I have to say that one of the best aspects of this website is the comments section. If you aren’t reading that, you are really missing out on some great information and some interesting conversation. Almost every post I make winds up having some sort of clarification or expansion of an idea that can be found there. So check it out. Even if someone says something I don’t agree with, it calls attention to an event or a technique and raises the casual reader’s awareness and perhaps makes them think, “hmm, maybe I should pay attention to that so I can be informed and make the right decision when the time comes”.
Our most recent video, Episode 31- Pencil Holders, has spurred a little conversation about safety. Specifically, a few of my operations in the video were called into question. And honestly, I welcome this. But few topics polarize a room of woodworkers quite like safety. OK, well maybe food safe finishes and left-tilt vs right-tilt are worse topics. But you get the idea. Now I planned on writing a response in the comment section, but I thought this was interesting enough that it deserved its own post. So let’s get it on!
No matter what I do, or how many precautions I take, I will always do things that some folks will deem, “not safe”. Although I strive to show you guys the safest techniques possible, it is inevitable that what I see as “safe enough” will not be up to someone else’s standards. This is something I have some to terms with a while ago and it is very important for people to question my methods. That’s how we learn. That’s how I learn. But all of this safety talk has inspired one of my borderline philosophical rants.
Why do people see things differently when it comes to safety? I mean, something is either dangerous, or it isn’t. Something is either safer, or it isn’t. Smoking is bad for you, so I dont do it. Skydiving is dangerous, so I dont do it. But other people do both and dont think twice about it. Eating fatty foods is bad for you, but I still do it. And I have seen more accidents on the freeway here in Phoenix than I care to remember, yet I still drive on it nearly every day. So what is it inside our heads that determines what is too dangerous and what is just a calculated risk worth taking.
Technically speaking aren’t we putting our lives in our hands every time we walk in the shop?? We can focus on the individual safety details all we want, but the bottom line is we are all taking that calculated risk just by entering our shops. But the reward of the craft is large enough that most of us don’t think of our shops as inherently dangerous. Its the individual tool and specific operations that pose the real threat. Yet still, some of us don’t even see that. Ever been to an average small professional woodworking shop? Many of you would probably have a heart attack if you saw what goes on there. But that’s what these guys are comfortable with and used to. They are a bit more jaded and don’t see the associated risks of doing things like using a tablesaw without a splitter. Heck, even our TV idols like David Marks and Norm make a choice NOT to use a splitter.
So here’s my little analysis. When it comes to woodworking, there are probably just as many hobbyists as there are professionals in the world. But the online community is dominated by and caters to hobbyists. So in many cases, we are bombarded with safety information and what sometimes feels like fear mongering. And anyone who says something, or displays a technique that is even remotely unsafe, is quickly corrected and rebuffed by the folks I affectionately refer to as, “The Safety Police”. And of course, some of this is completely justified. Some of it is simply opinion. And some of it is down right nit picky. But many of these folks come purely from a hobby background. And its important to understand where this safety conscious (sometimes hyper safety conscious) mind set comes from. Or maybe it would be more effective to see where the more safety-casual folks are coming from. I know for me, coming from a hobbyist-turned-pro background, I have seen many shops doing things that would NEVER fly in my shop. When I look at all the things I do to be safe, I feel like I am going above and beyond the other shops I have been exposed to. But a hobbyist has a different frame of reference. Many of the hobbyist’s experiences come from books, forums, classes, and magazines. These are all places where safety is usually the #1 concern. So every time they see someone who forgets to do something they consider to be standard safety practice, its a glaring mistake to them. And many of them will not hesitate to let you know you are doing it “wrong”. But its important to understand where BOTH parties are coming from.
So what happens when the hobbyist observes the pro doing something that is less than safe. In many cases, this is something that the pro has done thousands of times without incident. And his competence and experience is enough to safely carry him through the operation. Meanwhile the hobbyist is flinching and biting his/her nails anticipating the impending injury. But who is right? I guess it all depends on your point of view and what your background is. I don’t think you can argue that there are always safer ways to do things. But who’s going to be the one to tell Sam Maloof that he really shouldn’t sculpt his chair parts free-hand on the band saw. Ha! Not me!! And remember that a professional shop has a constant looming sense of practicality, cost, and expedience. These are all things that are much less of an issue for hobbyists. Consequently these are the things that push people to varying degrees of “less safe” procedures.
