I see dangers in my workshop every day—some minor, some major. Most have become second nature to me, from small cuts and bruises that happen all the time to working on machines that can potentially remove flesh and bone in a split second. How many hazards are you aware of in your own workshop? Have you been properly trained to use all the power tools at your disposal? Despite working with wood for most of my life, there are still moments when my concentration slips—when I'm tired or distracted, and I make a mistake. In this post, I want to highlight a few workshop dangers you may or may not be aware of.
Workshop Hazards
Hopefully by reading this post, I will mention something that will help or save you from harm down the road by easily identifying common workshop hazards. I will deal with topics in no particular order of danger and this will probably end up as a rolling blog post due to the vast arena of woodworking. I may not mention every machine or incident possible. I will start by mentioning Woodturning related topics first.
Index Titles
First Use Common Sense
This should be standard in all walks of life but sadly we all see daily occurrences by others where common sense was absent. Make sure you always use common sense while woodworking and when you feel nervous about something, it probably means you are doing something risky. Stop! Re-assess, plan proper methods and then do the task properly.
The safety police that you normally find on woodturning Facebook pages like to preach things they've read from others. For instance, never wear gloves on a Lathe is a common one. I often wear Max Flex gloves while Turning green bowls. Why? Because it protects my skin from the wet shavings flying at high speed which damage the skin and hurt after a few minutes. If you don't wear gloves, your skin will be raw after ten minutes and in too much discomfort to Turn. Obviously you don't stick your gloved hand onto the wood as it turns in case you get caught. As mentioned before, common sense. Hopefully there will be a few issues that will ring true as you read on below.
Dust - The Hidden and Silent Killer
Before any woodwork is started you must plan for and prevent inhaling dust particles, especially the unseen micro particulates that go down deep into your lungs and cause health issues. Go into your workshop at night and shine a torch and you will probably see them floating around. At a bare minimum, use a basic dust mask when making dust. A powered respirator is at the top end of lung protection and should be the aim for anyone working with wood long term.
Use a chip extractor to remove as much as possible direct from any machine you are working on and possibly a 0.5 micron air filter working away in the background. Removing dust at source is the most effective as you don't allow it to accumulate in your workshop only to become an issue later on.
I advise students who only have a basic dust mask and don't yet have any extractors to use a fan and blow the dust out a window or door until they can buy something better. A pain in your lungs at night-time probably means you were exposed to hardwood dust without wearing a mask.
The Bandsaw
The Bandsaw is probably the first machine a Woodturner will use to cut wood in a workshop setting. The force of the bandsaw blade goes directly down into the table which is safer for cutting wood while at the same time lethal for skin and bone if you make contact with the blade. Always keep your fingers and hands hooked to some part of the table or fence for support keeping hands well away from the blade and never push towards the blade trying to cut faster. This is a false economy as you are increasing the tension and friction on the blade and risking your hands going forward accidentally making contact with the blade. Always use a Push Stick or other device so that your digits are never near the blade while it is in motion. Be careful cutting uneven wood as sudden off track movements while the blade is inside the wood can cause over-friction of the blade and lead to blade breakage or movement off it's position on the main drive and support wheels. You can set up a holding jig quite easily, there are plenty of examples on the internet. Finally, never cut round pieces without the use of a holding jig!
The Chainsaw
An essential tool in a professional Woodturner's tool kit but not for novices. Chainsaws are fairly safe but not entirely safe in the hands of a trained and skilled operator but can be absolutely lethal in the hands of an untrained amateur. Blades should be correctly sharpened with even strokes on each tooth starting with the most blunt tooth and making it sharp before moving on to each tooth with the same amount of strokes. The bar must be properly lubricated and spitting lubricant during use. Always use the correct Kevlar PPE gear, a decent face shield and good quality ear protection. Never take chances and always be careful of your stance and surroundings. Never touch the very tip during operation for fear of kickbacks and make sure it has a working kickback stopper guard. Also, never use the chainsaw above your shoulders. I would advise taking a chainsaw course if you intend for the chainsaw to become a regular part of your woodworking.
The Grinder
An essential machine tool in the workshop which makes Woodturning safer and more fun by keeping tools sharp. Always wear eye protection when you approach this machine, get in the habit early on and leave them where you can't forget to put them on. If you are using stone wheels, make sure the wheels are inside guards and always use quality sharpening platforms and jigs. Make sure your tools are high quality high speed steel so that you get a quality edge to your tools when sharpening. If you afford it, buy CBN wheels for your grinder early on; they are the safest and best wheels going and make life so much easier in the workshop. My grinders are half-speed or slow grinders and I have removed the guards. I can do this as the wheels are solid steel and I am the only person allowed use them.
The Lathe
If you ask a principal of any school they will probably tell you that the Lathe is very dangerous due to being pulled in or hit in the face by a spinning object. These are only partially true and the Lathe is fairly safe to use provided the user has common sense and has been shown the do's and don'ts. Never wear long sleeves or any item of clothing or jewellery that can get caught and pull you in. Most Woodturning Lathes are not powerful enough to pull someone in but don't take the chance. A metal turning Lathe on the other hand is powerful enough to pull you in and not let you go. Wear a face shield at all times and avoid mounting pieces that are too big and misshapen to Turn safely. Be careful of the way you stand in front of the Lathe with a gouge in your hand and always make sure your approach to the wood is deliberate and controlled. Learn where the emergency stop switch is before starting it up and for the love of god, go for a lesson before any of the aforementioned! Try one of my Woodturning Tuition Classes.
