User:NKeaton/Safety

Workshops present a nearly unique opportunity for personal injury and potentially endangering others that is easily avoidable by making special safety considerations. No single place in the home or workplace contains such a deadly menagerie of tools intended to cut, shape, drill, or weld materials far harder than human flesh. Thus, the first and foremost task of anyone coming to work in a professional workshop or going out out to the garage to build some bookcases is to be aware of his surroundings and scrutinize the tools and materials he intends to use in order to maximize the safety of himself and others. Before any power tool is even taken out of the box and assembled the owner should have read and understood its operating and safety instructions. Before any power tool is used, the operator must be aware of its attendant risks and respond to them conscientiously by wearing appropriate clothing and safety gear.

No matter the type of work being performed, a workshop should always be set up to maximize safety as well as ease and quality of work. This will always include first and foremost being properly outfitted with a well-stocked first aid kit, a telephone, appropriate fire extinguishers (dry powder, CO2, and water), clean and stable flooring, clear work surfaces of appropriate height, ample space in which to work and safely move/store materials, and lighting appropriate to the task.

Clothing and protective gear

Never wear loose fitting clothing, open toed shoes, jewelry of any sort, or neckties or scarfs. If the operator is wearing a long sleeved shirt it should be rolled down and buttoned at the wrist. Whether the operator is working with a grinder, saw, drill, welder, or any chemicals, appropriate safety glasses should be worn. Long hair should be tied tightly behind the head, and if a hat is worn it should be turned with the brim backward to avoid any waste material being directed under the brim and behind safety glasses. If the operator is working with any sharp edges, such as on wood, glass or metal, leather gloves should be worn to protect hands and wrists. However, never wear gloves while operating fixed power tools in the shop. When using a fixed routing station, drill press, table saw, joiner, planer, or drum sander always follow the manufacturer's safety instructions and use supplied safety equipment such as feather boards, guides, rails, and guards.

Eye, face, and neck protection

Regardless of the task, safety glasses should always be worn in the workshop to protect against flying debris, dust, chemical splatter, and lack of situational awareness. Safety glasses are typically made with strong flexible plastic frames and shatter-resistant lenses that can be worn either by themselves or over prescription eyeglasses. Side shields provide additional protection. Welders must wear goggles or a face and neck mask with lenses of the appropriate darkness and UV protection to protect against arc blindness, a serious injury akin to getting sunburn on the retina.

Respirators and breathing protection

Some shop chemicals and their combustion byproducts are known to cause serious injury in during relatively short unprotected exposures, as well as long term affects like cancer. Therefore, working with solvents and paints requires use of an air-purifying respirator or chemical cartridge respirator designed to filter the particular chemical being used. Respirators and Canisters should be inspected prior to and after use according to the manufacturer's instructions to guard against clogging or any other malfunction that may affect their effectiveness. Some canisters or respirators are useful only a certain number of hours or days after being removed from their packaging. Others must be replaced after exposure to certain chemicals or within a certain number of hours of use. Canisters and respirators must be discarded and replaced as directed in order to maintain effectiveness and safety. Prices for air purifying and cartridge respirators have dropped significantly as home-shop demand increased. Units adequate to protect against most chemicals likely to be used in a home workshop are available for less than $50.00.

When working with metal or wood, particularly Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), which creates a fine dust of wood and glue that can cause serious respiratory discomfort and injury, the operator must wear a mechanical-filter respirator, Mechanical-filter respirators are familiar cups that fit over the mouth and nose in order to filter particulate matter from the air being breathed. They are relatively cheap and can often be used multiple times by simple using compressed air to blow trapped particulate matter off the mask from its inside.

Hand tools

http://safety.ag.utk.edu/safetyplan/17Shopweb/17shopsafety.htm

Electricity in the shop

Always properly store extension cables when not in use. Always inspect and replace extensions and tool power cables if they are damaged. Never leave cables strewn across the floor where they can be tripped on. This minimizes the possibility of both falling on dangerous equipment and flinging power tools into the air. Never lay power cables over any moisture.

Best practice is to have ample power outlets throughout the workshop and to use cable ties or velcro to bundle unused potions of cable.

Heavy lifting

Jacks and jack stands

One person should set up jacks and jackstands so that they are evenly distributed to avoid tipping.

Other lifting equipment

Engine hoists and other specialized lifts may require special instruction. They at least require forethought and diligence. All lifting equipment, including chains, shackles, motors, and wenches, should be inspected prior to and after use. Any repairable damage should be repaired or the tool should be scrapped as unsafe. A V8 engine can weigh anywhere from 430 to nearly 700 pounds undressed. Regardless of the item being lifted, to avoid any potential for catastrophic injury, engine hoists and other specialized lifts require ample room to operate, a perfectly flat rolling surface to minimize tipping, and adequate familiarity with the lift's written operating instructions.

Ladders

Types of ladders suited to the job, inspection, placement, spotters, using tools on a ladder

Spills, obstructions, and shop cleanliness

Bentonite, sawdust

Protecting others' safety

Signs, barriers, closing doors, screens

No smoking, eating, or drinking in the shop

It should go without saying that any workshop is a no-smoking environment. Shop solvents and chemicals are nearly all extremely flammable. Sawdust and chemicals on the ground and in the air can go up in a high-pressure ball of fire when exposed to an open flame. Accidents involving smoking in the workshop are completely avoidable and therefor completely unacceptable risks.

Because of the risk of ingesting chemicals, sawdust, woodchips, and metal flakes, no food should ever be consumed in the workshop. It is important to stay properly hydrated while working, especially in hot conditions where dehydration can cause lapses of judgment and coordination that can be life-threatening. An area outside the workshop should be designated for keeping drinks and food.

Air handling and dust removal

In order to minimize injury inherent in piles of sawdust or other waste material accumulating on the floor that can be tripped over and poses an extreme fire hazard as well as wood dust in the air that can cause respiratory injury and also poses an extreme fire hazard, appropriate air handling is necessary. Many portable hand tools as well as fixed drill presses, router stations, table saws, joiners, planers, and sanders have dust ports on them that can be readily attached to a shop vac. Shop vacs are cheap, versatile, and when used in this way become a highly effective safety tool. They should be inspected periodically to make sure there is ample room for accumulated waste and that all filters are clear. Permanent solutions utilizing a vacuum system and exterior canister are available, though cost thousands and are usually out of reach of most home craftsmen.

First aid and always have a telephone nearby

A first aid kit, whether it's homemade or store bought, should contain assorted bandages and scissors, water-based lidocaine or benzocaine ointment for skin, eye, and mouth injuries, etc., triple antibiotic, buffered eyewash and eye washing cup, pointed tweezers and a magnifying glass, safety pins, swabs, medical tape, and pain relievers.

I have a tray on top of one of my toolchests in which I put my cellular phone, wallet, keys, etc. so that if anyone comes into the workshop and finds me in need of help everything he needs is right there to call 911 and get me to the emergency room. Someone should always know where you are and what you're doing so that he or she can periodically check on you.