So if you read this and hoped for some definitive decision or conclusion, you might be disappointed. We all come from different walks of life and different backgrounds, and thus have different ideas what qualifies as proper safe technique. I know in my case, it is my responsibility to show the safest techniques possible in my videos. And sometimes I may slip up. But the truth is, in many cases, these methods are even safer than what I would normally do in my shop if the camera weren’t on. That’s because I make decisions every single day as to what is safe enough for me. I have already decided what I deem to be safe enough for most operations given my experience and competence level.
My recommendation for people new to the craft is to learn the safest methods possible. Read up on a technique before you do it. Take all the necessary precautions. After all, its your life in your hands. And although we live in a sue-happy world where no one seems to want to take responsibility for their own actions, it is definitely YOUR responsibility to secure YOUR safety in YOUR shop. Do your research! But as you learn more and more about safety and become more experienced, its important to remember where other people are coming from. Perhaps some people are simply negligent. But many are just experienced pros who make a conscious choice to perform an action that is not as safe as we would like. So how do you handle those situations? Well I would start by analyzing the degree of risk. If its something that could result in the person lopping off their hand, you should politely make a suggestion. But if its a minor detail and you offer a correction, you run the risk of receiving your “safety police” membership card. So its really a gray area. As an instructor, I am expected to correct people. But you would be surprised at how many times I get a dirty look from an “experienced” woodworker who likes jointing boards with his/her bare hands. Again, we all draw our own line. So find your line, follow your rules, be as safe as is practical, spread the safety message but don’t preach, and remember that some folks do not want your help. And just as a reminder, your safety questions are always welcome here. And please feel free to challenge me on any particular technique from my videos. It happens all the time. ;)
From a college teacher working in a multiple materials construction lab every day, excellent response Mark, thanks for doing what you do.
Hobbyist – one who practices a hobby
Hobbiest – the most hobbi member of a group
Sorry, a nitpick, but one of my pet subjects. ;-)
Good rant though.
dang it!! I knew that wasn’t spelled right. lol. By the way, you want to know who the cousins of “The Safety Police” are? “The Grammar Police” and “The Spelling Police”. :) Thanks! And fixed.
M
The problem with safety is that involves two things…common sense and subjectivity. If a person thinks it is safe, then it is safe for that person. Common sense should ALWAYS dictate decision making. However, common sense is not so common. Unfortunately, learning safety doesn’t always come in easy lessons. For me, I learned the need to “respect” power tools after my dad cut his finger off on the table saw.
Hi Marc,
First of all I’m new to your website and found you this week on youtube.com and I am absolutely blown away by your website, information, and podcasts!!! You make me laugh when I watch your videos and now my husband thinks I’m cheating on some person named the “Wood Whisperer”….LOL!!!
Nice article Marc….I think you said it perfectly!!! :)
Safety is always going to be an issue and can always be improved upon. I think being comfortable doing a particular woodworking operation is personal. My next door neighbor is comfortable using a bench top table saw without safety glasses, ear protection, dust protection, or a push stick. That to me is a little risky and I choose not to follow his guidance…but the only way I knew that his safety precautions wouldn’t work in my shop was to do the research. I researched what each tool in my shop was capable of doing and that’s a huge step to being safe in your shop.
I used to have an instructor one time that would do a crazy demonstration with a square piece of stirofoam (sp?) and a table saw. He would make the foam pinch inbetween the fence and the blade and the foam would go flying over the top of the blade and quite a few feet behind the actual table saw. I thought we was crazy to do that…who knows what could have happened…but it was a good demo for seeing just exactly what would happen if the wood leaves your fence and gets caught by the blade teeth!!
Bottom line…be PREPARED for anything at anytime and always respect your tools!!! :)
Thanks Marc for this site and all your podcasts/videos….I’m learning so much from you already!!! :)
Happy Woodworking!!!
Marc, hate to admit that I only skimmed the article above. In general, really appreciate the attention you give to safety–especially your diligence in wearing ear/lung/eye protection, etc. (and you’ve still got your splitter and pawls!
Now, there is one sore point that has been nagging me ever since seeing Episode 8: did you know *everywhere* that padauk had been before you kissed it? (remember, practice safe woodworking!)
Matt
Number one rule of safety……COMMON SENSE
Number two rule of safety…….THINK BEFORE YOU DO
Everything is secondary. err thirdary???
