Safety Stand Down: what safety practices do you utilize?

[Rich Riddle]

There seem to be a lot of "seasoned' members reporting accidents lately and that happens to everyone; however, what practices do you utilize to minimize accidents? SHMBO enforces a "no power tool use" rule after eight in the evening. She says that's when the emergency room tool accident rate exponentially increases. I can clean and do minor things until about nine, and then the shop shuts down for the night. What practices do you utilize to try to keep accidents to a minimum?

Almost forgot, if I have a disabling power tool accident after eight in the evening due to a power tool, SWMBO will place me in a nursing home with very mean nurses and refuse to visit.

[John Coloccia]

I do a dry run of every cut. Every one. You'd be surprised how many things you catch, including getting you hands dangerously close to the blade, pushing towards the blade, etc.

[Roger Feeley]

Funny you should mention dry runs. I've always taken a second and visualized. I've caught myself more than once.

I also like to tell the story about how I beat my wife. I was letting her cut something on the miter saw and I looked away for just a second. When I looked back, there was her thumb with the blade descending. It was one of those Einstein moments when time slows down. I just plain clocked her and saved her thumb. A good thing that I was there. A bad thing that I looked away.

Seriously, I try to be careful. I wear safety glasses. I own a Sawstop table saw. I've heard they are working on a jointer. If they come out with one, I will have that too.

[Myk Rian]

I always double check my intended cuts, but a couple fellows in our WW club I worry about.
It seems neither one of them have ever considered kickback to be a danger, and start making some real stupid cuts.

[Matt Day]

Safety practices? Pay attention and think about where my hands are and what could happen (before I start the saw).

[Peter Quinn]

I do a dry run of every cut. Every one. You'd be surprised how many things you catch, including getting you hands dangerously close to the blade, pushing towards the blade, etc.


What he said. Take a look at what you are about to do before hitting the green button. And the 8 o'clock rule is a good idea too if you have been at it all day. Know thy self, stop when its time.

[Mike Henderson]

What he said. Take a look at what you are about to do before hitting the green button. And the 8 o'clock rule is a good idea too if you have been at it all day. Know thy self, stop when its time.
+1 And I bought a SawStop to help me in case I make a mistake.

Mike

[Bruce Page]

I do a dry run of every cut. Every one. You'd be surprised how many things you catch, including getting you hands dangerously close to the blade, pushing towards the blade, etc.

I pretty much echo John’s philosophy. If there’s any risk at all I’ll do a dry run.

[Ronald Blue]

Reflecting on my working career I have been both lucky and safe as well. My only significant injury wasn't even the result of a machine. I spent the first 19 years in metal working and then the last 18 as a heavy equipment mechanic. In my workplace we promote safe practices daily. We also encourage the use of PPE (personal protective equipment) off the job. We "OWN" our safety. We also have a book of safety rules that's hundreds of pages. Those rules are all written by someones blood. I have had a few incidents that could have been serious. Sometimes that's where the luck comes in. My time playing in the shop is small compared to most of you. I have only had one close call that comes to mind and it was with the router table. I don't know exactly what happened but the piece grabbed or something and smacked by hand pretty good. Just a little nick from the work piece but an eye opener still. I feel like I am pretty conscientious around power tools but by nature there is some risk with any tool. However I like to challenge coworkers, and my fellow creekers as well with this thought. If you were teaching your child or grandchild or spouse how to use a power tool regardless of what it is, is the technique you are about to use something you would feel good about them using? I encourage everyone to wear eye protection, hearing protection, and lung protection. Now have an intentionally safe day.

[Mike OMelia]

Well I don't have a sawstop yet, but it's next on my list. I want a better table saw and got me its a no brainer. When using the table saw or jointer, I do practice/visualization cuts.

I also switch to beer from the hard stuff when using those tools .

Just kidding for Pete's sake!

