Messman

Originally published in The Village Square - February 2010 How many of you truly use the safety equipment that comes with your tools? I would venture to say that you like me, probably don't use most of your safety gear that came with your tools, especially the safety equipment that came with that work all-important workhorse, your table saw. The come with the splitter and blade guard, and you can pick up other equipment for them such as feather boards. We set up our newly acquired tools, drooling at the prospect of cutting that first piece of wood, or running that first piece of wood through that planer, or doing whatever with that new tool. We get almost completed in setting that nice new shiny tool up, the only thing left is to put that safety equipment on, but we think to our selves, "I am careful, I have been woodworking for xx amount of years and have never had an accident. I don't need that safety gear. I am too good I always know where my body is in relation to the moving parts and blade of my equipment. Na I don't need it." Or maybe you say to yourself, "That safety gear is a pain to work with. It is comber some, and it just plain gets in my way, so I am not going to use that gear, I don't really need it." (Sound Familiar) So you don't put the safety features on your tool. Well, guess what folks. Its there for a reason. Its called safety devises for a reason. They are designed to help keep you safe!! I implore you to use them. If you haven't put them on your equipment, you need to go out to your work area, find them, clean all the dust off them and place them on your equipment now. Let me show you why. Here is my own finger (picture missing), and yes I was very lucky, the day after I ran it through a table saw that was running. It took about six hours for it to stop bleeding completely, and it will take, of course, much longer to heal. I guess you say that I decided that the finger was too long. Actually here is what happened. I was cutting down some wood on my table saw that was to be used as edging on a project that I was working on. When I was almost completed making that cut, it kicked back on me. When it did, my finger went under the wood I was cutting and right into the saw blade. I was very lucky, it could have been my whole finger or even more. Just so you are aware, the cut is deeper than the picture can show. One more piece of advice for you make sure you invest In a good First Aid Kit. Included with that first aid kit should be a bottle of eye cleaner/flushing solution. This is very important in a woodshop since we have all that sawdust/chips flying through the air. First aid kits are not expensive. You can pick up a good kit for $20.00 and up. You can also pick them up cheaper, all though I would personally not recommend the smaller kits. Your First aid kit should be mountable, clearly marked, and placed in a location that can be easily reached in your shop with no obstructions in its way. I also recommend that as you use items from your first aid kit that you replace that item. Don't make that costly mistake. Use the safety equipment that comes with your equipment, and for god sakes use the most important safety device you have, your brain!!!!! Don't be a bonehead like I was. Keep on Woodworking, and be safe.