Marc,
Good episode on the pencil holders and also a good response on safety.
I think your points are valid and agree that safety is each individual’s responsibility. Of course, because you are teaching with your podcasts you have some obligation to show proper safe techniques. My perspective is that you did a more than adequate job of denoting the potential safety issues with the techniques you used. You also did point out a few alternate ways of doing each operation so, you raised awareness that way as well. Beyond that it is up to the individual to make use of the safety information as they see fit (just as they do with the other info in the podcast).
The one thing I wondered was why you did not use your Gripper for the bevel cuts rather than the Jointer push pads? I just recently got two Grippers and I think that they are great for those cuts on small pieces that you would never think of cutting on the table saw otherwise!
Keep up the great work!
–Mark
Hey Mark. Pretty much for comfort reasons. I am more comfortably using the paddle and keeping the splitter in place than removing the splitter and using the gripper. And not to mention the paddle act a whole lot like a Grripper when used in that fashion. So with the added security of the splitter, it was the most comfortable way for me to make that cut. The Grrripper, however is a great tool for those tasks if that’s what you are comfortable using. Well made and quite effective.
Because you mentioned driving (the most dangerous thing you can do). It is all about decisiveness (sic). Don’t do anything until you are confident in the procedure. Most accidents in the shop or on the road are caused by a lack of confidence and indecision. You’ve all seen the person at a busy downtown intersection, hesitantly pulling out into traffic. Everyone swerved, honks and curses. But that person is the one that usually has a dent in their fender.
Marc –
I love the rant and appreciate your perspective: right on. You are correct that there is a whole range of ways to be safe and people have to choose. What I love about your podcast is that you are always giving us choices, reminding us about safety and letting us know how and why you make decisions. This lets us make our decisions with more information; and I’m better off for it.
Morton++
Shop safty is one of the things we seem to neglect when we work with these tools for a living. Its like I get used to the danger and get comfortable with my tools and in a rush to make the all mighty dollar forget that we could have a finger taken off by the sharpest chisel ever made!!!..anyways what im saying is us who use our tools 8-12 hours a days instead of 1-2 hours a weekend we seem to take out fingers for granted and probably should take saftey a little more serious. Id better stop and knock on some wood before I jinx myself
Amen, brother.
I find it amazing that anyone questions your safety practices, compared to the aforementioned David and Norm. Any time you’ve done anything questionable, you’ve followed it up with advice for proper technique or, as in episode 31, did a voice over to clarify. Some people just like to harp on technicalities, and they’re kind of like gnats in your teeth when you’re on a motorcycle. Crank the throttle Marc, the majority of us are enjoying the ride :)
Mike
Marc, I have to admire your responses. Your objectivity and practice of keeping it real is greatly appreciated by the masses……..well at least me. Whether we are a professional woodworker or hobbyist (I hope I got the right one there :o)) I think we can all learn from each others input. I for one appreciate the opportunity of this forum, the input by all, and the fact that we can actually have an open discussion on items such as safety etc. At the very least this all raises food for thought and that is important as we apply our own personal safety constraints. Well, that’s enough buttering up of the website host. I’ll try to balance this out with a criticism at a later date :o)
Thanks for all your comments guys, I need to learn as much as possible. By the way, will the SpongeBob pencil be making a guest appearance again in the next episode of the pencil holders?
Cheers y’all.
word…Its started to sound like many other forums with 9 billion opinions on every topic. WTO is a great podcast for sanding projects, I use a pair of shure earbuds and wiggle sandpaper for a good hour or so.
Marc, I want to respond to this and let you know where I am coming from correcting some of your safety methods.
I am a professional woodworker, not for an exceptionally long-time though. I’m seventh generation, and grew up around woodworking. That Forrest Woodworker II blade you use, it used to bear my grandfather’s nickname (Mr. Sawdust), as he is the one who designed it. I’m quite far from the average hobbyist.
Now, the main thing I was criticizing from your last video was something that you even stated was dangerous. I mentioned a method that “eliminates” that risk (there is always inherent danger in using any tools or machinery, and most of being safe involves the operator knowing what they are doing).
And you are correct about things happening in professional shops that people would cringe at, and in some shops, it is the pros knowing what they are doing. Other shops I’ve seen, people are just being stupid. There are things that I feel you are being overly cautious about. I’ve never, and will never, use a hold down on a miter saw. I’m perfectly comfortable with holding a fairly small piece down with my hand (though I’m always VERY aware of where my fingers are in relation to the blade) or not holding the off-fall side at all (if it is too small).
