exploring fingers. If you shop is locked up and no one goes in, this may not be something you’d need to do, but if your shop is accessible, such as a part of your garage where you park your car, this is a good suggestion. Also you could unplug unused items, but that doesn’t prevent them being plugged in. Pulling the safety clip and putting those away is a bit better in most cases. I know it’s not convenient, but until your young ones are taught to respect the tools, they need a little help to not get hurt.
I have the luxury of a shop that is in a building to itself, and I have the only keys to it. No one else goes in if I’m not there. I have no small children, and my son is old enough to know how to use the tools properly, but he won’t go in there if I’m not around, even if he could get in.
If you’ve never experienced a woodworking accident, count yourself very fortunate. If you’ve had minor things happen, count yourself in with most of us. If you’ve been severely injured, I’ll be willing to bet that you know how that injury could have been prevented, as most can be. Bottom line is, stay safe, have fun, make something nice for someone, and keep all your digits.