Good thread,

Mike

[Jon Shank]

You know if it's any comfort to the folks posting their accidents, it's really made me a safer woodworker. After reading so many posts from alot of seasoned woodworkers over the last year or so I've really gotten alot more conscious of safety in the shop. I've been pretty fortunate to not have had any major incidents, a couple of minor startling things, but nothing major. I've become alot more careful of setups, planning and safety gear. So if it helps at all guys, it's helped me get my head straight and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm really, relatively a new guy so nothing I have to say is a surprise to anyone, just things that I've become alot more conscious of.

Things I do now that I didn't necessarily do often enough before. Never remove guards unless really needed and always stop and put the guards back on after removing them for some operation where it was. Stop and really think about the safest and most effective way to make a cut, alot of the time you actually get a better cut doing it the safer way anyway. Sometimes something just doesn't feel right even after going over it, stop and think about it for a few more minutes, usually there is a better or at least a safer way. The biggest thing for me has been setups, kind of a rehash of the above really, but still. I've been alot more careful about thinking about the correct way to make a cut even if it takes ten more minutes to change over to the miter setup instead of doing it half witted with the fence for instance. I have some low end tools that are really a pain to change over but I've still got all 10 fingers at this point and I'd like to keep them.

I think it's about 10 percent good reflexes and 90 percent dumb luck that I haven't had a major injury before now, so seriously for the folks who have posted about their accidents, it does help to give us the shock value sometimes to get us to pay attention and I sincerely appreciate you giving us the reminders.

Jon

[Lee Ludden]

For me.
#1. When I first think it is time to stop, it is time to stop, not finish what I am doing.
#2. Be patient and think through every move.
I have never had a serious shop accident, but almost every minor one, as well as most of my screw-ups were due to those two things.

keeping things neat and organized would be the #3.

[Michael Koga]

I just joined Sawmill Creek, and I must say reading these safety incidents that people report have been eye-opening, and hopefully saves someone from a tragic injury.

My one and hopefully only oops was cutting a SHORT piece of dowel on the miter saw. So short I used another stick to hold it in place to keep my fingers away from the blade. Needless to say had a piece of dowel go whizzing by my head and the stick sucked into the blade! I KNEW it was an unsafe cut. Listen to your brain.

[Rick Fisher]

My pet peeve is hearing protection. I always wear it and if others are in my shop, I nag them about it too.

[Rich Riddle]

For me.
#1. When I first think it is time to stop, it is time to stop, not finish what I am doing.
#2. Be patient and think through every move.
I have never had a serious shop accident, but almost every minor one, as well as most of my screw-ups were due to those two things.

keeping things neat and organized would be the #3.

Lee, your rules seem to be the ones most consistent with mine although rearranged.
1. Keep things neat, clean, and stored where they belong. Sweep floor and keep it free of obstacles.
2. The eight o'clock rule's set in stone; however, if tired earlier, I stop even if 5 o'clock.
3. I think through all the moves but lack any type of patience.

Rick, what did you say? I have a significant hearing loss from military days but will wear it when working for long times around machinery. My wife keeps threatening a visit to the audiologist to correct the problem.

My accidents of late seem to be with hand tools or small cordless tools. I hammered my left thumb with a large rubber mallet in a tight spot. I drilled my left thumbnail using the cordless with my left hand and the screwdriver tip slipped off the screw and got the thumb of the right hand holding the screw. Ouch, that one hurt.

[Rod Sheridan]

Having spent 30 years in industry, with 15 years as a technical specialist on our Health and Safety Policy Committee, I've had an excellent opportunity to learn.

The most common infraction I see illustrated and discussed is the removal of guards from machinery, which should never be done except for adjustment and setup.

Conventional table saws are only designed to make through cuts, as supplied from the factory. If you want to cut dadoes, grooves or rebates, you need one of the following;

- a machine designed to perform that task ( example, shaper for rebates, it's designed to make that cut with guards in place)

- an overhead guard commercially purchased

- a home made bridge or overhead guard

- mechanised feed that prevents body parts from entering the cutting area.

So, how many of us follow the above?