Now, the most important part of this post is this:
If you are commenting about people questioning Marc’s methods, especially on safety, you should really think twice. Sure, you may be able to look at a video yourself and know what you may or may not be comfortable with. The problem though, is there are many people who watch these videos from a beginning hobbyist standpoint. Those people may not know some of the finer points of shop safety.
Marc may not mention certain safe practices for a few reasons. He might just overlook them, as it’s hard to remember to tell someone something that is second nature to you. In some cases, he may not have seen that there is a safer way.
When I comment about safety, I’m not trying to flame Marc, but I’m trying to make sure that even the inexperienced viewers can see a safer way (particularly when Marc himself says that a certain operation is a dangerous one).
Good points Marc. I think some of these people need to calm down. If you do enough woodworking at some point your going to come to a point where you will need to do something a little unsafe to get a job done. Its the nature of the beast. Sometimes you have to side step a few safety rules to either save time or just because there is no other way to get the job done. I have worked in a shop for 15 years and I have seen 3 people cut digits off and quite a few minor accidents. I can tell you 95% of the accidents I have seen didn’t come from the questionably dangerous stuff but rather the easy simple cuts and the operator just simply lost attention to what they were doing.
Hey Marc,
Superb response to a hot topic. I’m sure it is a challenge to temper your responses to certain comments on these threads. You handled it a lot better than I would have.
People who like to point out what they deem as flaws in other peoples work / styles / approach are usually the biggest offenders to begin with. These are the same people who drive the interstates at 70 miles an hour talking on their cell phones or reading the morning newspaper. If they want to play the ‘Well Marc is a role model for the novice woodworker so he should be responsible for what he teaches’ rant, then tell them to stop emailing on their Blackberry with their 8 year old child in the back seat. I will take a one-handed wood chiseler over a cell phone talking, make-up applying, air guitar playing, blackberry chatting chiseler any day of the week.
See, I said you handled it better than I would have. Keep up the great work. We all appreciate the hard work and excellent presentations. It helps keep the fire burning. Many of us live vicariously through you :-)
Marc- Great article, even from someone who has to play the role of ‘safety police’ at work. Safety is a behaviour/attitude, and NO ONE ever likes to have their behaviours or attitudes questioned.
Unfortunately, most of the safety suggestions we read were written in someone elses blood. It would be a shame to relearn them at our own expense. The remaining safety ‘suggestions’ were written by lawyers it seems, and sometimes they may even make jobs more dangerous. Here is where common sense must come into play.
2 suggestions I don’t think are brought up enough for hobbyists setting up their own workspace:
Have a phone in the shop. Most hobby woodworkers work by themselves, and will need to get help for themselves should an incident occur.
Put fire extinguishers on both sides of your shop. One is great, unless that’s where the fire starts.
Not a sermon… just a thought.
Great (and timely) topic Marc. One thought that I’d like to make is to never use the “pros” as your measuring stick. “Pros” suffer the greatest number of accidents…
Also, check out Marc Adams’ article on safety in the current issue of Popular Woodworking.
and as they would, its a hrs in shop to number of accidents
An advantage of being a hobbyist is that I can let one cut take 30 minutes if I want to. The pro has to cut that piece pronto and move on, or they will get a smaller pay check. I think most injuries happen when we ignore our “inner warning signal” because we are late for dinner, need to deliver a product, or whatever.
I remember seeing a fellow class member rip a board using the table saw. This is how the person teaching the class had us do it, for whatever reason. As he was hesitantly feeding the wood into the saw with shaking hands, I had to walk away because I honestly thought he would lose arm or worse. Yet I didn’t say anything. Why? Because it’s none of my business, when the teacher was right there. It’s a tough call though.
I think it’s OK to post “that doesn’t look safe” comments on a forum like this. I usually skim over those anyway because they are obviously directed to the very fresh woodworker. Anybody who has a few years’ of experience won’t change their way unless they themselves or somebody they know have an accident, or a near-miss.
If I may rant about something, it’s **use hearing protection** or you’ll be that old person that the kids and grandkids yell to. And back up your hard drive dammit.
John, there are only a certain amount of pros who work safely in the first place. I have heard stories of a job interview involving the interviewee having to rip a sheet of plywood, and they didn’t get the job because they lowered the blade from full height.
