Safe Woodworking: Expert Tips for Protecting Yourself and Your Workspace
- Posted by Fix It Guy
- Categories Blog, Education
- Date January 13, 2023
- Comments 0 comment
Without a doubt, this is the most important article you’ll want to read. Each of these tips doesn’t insure you will be safe in your workshop but will help you remain focused & limit your chances of serious injury. Our general feeling is that you should know the risks any time you are doing a woodworking project and always keep the healthy fear so you know you’ll remain awake & attentive and not take the risk when you are not.
Here are some woodworking injury statistics to build that healthy fear, and respect, for what you are taking on.
- 30,000 Injuries each year in the US. from table saws (Fingers and hands being the most common)
- 10,000 Injuries each year in the US by jointers, planers, sanders, and shapers.
- 3,500 Injuries each year in the US by bandsaws.
- 10 Amputations every day in the US due to finger/hand blade contact via table saws.
Most common injuries:
- Limb or finger amputations.
- Cuts or lacerations.
- Brain injuries from a blow to the head.
- Back and neck injuries.
- Eye injuries.
- Electrical injuries.
- Failure to use properly installed guards.
- Lack of focus in work.
- Not following manufactures instructions.
- Fatigue or sleepiness. This could be lack of sleep or postprandial somnolence (aka “Food Coma”).
Tips to stay safe:
Stay Focused
Accidents happen when we are distracted or not fully concentrating on what we are working on. Be present in the moment, especially when you are making cuts or carrying/supporting heavy items.
Proper Clothing
- Protect your eyes: Wearing safety goggles or glasses goes with a mask as one of those items nobody enjoys wearing until you have that rare thing kick up or dusk in your eyes. Buy a couple of pairs and keep them in a designated spot. They will wander off.
- Protecting your lungs: Along with goggles or glasses wearing a mask is one of those items we know we should do but struggle to enforce on ourselves. Even the best dust collection systems don’t protect you 100%. If you don’t currently have a dust collection system you’ll want to consider this for both shop cleanup and health.
- Protecting your ears: Powertools produce a significant amount of noise. Headphones or earplugs can both help you protect your ears and remain focused on what you are doing.
- Protecting your feet: Not a spot you’d think about right away but get in the habit of not working in your shop or outside without throwing on close-toed or steel-tipped shoes. You will drop something at some point and your feet tend to sit right in your drop zone.
- Protecting your hands: We saved this for last because this is the only one in the group that the project dictates if it’s appropriate to use these. When working on projects outside gloves tend to be extremely helpful in minimizing little cuts and splinters. When working with paint or chemicals having proper rubber gloves is a must. BUT, when it comes to using power tools gloves can limit our control and should be avoided.
Safety Gear
A little redundant but we all need the extra reminder to put on those goggles/glasses, pull up a proper mask/respirator, and protect your ears. Tinnitus is a battle scar only you know about.
Feeling of Confidence
This one is simple. We don’t live by the moto of “it’s good to get out of your comfort zone” when using power tools. If you ever feel uneasy, shut down the tool and think through your use of it. Do you need to do a practice cut? Do you need to make sure your project is secure? Do you need to watch another person do it again? All of these instincts are ok. Hold onto your confidence but build up slowly.
Plan Each Cut Mentally
This sounds very uncool but in reality this is anything but. Speed is the enemy of safety. You’ll want to think through hand placement, foot placement, and pressure on the project. What is going to happen to the extra piece when it is cut off? Can I push the piece all the way through at this angle? Will I remain outside the kickback zone?
Tidiness
Keep your shop as tidy as you would if you were having guests over. This will make you feel better about coming out to work and it will keep it a safe space to work. Having loose pieces next to saws, on the ground, and around tools, will only increase the chances of an injury.
Read the Manual
We know, it’s boring and lots of words but if you set your tool up incorrectly you can cause damage to your piece, the tool, or yourself.
Inspect Tools Before Using
Make sure you look over your power tools before using them. This is especially true for those who might have other people borrowing or using your tools after you. Replace broken or loose parts.
Disconnect When Not in Use
Seems obvious but after a long day it gets more and more tempting to speed up your process when switching between tools.
Avoid Alcohol and Drugs
Save the celebration for after.
A learner by nature who doesn't claim to be perfect but wants to share the nuggets he's learned along the way.