Good work place safety is behaviour based with last minute risk assesment. You understand what safety practises are required, you have suitable knowledge and training, you have the correct PPE on hand and use it, and you use your knowledge, training, PPE and last minute risk assesment to keep you safe.

The last item is the near miss, in industry it's a formalised investigation that is used to further knowledge and improve practices. Obviously it's last resort because it was only luck that prevented it from becoming an incident investigation. It's a poor way to learn, hopefully everyone doesn't run their saw without a guard or splitter untill they nearly lose a finger or an eye.

The Saw Stop is the only significant modern advance in table saw safety I can think of, and it's only designed to be a secondary protection like PPE. Primary protection on the SS is always using the guard/riving knife as the SS technology only protects you from one of the dangers of using a table saw.

Safety is a continuous learning process...................Regards, Rod.

[John Piwaron]

Unisaw with riving knife and anti-kickback pawls. And blade guard. Two sets of push blocks. Couple of push sticks. feather boards. on the saw and the router table. bit guard on the router table. Stand outside the "line of fire" when using the tablesaw. the jointer's guard is installed and working correctly. Hold downs on the drill press.

I don't work when I'm tired or otherwise have trouble concentrating. I ignore the phone or anyone's verbal request for anything. I keep my hands away from the sharp spinning thing.

If there are 2 ways of doing something - 1 way is wasteful of material but keeps my hands away from the sharp spinning thing but the other is effecient but brings my hands close to the cutter, I'm wasteful of the material.

There may be more. What I've learned over many years is that my accidents have been the result of a break in concentration and "that shit happens to other people." Well, I learned that "other people" can sometimes be me.

I'm sorry to say this - at the time I bought my Unisaw (new design with front hand wheels) last spring, I also considered the Sawstop. The Sawstop saw looks very good. Mostly what turned me off about it is the maneuvering of that companies owner. The small chance that it would false trigger doesn't bother me too much. Well, in concept. I might be cursing if I experienced it. :)

I say that last part because I feel disappointed. The benefit of that safety device is so clear it should have no trouble standing on it's own and over time become the must have feature.

In my imagination, the conversation at the tool store goes like this:

"Does this XX have that safety thing like a Sawstop?"
"No sir"
"Huh. Guess I gotta look at something else."

Just my own personal lament. What I wrote means nothing more than that. What I do like about that whole conversation (in my humble opinion) is that saws and other devices are paying more attention to safety now than they may have had Sawstop not been invented.

[John Piwaron]

(hearing protection) I have a significant hearing loss from military days but will wear it when working for long times around machinery. My wife keeps threatening a visit to the audiologist to correct the problem.

My accidents of late seem to be with hand tools or small cordless tools. I hammered my left thumb with a large rubber mallet

Forgot hearing protection! Yes, I too use it. Though my hearing loss is the result of scarlet fever long, long ago. Fortunately that's mostly in one ear. Your wife can take you to all the Audiologists she wants. Unfortunately all they can do is say "you have hearing loss." There's going to be no bringing it back. :( I wish it were possible. Every day of my life. I'd settle for getting rid of my tinnitus.

The hammer story - did that about 35 years ago. with a claw hammer. Straight down onto my left index fingernail. My God that hurt. The pain was incredible. Way, way more than cutting off the end of a finger. At least when that happened nature was kind enough to put me into shock.

[glenn bradley]

Eye protection, always.

I have prescription safety glasses.


Hearing protection, always.

I use muffs that drop the level 27db.
Use whatever you prefer but, use it.


Lung protection, always.

Thanks to my ill-spent early years in this hobby I now have to wear a respirator even when hand sanding.
Make dust collection a priority, do it now.


Work area safety, mostly.

We are all cramped for space but, using tool surfaces as work or storage surfaces is a no-no; they're tools, not tables.
Snow-drifting items into open areas where you will need to move while working courts accidents. When you set off-cuts or parts aside, set them really aside.
Any time I find myself reaching over or around something to work I try to remember to stop and move it; preferably to where it belongs.


"Just this once" will get you hurt.
Visualize or dress-rehearse your actions.