I don’t know that that is a fair comparison though, I also don’t know that it’s true. A woodworker (pro or hobbyist) does get hurt (as Tim very appropriately stated, it’s the nature of the beast). If you were to look at a statistic that showed the amount of injuries a professional woodworker gets per year vs. a hobbyist, it would be a completely inaccurate statistic. A professional woodworker works approximately 40 hours a week (and many work far more than that) where a hobbyist is highly unlikely to put in anywhere near that. I think that in most cases, hobbyists are mostly only working on weekends. I think 16-20 hours a week would be fair guess. Not to mention that pros are generally working with machinery that is far more powerful and dangerous than the average hobbyist has access to. Another thing to consider is if you are working for someone, and your boss doesn’t take good care of the equipment (which happens more frequently than I care to think of), there could be all kinds of injuries from equipment failure.
I have to say that in the 3+ years that I have been working professionally, I have gone to the hospital twice. One of those times, they told me that it wasn’t a big deal, bandaged me up and sent me home (a knife malfunctioned and collapsed on my finger, granted I was using it improperly). The other time was because I was having chest pains due to a bug bite (obviously not related to the work itself, but covered by workers comp).
I think even beginning to make that comparison is opening a can of worms that isn’t fair to either side of the argument.
Marc,
Thanks to you for finially writting a common sense answer to the “safety police”.
I am afraid however that your comments are falling on deaf ears. There will always be that segment of folks sitting on the edge of their computer chair waiting to leap at any mistakes – real or perceived. I think it is inbred. They just can’t stand not telling you. See the second response. The guy just can’t let typo go unchallanged. And after all you said some are still challangeing the methods used in the video
I bet I get my feet held to the fire for my grammatical error (s) in this post.
Marc,
Keep up the great work and information. I think your â
Yes, me again! All the uproar is good in that you evoke thought among your audience. But do what you are comfortable with and be present. It’s that simple.
Everyone I know that have lost digits had a momentary lapse of attention. No one has ever told me “I should have practiced better safety”. No, they said “I shoulda paid attention” !
but thats the nature of this topic, they belived they were working correctly and that wasnt the problem that caused this. Same as Marc working the way he does, he believes its safe and from what ive seen he is. we all have the attention laps at times weather its brought on more from i gotta get this done the boss will skin me or i gotta get this done my wife is yelling supper is ready, have to pick up kids at ball bla bla bla. I know i am more alert working at my place of work doing the same things at home in my shop
I’m re-newed (took wood shop in H.S.) to wood working, and take safety very seriously. As a kid my father and uncle stressed safety while hunting, which carries over to power tools. I know what my tools can do, and if used properly, within my ability and their design, the tools are safe, if you can call spinning sharp blades safe.
Common sense… Well it’s not so common in some people. They should not use tools, much less drive 70 while on the phone. Have you read all the warnings on anything you buy now? Would it make a few happier if Marc told you not to put the router in any bodily orifice, or use the table saw in the shower?
Marc, keep up the good work, and everybody stay safe!
Glenn, I completely disagree with that statement. I think that you SHOULD develop a respect for the machinery based on fear. Every time you use a piece of machinery, or hand tool for that matter, you should be able to imagine what could go wrong before you begin. More importantly than thinking about what could go wrong, think about what it would FEEL like if you nicked your finger on that miter saw blade, or slipped and ran your finger into a jointer.
I firmly believe that fear is one of the best ways to keep yourself from getting severely injured.
I am glad I stumbled across your website/show Marc. Although I am a professional woodworker and have been for many years, I’ve learned things from you that I’ve put into practice immediately – I really like my new outfeed tables.
I’ve been blessed to have kept all my fingers. Starting off as a helper in the late 80′s, I’ve had ample opportunity to do myself some serious damage. But somehow I haven’t. Yet. I am not necessarily a religious person, but I try to thank the good Lord above often for my hands.
I like watching you work because I don’t know everything and it’s good to see things from a different perspective from time to time – you know, get out of your own head. So when it comes to safety, I like to compare how you do things to my ways.
Some of my ways are dangerous – yes, to the uninitiated. I hired a part time helper, for example, and I have to be very conscious about the way I do things when he’s around, because I do feel a sort of responsibility for what that guy learns from me. But truthfully, I think some people are safety freaks, and that in itself can be pretty freakin’ dangerous. Safety anxiety about an operation causes a person to think so much about it that they can often miss the obvious and launch a plywood frisbee across the shop.
