Safety

[Mad Max]

I could tell a bunch more rather gruesome stories of worm drive skill saw mangling on framing projects. But it’s a bit much to put into words.   I ran some huge multi family dwelling projects over the years and guys were always getting hurt. ……I had 200 man crews at one time in the late 80’s, and Those worm drive skill saws are man eaters…Kirk

No big deal but let’s keep it on the safety info 

[wood carver 2]

When I worked in a wood shop in the 80’s, my foreman told me about two guys that he had hired before I started working there. ( he had a habit of hiring anyone who walked in off the street. )
Apparently, he was in the shop and overheard these two guys making a bet where one guy said that he could clamp the saw blade between his hands and he would keep it from turning when the other guy turned it on. This saw was 14” and had at least a 7hp motor.
He fired them on the spot.
I used to run 2” pine on that saw as fast as I wanted and it wouldn’t slow it in the least .

[Kirkll]

My grand dad had a switch hooked to the door of his shop that turned on a red light when someone opened the door. He was a fanatic about saftey....

He had another light hooked up over his work bench with a green light that had a switch in the house that my granny used to flip on when dinner was ready.    I LIKED that one....    Kirk

[onetone]

I installed one of those wireless door bells between the house and the shop. Now the lil lady can let me know when it’s time to eat without the hike out to the shop and without surprising me when I am at a machine.

I grew up with a father whose work focused in part on preventing “lost time injuries” on the job. So I absorbed tool safety as a kid and know from experience shop safety is really a matter of paying attention to what you are doing at the moment and what is happening in the work space.

The company would give out awards for so many thousands of man hours without any lost time injures. Dad said the most frequent cause of lost time injury was …  guess what … screw drivers! (back in the days of straight slots)

[Kirkll]

You know something that hasn't been touched on much here is hearing protection.

I became deaf as a post pretty young in life over too many hours of running high pitched saws, equiptment, and routers. At age 40 there were some women's voices i could not hear at all... Nothing... Of course the woman i married i can hear her at 30 yards without hearing aids...but.... It's terrible to loose your hearing.   I would highly encourage the use of ear plugs or better yet ear muff head sets while running any high pitched power saws, routers, & planers. I got to the point i could not use a phone at all that didnt have a head set of some kind. And the worst part was i couldn't hear those far off elk bugles any more....

About 5-6 years ago i bought some really high tech hearing aids that are computer balanced to my particular hearing loss tones. These were life changing items for me. They come in real handy when hunting too. I have blue tooth connections for my phone, or TV, or anything with bluetooth capability to have the sound come right into my ears through my hearing aids. These same hearing aids can be muted to work as ear protection too. instant ear plugs at the push of a button. I can hear the phone ring even using noisy shop tools. At  dinner time Kat just calls me.....   Kirk

[John Scifres]

I have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.  I like them all but what I really wouldn't want to live without is one of my eyes.  I only have two of those.  Took a wood chunk to the eye as a newbie cut man on construction site during college.  Taught me a good lesson.  I'm still not perfect but I have both eyes after 40+ years of this stuff.

[Buggs]

Ditto on the hearing protection. I have had tinnitus for 30yrs because of loud noise exposure. It could have been avoided.

[Roy from Pa]

HUH?

[Buggs]

More like, Aaaaaaaagggaaaa!!!!  than huh    Now I have to listen to loud music to drown out the constant hum.

When I was a teen I worked during the summers for two Austrian painters, who talked like Arnold and would point out the broken down tradesmen, what they were doing wrong and tell me not to be stupid or I would be broken down before I got old. Those guys were harsh, but mostly right. I am getting old, and broken down

[simk]

This Morning I read about this thread and felt very lucky I never seriously hurt when woodworking. Then went in my shop to cut wood...when a little piece of wood got stuck in the circular saw. To remove this I first had to press the button to remove the blade protection and out of habit I not only pressed this button but simultaneously also the power button. Looks like I got trapped by habit and uncounciously routine in an unusual situation, being unconcentrated. I was very lucky to get away with only a smaller cut.
Stay concentrated & safe in every situation!