We probably all do this for glue-ups and should follow suit for that router table profile or that chisel pare.


Put tools back when you are done with them.

Returning tools to their place takes 2 seconds longer than setting them down on your work surface.
They're not in your way.
You don't have to paw through stuff to find them.
You know where they are when you want them.


Machine maintenance.

Your owner's manuals have a maintenance section in them.
Many leave out checking for screws or bolts that may have worked loose, annual or seasonal inspection of belts, pulleys, set-screws, etc.
Clean 'em, wax 'em, check 'em, use 'em and enjoy 'em ;).


Beer and cut-off saws don't mix.
Don't work tired.
Don't "hurry".

No deadline is worth your thumb.
There are no shortcuts in woodworking that lead anywhere I want to go :).

[ray hampton]

I realize that you may not know this but some people work nights , if I are working by the sun light then quitting time could be high noon

[Harry Hagan]

Heed that little voice that says, “I really shouldn’t be doing this.” whatever I’m doing. More often than not, that little voice is right.

[Shawn Pixley]

All the posters above have itemized many of things I might say. Let me add a few habits I employ.

1.) No alcohol ever. Drinking and sharp objects don't mix.
2.) Don't work tired. I have found I lose precision after 6-7 at night (I am a morning person). I haven't had any safety issues, but before I employed this, I made mistakes on projects that I had to fix.
3.) Don't work hurried. Like working tired, this is where you make mistakes or cut corners.
4.) Avoid distractions. My garage is my shop. Most of the time the weather is nice enough that I could have the door open. Lots of people walk by my house going to the beach. Neighbors and passer bys can be curious. But if I am doing anything dangerous, doors get closed. I don't wanted to be startled in the middle of anything where I (or others) could get hurt.
5.) Secure the workpiece. Chiseling something not fastened down is a recipe for an accident. Drill presses spin objects really well. Your hands are not clamps. Don't be in the way.

Just my two cents.

[Bill Space]

Heed that little voice that says, “I really shouldn’t be doing this.” whatever I’m doing. More often than not, that little voice is right.

Truer words have never been spoken!

I remember reading somewhere that the most common comment heard in the ER is something like: "I felt I shouldn't have been doing what I was doing just before the accident happened!"

[Mike OMelia]

All the posters above have itemized many of things I might say. Let me add a few habits I employ.

1.) No alcohol ever. Drinking and sharp objects don't mix.
2.) Don't work tired. I have found I lose precision after 6-7 at night (I am a morning person). I haven't had any safety issues, but before I employed this, I made mistakes on projects that I had to fix.
3.) Don't work hurried. Like working tired, this is where you make mistakes or cut corners.
4.) Avoid distractions. My garage is my shop. Most of the time the weather is nice enough that I could have the door open. Lots of people walk by my house going to the beach. Neighbors and passer bys can be curious. But if I am doing anything dangerous, doors get closed. I don't wanted to be startled in the middle of anything where I (or others) could get hurt.
5.) Secure the workpiece. Chiseling something not fastened down is a recipe for an accident. Drill presses spin objects really well. Your hands are not clamps. Don't be in the way.

Just my two cents.

Let me add, I had to educate my family to not come up behind me with a question when I am working with loud, dangerous tools. Usually scares the crap out of me, and takes my focus off of the task. They all understand that I am not being a jerk and that we all want me to keep all of my parts. :)

[Mike Heidrick]

Think
Visualize
Dry Run
Double check surroundings
clean organized work areas
holddowns, push sticks/grippers, riving knife on TS, feeders on shapers
Eyes
Ears
Plus own sawstop, sliding table shaper, and cnc router.
All large equipment has lock out protection and magnetic LV controls.

[Lornie McCullough]

These are all great rules. The dry run includes visualizing how the wood or your fingers could slip, and protecting yourself.

Also..... don't forget to tuck your beard into your t-shirt !!!!

Lornie

[Ole Anderson]

Main rule: use the SharkGuard every time it is feasable on the table saw. My pet peeve: DIY shows NEVER have a guard on the TS. Shame on them.