Experience definitely increases a person’s comfort level with certain operations. For example, I’ll more often than not, crosscut plywood on my table saw. Watching an amateur do it, if it weren’t so dangerous, would be hilarious. Another thing I’ll do on the table saw (and I don’t use a splitter) is rip a board as thin as 7/8ths of inch with my bare hands. Stupid, maybe. But truthfully, it’s more out of habit than anything else, although I almost always consider what it would be like to lose my fingers.
What scares me is being under pressure to perform. I get the most careless when I am trying to go too fast. Getting in a hurry is to me one of the biggest safety concerns. When the almighty dollar becomes more important than your fingers, you have no place in the shop – myself included.
Experience is a good teacher, but some basic things should be taught to keep the hobbyist/amateur/rookie as safe as possible. Such things like keeping the tools sharp, where to keep your hands when you use the chisels, where to stand when you cut on the table saw are logical first principles for me.
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on the basic first principles of safety that you’d pass along to an apprentice or the equivalent.
Common sense is seriously overrated, it’s the mumbo you turn to if you’re short of a properly reasoned argument. If you rely on ‘common sense’ to keep you safe, you’re really not qualified to pass judgement or speak authoritatively on a subject.
Look at the worst case. If you think it’s dangerous… IT IS!! If you think your thumb is a little too far out … IT IS!!!
When that tool is running, I’m always looking for a way to do it safely. Almost in a nervous way.
Mike,
Thanks for bringing that point up. I was hoping that some astute person would. My comment concerning pros suffering the greatest number of accidents does not stem from statistics, but from complacency. Many pros have the attitude that they have done things like this before, so they can “get away with” doing it like they prefer instead of following proper safety procedures. I understand your points about factors that are out of their control, but what I am fighting here is the “pro” mindset.
There is another group that really needs to be brought into this discussion. That would be the tool manufacturers. They also need to share some of the responsibility for safety. When you get right down to it, there have been few real advances in tool safety. Sure, the companies have added guards, but they have mostly done it in a manner so as to make it inconvienient for the user. When this is the case, it usually means that they are defeated or removed. If your safety equipment is cumbersome, then effectively you have no safety system. Consider table saws, for example. Why is it that Eurpoean manufacturers have had riving knives for quite some time, while US manufacturers are having to be forced to introduce them into their 2008 (or was it 2009?) products.
I agree that personal responsibility is the most important factor in shop safety. However, proper instruction is a key component of this factor. If schools no longer teach this, and manufacturers won’t participate, then the only thing left is for one to learn it on their own. Many different people have vastly different ideas as to what is “safe”. Just look at the responses to this article.
Marc,
If everyone were as safe as you, the world would be a better place. You do enough in that department, so don’t stress. Safety is not only an attidude, but also a discipline. I know too many carpenters who don the heir of safety without having the discipline to actually put on safety glasses or to learn why a blade binds. Safety is more than caution alone.
Another excellent post, Marc.
If anyone thinks you aren’t safety conscious, they aren’t paying attention. (That’s not to say there can’t be constructive criticism… but your website speaks for itself.)
In almost all of your videos you give specific safety tips be it respirators, methods of cutting, etc. Sometimes you even voice-over things you’ve done that may not be as safe and you want to make it into a lesson. THAT is what is most important. Even professionals like you can miss something. The fact that you share that with us is what sets this site apart. You don’t see that anywhere else where the professional star of the show points out his own possible safety shortcomings. You’ve also posted many articles and links specifically dealing with safety.
I’m all in favor of the debate but never let it be said safety is not in the forefront of your mind or podcasts.
Keep up the great work!
First and foremost, TWW has been a fantastic source of information, guidance and inspiration for me as a woodworking hobbyist, and I look forward to every new episode.
Now, to the topic at hand- Safety should be everyone’s primary concern. One idea I always try to convey to people is that of “acceptable risk.” This basically translates into what risks you are willing to take. As a professional chef, motorcycle rider, and woodworker, I am exposed to, and witness, many potentially dangerous situations, and need to constantly make decisions involving safety.
For example, in the motorcycle community, there are a great deal of people who refuse to wear a helmet, or only wear a novelty shell that offers no protection. These people figure that they are experienced enough that their ability will help them avoid a crash where a helmet makes a difference. I am not one of them, but to them the risk of minimal or no protection is acceptable.