Handtools
It goes without saying, you get what you pay for. When it comes to Handtools, buy the best you can as they are generally of high quality and will last you a lifetime. I sell a range of Hamlet Tools for Woodturning that are second to none in my opinion. Quality steel will hold an edge far longer than cheap steel so you can Turn longer and be safer. The cheaper ones will do for a while but will eventually let you down. No point in having to fork out a second time when one good purchase would have done. Never use a Spindle Roughing Gouge on a bowl or platter or for turning an uneven branch between centres. I had to repair one after a customer got a bad catch doing this. The gap between the main body of the branch was further away from the Toolrest due to the branch stubs so when he got a catch he could not control the tool and ended up bending the tool tang. A 5/8'' Bowl Gouge would have been more appropriate.
The Risk of Workshop Fires
This is a big section.
Many people may not be aware that a 9V battery connecting with steel wool while on something like wood shavings can start a chain reaction leading to fire. Did you know that? Never keep 9V batteries exposed in a workshop and avoid steel wool. When a battery is dead, use electrical tape to cover the terminals and dispose of properly.
How about the accumulation of steel filings waste under your grinder can be flammable? Give a brush out or hoover periodically to avoid this and dispose of the filings.
Surely you know that piles of dry Woodturning waste on the ground can be highly flammable if a spark, heat or flame touches it? Brush out your workshop before this builds up and dispose of properly.
Check for shavings around Lathe motors as these can become quite hot during operation and brush them off. If your motors continuously get very hot it might be a good idea to use an additional house fan to cool it down. Cheaper Lathes tend to max out motors so keep an eye on this.
How about finishes like Danish Oil which create heat as they cure, did you know that the application rags can spontaneously combust in certain conditions? Always lay the cloth flat to air dry in the open outside or dispose of in a fireplace to avoid fire in your workshop.
Never grind metal with a handheld grinder anywhere near shavings in your workshop. A slow fire can start and develop after you finish and leave.
Never keep flammable liquid in open containers, always close the tops and put out of harm's way. A fire is the end of your workshop and all your machines and tools, don't let one start!
I will add images to the following paragraphs when I can.
The Table Saw - the Most Dangerous Machine
In my opinion, the Table Saw is The most dangerous machine in the workshop. Anyone I ever met who was missing fingers or parts of their hands were the result of a table saw or an inverted power saw acting as a table saw. While ripping pieces it is quite possible that your hand could be pulled into the blade so always use a Push Stick! I constantly see videos online of guys pushing a piece of wood between the fence and the blade. DON'T DO THAT, EVER!
The blade rotates in the direction of the user meaning kickbacks are a real danger. The riving knife is meant to stop boards from squeezing the blades and avoiding kickbacks but some hardwoods can still squeeze behind a cut and the piece of wood gets kicked back into your body. Never remove the top guard as tripping or falling on to the spinning blade is always a possibility. I am guilty of this myself so I am always extra conscious and vigilant around table saws. With all the years of my experience in woodworking I am still nervous when using a table saw. I have adapted some of my wooden Push Sticks to have a rubber tip so they don't slip while guiding wood past the blade.
Trip Hazards
Many people don't think about stuff on the floor causing accidents until they day they trip and fall forward or backwards. Even worse while carrying something sharp or something bulky that lands on you or your face falls into. Having piles of shavings, wood offcuts, dropped tools or mats around your Workshop present hazards that could potentially cause serious injury to you or visitors. In my case I teach students in my Workshop and I always point out my anti-fatigue mats as being a potential trip hazard at the start of each session. Be aware of what's on your floor before working with tools especially if you are using a table saw! Avoid having electrical leads crossing the floor where you or others will be walking and instruct others to never cross in front or behind you over a tool electric lead while you are operating a saw. It's possible that their foot can catch the lead and cause you to jerk leading to an accident. Instead, make sure they stop until you have finished cutting and the tool is back on the ground or has stopped moving.
Chisels
Chisels are an important part of any woodworkers tool kit and even though they are not powered, they can still be dangerous. I learned in Carpentry school on day one to leave a falling chisel fall. Never try to catch it on the way down as you will most probably slice your hand open quite seriously. Why is this important? Human beings are creatures of habit. Drop something and you will instinctively try to stop that object from falling. Casualty or Emergency Departments are not fun places to be visiting so let the chisel fall. You may have to repair the edge of the tool but it is far better that cutting yourself badly.
Overstacked Shelves
Put heavy objects on lower down shelves and stack your shelving so that it won't fall over or the contents fall off. If you are putting lots of sheets of wood against a wall, always provide a metal safety frame in case the pile decides to tip over as you are pulling out sheets. This has happened in Cork, Ireland and a young man tragically lost his life.
Surface Planer
I often watch joiners surfacing boards with two hands pressed over the material as it passes over the cutting blades and I involuntarily shiver each time I see it. I have a surface planer and I use two Bench Dogs Push Blocs every time I surface wood panels. Go and buy a set and feel comfort in the fact that if the board ever disappears from under the blocs it will be the blocs that get damaged and not your appendages.
Takeaway
Let's face it, I could go on for another bit nit picking at everything in the workshop but I think I have covered all the essentials. Use common sense always. If you are nervous doing something new, chances are you are not properly prepared or you are doing something you probably shouldn't. Stop! Re-assess the job! Get help if you require it! Don't get hurt!!!
Thanks for reading! David
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