[Chris Kennedy]

Let me add, I had to educate my family to not come up behind me with a question when I am working with loud, dangerous tools. Usually scares the crap out of me, and takes my focus off of the task. They all understand that I am not being a jerk and that we all want me to keep all of my parts. :)

This is one of the most important for the hobbyist, in my opinion.

As a general rule, eye and ear protection are a must. Thinking through & dry runs are critical. The thing that worries me the most are things I cannot control, and to me, this is what Mike's post is getting at. My wife and boy know not to enter the shop if machines are running, and I bought an overarm guard for the tablesaw in case they do. That having been said, I have had three birds fly into the shop while I am working, and they have scared me more than anything. I know to concentrate and think things through -- but a distraction, out of the blue, scares the beejeezus out of me.

Cheers,

Chris

[HANK METZ]

Main rule: use the SharkGuard every time it is feasable on the table saw. My pet peeve: DIY shows NEVER have a guard on the TS. Shame on them.

Those shows are the worst source of worker safety, they're about manufactured drama and ratings sweeps so they can charge advertisers the highest per minute rate. How many times do we see them start the demo with the homeowner kicking through a drywall to start off, no pro would ever risk a torn groin muscle or shattered ankle bone doing a stupid stunt like that.

- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

[Sam Murdoch]

All of the above with a special emphasis on no one allowed to approach while you are operating machinery - listen to the little voice (I have written about this many times) and also -

Have you ever started a day by spilling your coffee, or dropping your breakfast, or sticking yourself in the eye with your toothbrush? :eek:
Take all those (or similar) as signs that this is a good day to stay away from the machines and sharp tools and rather use the day to do design work, or inventory or that long overdue cleaning. Maybe this is a variation on the theme of listening to the little voice but in any case - well worth your attention.

[James Nugnes]

Dry run is real important to me as I really do not like getting flesh lined up with the cutting edge and you would be surprised how often you can get yourself in a bind somewhere during a cut when it may not have seemed obvious at the start of the cut.

Also trying to get some really good positioning vises in place so that I can move the work more often and more easily as opposed to exposing myself to a dangerous position. Some of them are really pricy though. Looking for a used Jerry-rig to buy for that very reason. No luck so far.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

SHMBO enforces a "no power tool use" rule after eight in the evening. She says that's when the emergency room tool accident rate exponentially increases.

There was medical a study that showed a correlation between households with cats and children in that household not having allergies. At least one medical researcher suggested to me that he should purchase a kitten for every friend that had a child. For those without a math background and an understanding that correlation does not imply causation, consider that people that eat lots of peanut butter have a strong correlation to those that do not have a peanut allergy.

Sadly, if there really is a spike at 8:00, and there really is a causation, then by 8:00, you have waited too long. First, determine the average time that it takes to go from accident occurrence time to the emergency room, then subtract. So, perhaps you really need to stop at about 7:30 :D

Evening events.... good time for hobbyists to finally make it to the shop so there may be a spike in amateur use at about that time. If the spike is exponential, then the odds have not changed, just the number of people that started using tools at that time.

[Jim Neeley]

I follow the "When I start feeling tired or feel it's about time to stop, it's time to stop immediately".

Additionally, on the occasion when I have a close call, near-miss or realize I did something at risk, I stop working in the shop for the day and spend time reflecting on how I got there and how to prevent it in the future. A "Stand-down", if you will. It peeves me enough that it's increased my safety awareness.

[Rich Riddle]

So, perhaps you really need to stop at about 7:30 :D
She's been a physician working in operating rooms for over a decade and gets the pleasure of performing every late evening "pre-op" when she's on-call. In essence, she interviews every patient capable of answering questions prior to surgery. My wife said it's people reporting accidents after eight in the evening, so I use that. I do stop earlier in the winter. For some reason when the sun goes down, I lose alertness.

She doesn't bluff, and I don't want to end up in a nursing home staffed by mean nurses. So, I toe the line.