In the kitchen I am surrounded by hot and sharp things that can cause serious injury, and see a lot of people doing a lot of stupid things.
Fortunately, I have not had any trips to the emergency room yet, and hope to keep it that way by assessing the risk in every situation and minimizing the danger to me and others by deciding what risk is “acceptable.” What that is to me may be different to someone else. I can deal with minor nicks cuts and burns, but am not willing to lose a finger or an eye, so I take whatever precautions I can to keep everything attached to my body.
It is the responsibility of the individual to understand what is acceptable to him/her, and to work accordingly. It is simply irresponsible to blame somebody else for your own mistakes, and realize that a saw blade, router bit, or drill spinning at a couple thousand RPM’s has an inherent danger to it. Now deal with it an be as safe as you want to be.
Thanks for listening.
Excellent folks! This is one of the hottest topics we’ve discussed here on TWW. Thanks to all who contributed their opinions and advice!
Safety: OSHA requires you to constantly be a preaching guardian to your employees. If you have no employees, safety is your own responsibiity. One who RESPECTS his equipment ( not fears it) and understands its purpose, limitations, capabilities, and hazards has the best chance of remaining uninjured when using dangerous equipment. If you work with any kind of tools, you will eventually get hurt; the goal is to minimze the damage and frequency of injuries. I spent 35 years in manufacturing that has equipment large enough to eat not only your body parts, but your pickup truck as well. I saw thousands of very serious injuries and six fatalities during my career in the pulp and paper industry. We can all use a second opinion about our safety habits since no one is ever 100% safe 100% of the time, but like TWW, I tend not to offfer safety advice to others unless I see a life-threatening situation. After having given decade upon decade of safety lectures, training, and disciplinary action to employees, soon after getting started in woodworking, I managed to almost sever the end of my thumb on a table saw because I was doing efverything wrong I told others never to do. Had my wife been present at the time to give me her usual unappreciated advice, I would not have cut myself. I now listen very closely and heed her observations while we are in the shop working together. Safety advice given freely out of genuine concern for the individual’s health is always beneficial. Advice given merely in the spirit of “that’s not the way I would do it…” is a PITB. SO…always wear your PPE, keep your body parts clear of flesh-eating steel, and enjoy TWW’s great show. If he gets hurt, we will all be able to rear-view his actions ad nausea…otherwise, he is working safely enough to avoid injury. Also, great lines of thought from the previous comments.
Dear Safety Police,
The table saw will cut off your fingers. And if you have a SawStop, don’t worry, the band saw will then do it instead.
The wood dust will fill your lungs and kill you.
The drill press will cut holes in your hands and you will bleed to death.
The chisel will slip, slice your hand, and sever a tendon.
The router bit will come loose and bore right through your safety glasses, tearing out an eye.
The wood will bind in the blade and kick back into your stomach, causing internal bleeding which will kill you.
The static buildup in your dust collection pipes will cause your workshop to explode.
The workpiece on your lathe will shoot loose and pin your arm to the wall, so you can’t reach the phone before you bleed to death.
The solvents you use to finish your projects will kill you.
Stop woodworking now. Put all your tools on Craig’s List for half off. Offer free delivery.
Thank you.
Bas.
Bas, I think you are severely missing the point. Yes, it is very easy to get hurt from various tools, but there are easy ways to prevent injuries. And I think the Saw Stop is only going to make injuries more possible, through being “too safe”.
John, you are right about manufacturers needing to get involved, though I think it is more through education than safety devices. I do not use a riving knife, and if I do, it is one I make myself in a zero clearance insert. I don’t like a lot of safety features because they make people feel like it would be very difficult to get hurt. I feel that a lot of safety features cause complacency. The Saw Stop saw is a good example. What if a rookie woodworker is taught how to work on one of these saws, and learns how safe it is, then goes to work for another shop that does not have one? There is a good chance he will bring his habits over from the “safe” saw to one that doesn’t have those same safety features under the hood.
The only way is through education as far as I’m concerned.
Professional electricians work on live circuits. My Dad maintained an office building and frequently had to rewire or add outlets, lights, etc. to an office. To shut off the breaker would have disrupted the work of many people. An experienced electrician can work perfectly safely on live circuits because they have the knowledge, experience, and tools to do it right. But, the amateur is always advised to remove power before working on a circuit. They don’t necessarily have the knowledge and experience to work on live circuits. They many not even have the insulated tools that are needed.
