Safety

[matthewsx]

There have been a few threads lately where the projects concerned might give one pause as to health and safety.

I am not a safety professional and would never pretend to be, but given some of the stuff I've been involved with over the years the fact that I'm typing this might be evidence that I do care about it.

My background is simple, my dad worked for United Technologies during the space race and built/tested Saturn V rockets. He taught me about physics from a very practical standpoint as well as basic shop safety. Later in life I participated in things like sailing, auto racing, and burning man when it was first getting started.

Two sayings were used in my worlds "Safety Fast" and "Safety Third".

The first one was from auto racing and if you want to understand ANYTHING about materials, fasteners, fabrication or the physics of a car going around a corner please read Carroll Smith. His "to win" books have been by my bedside for decades and I know that what he taught me definitely saved a life or two.

The second saying "Safety Third" came from my time with the Cacophony Society, Survival Research Laboratories, and the early days of Burning Man. We were makers of things that could take your hand or your life in a split second. Without the willingness to push the boundaries most of that stuff would have never happened and it was awesome stuff.

Surprisingly, in my short internet search Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs summed it up best here.

So, take care of yourselves and those around you. Ours is an awesome hobby but it's best when you get to show someone else the cool stuff you did....

John

 

[C-Bag]

You said it John. I'm not sure there is any work that's truly safe where you can't hurt yourself. I look at David Richards "Steam Powered Machine Shop" and cringe with him walking in amongst all those line drive belts going everywhere. But I think he's totally aware of where he is and where they are. Safety for me is being present in the job. I catch myself thinking about other things and stop that and get back to what I'm doing. I've also automated boring inherently dangerous things like putting an auto feed sled on my 14" bandsaw.

 

[Janderso]

Mike Rowe's video is great. I've never seen that one.
C-Bag, I've thought the same thing watching David Richard's videos, I agree, he knows what's going on in his shop.
I think sometimes we American's get a little carried away with our signs and screens denying entry into interesting places.
I was fortunate to visit the Normandy area in France. When we toured Pointe Du Hoc, I was impressed the French allowed us to walk the bomb craters, the broken concrete defenses with rusty rebar hanging out all over the place. You could even walk up to the cliffs and look down without someone yelling at you to step back. If you aren't careful, you get hurt. Simple. I won't go into the reasons why I think our country is the way it is
Yes, safety is very important. Hearing of the recent lathe accident by one of the more popular Youtube characters makes me more aware, for a while.
For me, learning by doing is my best teacher. I've only watched my drill press vise spin like a top once. That was 50 years ago.

 

[Mini Cooper S]

When I was but a lad of 13, going into my first shop class, my Dad ( I quote him a lot, he was a wise and very practical man ) told me, " Don't ever become completely comfortable with machinery, always have some fear of them. A machine won't feel the least bit sorry for you after it's ripped off your finger.... or worse!".

I try to remind myself of that every time that I use one of my machines, and on more than one occasion, that thought has pulled me back from the abyss of stupidity!

 

[C-Bag]

When I was but a lad of 13, going into my first shop class, my Dad ( I quote him a lot, he was a wise and very practical man ) told me, " Don't ever become completely comfortable with machinery, always have some fear of them. A machine won't feel the least bit sorry for you after it's ripped off your finger.... or worse!".

I try to remind myself of that every time that I use one of my machines, and on more than one occasion, that thought has pulled me back from the abyss of stupidity!

+1 THIS is exactly what my 7grd metal shop teacher told us and it's totally stuck with me my whole life.

 

[Janderso]

+1 THIS is exactly what my 7grd metal shop teacher told us and it's totally stuck with me my whole life.

Can you imagine the stress of responsibility for a wood or metal shop teacher with all those kids running all those machine tools?!!!!
These are the same heroes that worked after school to run the driver's ed. in my school. They may not have been paid well but I thought the world of them.

 

[aliva]

While I was still working we had safety meetings everyday during line up. Each month there was a new theme.
One that has always stuck with me is ask the question " What If ? ".
Stop and think before you do something , what if this bends, breaks, stretches , burns, rots, falls etc. You can add a multitude of adjectives to the
"What If ?." This can be applied to everything and anything, at home or work. Keeping this in the back of my mind on a daily basis has served me well.
Put a big sign in a prominent place in you shop "What If ?"

 

[Winegrower]

This is a good and important topic, worth rethinking occasionally. My father was a toolmaker, started in WW2, and was very concerned when I would do anything with his tools...never that I would wreck a tool, but that through ignorance i’d hurt myself. I was probably too casual about this over the years, but was also lucky, nothing particularly bad happened. Then one day in my new wood shop. I was cutting a taper on a small table leg, in a kludged together bad idea of a taper jig, and the leg caught in the table saw blade somehow and really too fast to see, shot by 3” from my eye, shot across the shop and completely penetrated a wall. Now this caused a moment of reflection. In fact, to encourage that reflection to continue, I did not and will not repair the hole.

Here are my new principles:
1). Wear safety glasses for any mill, lathe or grinding.
2). No holding sheet metal by hand on the drill press. I made some good clamps that are pretty easy to use.
3). I have a bunch of push sticks, blocks, etc. for table saw, router and jointer.
4). Never try to pull the plastic cap off a new end mill with my fingers. Ouch, that hurt.

Yeah, that’s all that i’ve got. Maybe you folks would contribute a few more ideas that could save me?

 

[jbobb1]

5.) Don't "feel" the finish on a shaft you're machining as it's rotating. Seen way too many guys do it with some ugly results.
6.) Don't try to clear swath with your fingers. Make a long hook.

 

[savarin]

When I was about 8 we had a series of people checking out your yards and sheds at night.
This was in the mid 50's so no one really locked up at night.
My friend and I decided to make a man trap in the back yard, just a trip wire to tip a brick onto the trespassers head.
I decided to test it out.
It worked.
That was the last time I went ahead before thinking of possible outcomes.