Being Your Own Safety Officer

Unless you are an amateur phlebotomist, a blood-free workplace is a happy workplace.

Jul 08, 2024

As a stay-at-home worker, you don’t have the benefit of a dedicated “Safety Officer”, who harps continuously on employees to do things the correct and safe way. Although they are sometimes ridiculous in what they require, they protect the company’s insurance program and strive to meet OSHA guidelines.

For yourself at home, you must ensure that you are implementing the safest practices in everything you do. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t and you need to figure out a better way to do it. You might slide by the first few times, but it will eventually catch you up.

The process of working wood is inherently dangerous. With all the horsepower behind sharp spinning blades and bits, this is a given. Tools have no conscience. They care not for my health. But I do.

Flashback…

“Here I sit, in front of my computer, the day after cutting the tip of my left index finger off. The table saw didn’t do it. I did. The table saw is not sorry. I am. My Etsy shop is temporarily closed. The five patient customers with pending orders are disappointed because of the delay. New orders are prevented from coming in, right at the beginning of my busy fall season.
Julie is mad because I will not go to the emergency room, but I am not dim, nor can I afford a $500.00 bill that insurance will refuse to pay. My stubborness aside, I know how to do basic first aid, cleaning and bandaging my wound to prevent infection. I know I got a tetanus shot 3 years ago. If, after a day or two, it starts to swell or give undue pain, I will go to my urgent care office to have them address it.
The five milliseconds (that is .05 of a second) cannot be redone. I am lucky it wasn’t worse. It could just as easily have been an entire finger. I am lucky I am right-handed, so I can get back into the shop in a few days. I am lucky to have such a loving wife and such understanding clients.
I hate pain, though this is minimal. I hate sitting about, hunting and pecking these words out with one less digit, knowing there are things to be done. Even though it wants to contribute to this discussion, hovering above the keyboard, my left index finger knows it can’t. I hate that the lawn needs mowing, but will have to wait another day or two. I hope the city does not complain.”

This occurred last year, September 5, 2023, while I was ripping stock blanks for my chopsticks on my table saw when a piece of beautiful walnut decided to kick back and take my finger with it from the outfeed side of the blade. A task I have successfully completed hundreds of thousands of times with no issues.

I wrote the italicized copy above about three months before I published my first blog here. I felt I should get it down while it was still fresh and since I had the time on my hand (pun intended). I was mad at myself for being inattentive in my work, hoping that by the time it is published it is but a well deserved lesson with a stumpy reminiscent scar and weird fingernail, as it now is.

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While I am at it…

Just because you are working from home and no one is watching (except for the cats, who enjoy seeing a little blood), it does not exclude you from following basic safety precautions. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, 53.6 percent of all injury-involved accidents occur at residences.

So, while home may be where the heart is, it is also the place where you are most likely to be hurt. Here is a list of guidelines to remember while puttering your favorite crafts.

Use proper tool procedures and safety equipment. If unsure about them, read the instructions or check YouTube for tutorials. The info is out there. Just because a guard or splitter seems to limit your workflow is not a reason to remove it. Find another way if you are uncomfortable with the setup.
Listen and feel your work. Machines will likely change their tune and/or start a weird vibration just before they go haywire. A high pitched screeching sound often indicates a bad bearing. Shut them down immediately and check them over. A loose blade, belt or bit can be extremely hazardous to your health.
The nose knows. Pay attention to burning material or electrical smells. Tools will let you know when blades need to be changed or they are at the end of their life and need to be replaced.
Wear protective glasses. An eye injury takes no longer than a cut and can be a lot more debilitating to your future.
Have first aid stuff on hand and know how to clean and bandage minor cuts. I keep handy an assortment of bandages, gauze and tape, tweezers and hydrogen peroxide. Using them right away will prevent infections and keep them from staining your work. Bloodstains are not popular with customers.
Unseen dust particles are most dangerous to your health. They float in the air and love the moist environment of your lungs, unlike the chips, shaving curls and coarse dust that fall to the floor or get sucked into your vacuum.
If you don’t have good dust collection, wear a dust filter mask to save your lungs. Many woods contain allergens and/or toxins, especially the exotics. Plywoods and MDF are particularly bad, with the nasty glues, fillers and chemicals that are used to produce them (often in foreign countries with few production regulations). Even with an effective vacuum system, a mask may still be warranted.
Don’t fume yourself out. If you regularly spray lacquers, paint, glue, etc., wear a real respirator, not just a dust mask. It would be embarrassing to be found unconscious in your workshop, with 91… punched out on your phone.
Don’t combust. Dust, aerosol finishes and some glues can ignite with a spark from a fan or tool motor. If you use your sander for sharpening chisels and such, disconnect it from your dust collector. A spark sucked into your vacuum can make it go BOOM. Gasoline, thinners and some glues are highly flammable. Store them away from your major work areas. If you smoke, do not leave cigarettes unattended and be aware of where you are sparking up. Maybe go outside.
Lifting is bad for your back. Learn how to lift. Watch a YouTube video if you are in doubt. You are more likely to follow proper lifting techniques if you are picking up something heavy, but beware of lighter things. Pay attention to how you bend.
A clear, sober head is mandatory in the workshop. Mind elevating substances should be enjoyed away from sharp implements and spinning things, with friends in your living room perhaps.

Accidents are inevitable in whatever you do. Handling them properly is essential to your future. Learning to prevent them is key to a happy, secure workshop. But when they do occur, it is now easier than ever to have a phone nearby to summon help.

It is vitally important to not become complacent in your work. Repetitive procedures can falsely lull you into thinking they are safe. It is awfully hard to enjoy your work while recuperating in pain.

Have safe, productive fun and mind your digits!

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