Power Tool Safety

Growing up in construction and using power tools everyday, I feel blessed to have all my fingers and no serious injuries. During those years I saw many men with missing fingers and thumbs and that sight really made me think. As years passed I watched as my dad removed the tips of two fingers with a jointer and much later my son split open his thumb with a band saw. Both were gruesome and bloody sights but they helped me to be a safer woodworker.
Such gruesome sights are unpleasant but important to note because POWER TOOLS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS! Any tool that can cut wood can also cut skin and bone. Keep this in mind every time you use a power tool. If you believe that being too safe slows you down, consider how slow you would be working with a serious injury, even after healing.
So how can you avoid these injuries? Start by reading the safety guidelines that came with the power tool instead of just discarding them. Sure, you know most of this stuff but these guidelines are written to help you avoid serious injuries and serve as a good review.
Here are a just a few things that will help you avoid injuries.
Plan Ahead - Plan every cut carefully before starting any power tool. How many times have you simply started cutting or planing out of habit. Doing the same thing over and over breeds carelessness and leads to injuries.
Clamp Your Work - Clamp work pieces securely before cutting, routing or sanding. Yes, it is quicker to hold the piece with one hand while using the power tool in the other but it is much more dangerous.
Check Your Other Hand - When you are using a power tool with one hand, always check where the other hand is before starting the tool. Do this even if you have clamped down the work piece. This may sound silly but knowing where your other hand is can save your fingers.
Visualize First - Visualize the complete procedure before you start. You know how to do the job. It only takes a moment to go through it in your mind. This will help you avoid potential kickback or other injury causing incidents.
Avoid Alcohol and Drugs - Never use power tools if you are tired, taking medications, or using alcohol or drugs. When you are tired it is difficult to focus your attention, a critical element in power tool safety. Alcohol and drugs can breed carelessness and over confidence. Both can contribute to an injury. These are sure ways to get hurt.
Protect Your Eyes and Ears - Always use ear and eye protection and dust masks when needed and they are needed most of the time. Almost every woodworking power tool creates fine dust that can affect your breathing. And, how many quiet machines are you using. Most of them are loud enough to hurt your ears without protection.
Woodworking is an enjoyable hobby and it can be profitable. Don't let a moment of carelessness ruin it for you. Think before turning on any power tool and take good care of yourself and others around you.
NOTE ON TABLE SAWS: The table saw is probably the most commonly used stationary power tool for woodworking. It is a tool that has many diverse uses. With the right kind of jigs it can perform amazingly well. It can also be extremely dangerous. More than 90 percent of shop injuries take place with table saws. These machines can injure you seriously. Using a table saw, and any other power tool, requires your total attention.
In addition to the potential for cutting you, when improperly used, a table saw can kick pieces back at you at astounding speed. These pieces can cause serious injuries. It is not my intent to scare you. I just want everyone to understand the power of these machines.
Always give your work on any power tool full attention. Take the time to learn the safety rules for the machine and adhere to them. It only takes one mistake to cause a serious, life changing injury. Please be careful.

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