The same with woodworking. Pros have established practices that may be outright dangerous for a hobbyist.
Now I don’t agree with what Mike said. That using safety equipment such as the Saw Stop is not good? It’s like saying that air bags and seat belts are bad because it will allow people to not drive safely or that motocycle drivers should not wear helmets.
The thing is that even season profesionals have accidents. I’ve read many accident stories and it could really happen to any of us. As someone said in one of the earlier posts accidents may happen even in the most common operations. Even though I’m really carefull and try to avoid doing stupid stuff it does not mean that tomorrow I can make that one mistake that results in an accident. If the safety equipment such as the blade guard or even the saw stop can help me in that situation then It’s completly worth it.
I believe that too many people rely too much on safety devices. I think you are missing my point though. Seat belts and air bags are available (and required) in all cars in the last decade. The Saw Stop is the only saw using this technology. My point is being someone trained to use the Saw Stop saw moving to a saw without that device may cause them to treat it as if it were the Saw Stop. I think that in many people, having something like that allows people to be careless.
I guarantee you that there are many people using that saw that think that they can’t get hurt by that saw. I don’t think anyone here would contest the fact that more injuries happen on table saws as a result of kickback than getting any part of your body in the blade. I am only saying that devices like the Saw Stop encourage complacency. And don’t forget that there is always a chance that the device will fail.
I think the SawStop actually makes you a safer woodworker. Every time it kicks in, its a toll on your wallet, not your fingers. Like traffic tickets, sometimes the threat of financial loss is more powerful than the threat of bodily harm.
A coworker of mine used to work in a electric power plant in communist Russia. There, they organized their safety rules such that if you can break any 2 rules and still be safe. Break 3, and you’ll know what its like to be hit by lightning.
I think this kind safety thinking is very smart and can be easily applied to nearly every woodworking operation. Just forcing yourself to identify and recognize the rules associated with each operation will remind you of what could happen. Also knowing that you have some redundancy in terms of safety provides you the confidence to do the operation without being dangerously terrified.
A tool is as safe, or dangerous, as the user allows it to be.
There is no such thing as 100% safety — there is risk in every thing. Every hobby on earth has risk, some more than others. (Ever think you can’t get hit in the head by a golf ball or have a heart attack walking up the 18th fairway?)
Everyone needs to judge his or her own level of risk.
If you get hurt, don’t blame the manufacturer, don’t blame government, and don’t blame the guy on the TV you watched do the same thing because he made it look safe.
Be accountable for your OWN safety. Be your own role model.
Mike, I completely agree. People need to be accountable for their own mistakes. However, the manufacturer, the government and the guy on TV need to do their best to make sure that it happens as little as possible. You’ll notice a lot of those guys on TV mention during every show to do simple things like wear safety glasses or ear protection. They do that because they (or their producers) acknowledge the fact that there are people watching that won’t even think about it, and they want to do their part. Everyone needs to do their part.
But on the whole, if you get hurt, you do need to look at yourself first. It’s very rare that it’s anyone else’s fault but your own.
Good rant Marc. Good info. Remember to focus while running power tools. Have you ever lost focus and thought, “I wonder what would happen if that slipped and cut my finger.” And, son-of-a-gun, you cut your finger! Don’t lose focus on what you are doing. Prepare yourself and focus!
There, that is my little rant. Thanks.
Common Sense is a measure of a person’s ability to apply their own experiences to a new or unknown situation. Common sense of a country raised person will be different than common sense of a city raised person. Someone who’s never seen a table saw reacts very differently than people who have been around tools their whole life.
Experience is often measured by the number of near accidents that the person has survived or witnessed. A person who has experienced a situation over and over again can usually tell (by sight, sound, and/or feel) when another dangerous situation is imminent. All the safety devices and techniques we use and have available are the result of someone applying the “That didn’t have to happen” factor to an accident and trying to figure out a way to avoid the accident for others in the future.
Education is taking advantage of experience offered by others so you don’t have to be an example from the “school of hard knocks” by attempting to do things “your way”.
In the emergency response world, we realize that more people are killed trying to rescue apparent victims than the victims initially. Don’t react to a situation unless you have training, equipment and some education to add to your experience. Remember the very same thing that took out your buddy is likely to take you out too unless you take time to prepare.