My uncle, a carpenter, taught me to "never put my hand, fingers, or any part of my body within 6" of a spinning sharp blade. If it will come closer than that, Stop and find another way." I was about 12 at the time and I was helping him rebuild a porch on his house when he began teaching me about power tools. During that project, and several others that followed, he taught me a lot about shop and tool safety, carpentry, and cabinet making. I also had several years of shop classes in high school. His 6" rule has kept me safe in my shop ever since then and I'm 76 now. He also taught me that the work always needed to be held down as well as pushed forward, and how unsafe regular "push sticks" are. A properly designed stock pusher holds the work as well as the off cut down as well as feeds it forward. If it isn't held down the tool can, and will, throw it at you.
His 6" safety rule had been so ingrained in my head that I had a lot of trouble convincing myself that a Grripper was safe to use. It took me over 6 months to really begin using my new Grrippers after I bought them, because my hand was coming closer to the blade than 6" while pushing the Grripper over the top of the blade. I have now mentally modified my uncle's rule to add "unless your hand is securely holding a pushing/hold down device with a built-in guard between your hand and the blade". I now own 3 Grippers, two for the table saw and one with the thin side removed for use on my router table. I never reach over the spinning blade, nor do I ever use a blade guard. Grrippers and the hold down pushers that I made before getting the Grrippers never allowed a blade guard to be used with them. I do use a pop-up splitter when ripping stock though, and a ceiling mounted Brett Guard over the table saw for use when the situation allows for it. I also have a laser line generator on the ceiling above my table saw that projects the cut line all the way across the top of the saw, the work, and even my fingers if they are ever in the cut line, prompting me go get them away. This is a great reminder of the blade cutting line when doing blind non-thru cuts, but also a great reminder of the blade position whenever I'm using the saw. The one button on/off remote for it is attached to the top of the table saw fence, so it's easy to turn on and off. Power for it comes from a ceiling outlet.
Every power tool gets unplugged whenever I'm changing blades, bits,sandpaper, etc. but I do leave the stationary tools plugged in when I'm not in the shop, because I turn off all of the breakers except the ones for the lights and fridge when I leave. The fridge stays on but the lights get turned off at the door.
I always have a radio on while I'm in the shop, but at a low volume. Like others, it is one of the first things turned on when I enter the shop.
When running power tools I have the noise canceling headphones with the radio built-in that I wear, and the same radio station is on in them too, again at a low volume so I can hear when the tool is running or not.
I have both tinted and clear safety glasses, and a face shield that I use whenever doing any king of work in the shop. The tinted safety glasses are also my daily Sun glasses. I also have a shade 4 pair that I use whenever grinding or doing any torch work, and an electronic welding helmet that I use when welding or grinding metal, which is never done inside my wood shop. Always out side or in my son's welding shop across town.
I always leave the shop door unlocked, but I have trained my family not to enter if I'm using a power tool, and to only knock when I'm not using a tool and then enter only after I wave them in.
I carry a cell phone in a case on my belt that I answer at my convenience. If my wife calls and I don't answer immediately, she will come out to the shop if I don't call her back in a couple of minutes. My shop is in a separate building about 100' from my house.
I've had 6 heart surgeries, 2 knee replacements, and survived cancer twice in the past 18 years, so my wife checks on me frequently.
Yes, I have cold soft drinks and water in my shop, but I only use them when taking a break from work or doing paper work. I don't eat or drink anything unless I'm on a break. Break time snacks (vending machine style packaged crackers) are also in the fridge. I'm diabetic, so I have to eat small amounts frequently. My first aid bag contains diabetes and heart testers, medicines, and supplies and this bag has been with or near me wherever I am for the past 15 years. It's just a small 6 pack sized fabric cooler, so it's easy to carry around. The shop has a first aid kit for splinters and minor wounds, but I usually quit for the day and go to the house to treat my smaller injuries. There is a manned fire station 2 miles from my shop, so any 911 call will have fire, police, and paramedics here within minutes, and the hospital is only 5 miles away.
Charley