# Time to review my safety methods



## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

For the second time in less than a few weeks I'm back in the ER for a nice deep cut, this time on my wrist after running it into the bandsaw.. 
I'm just not paying attention enough and taking unnecessary risks with dangerous equipment and paying the price. 
This one is relatively minor compared to the table saw mess I made, but not something I want to keep doing. 
Time for me to reestablish some kind of safety procedures and start using safety equipment more than I have been. 
When it rains it pours.. My shop accidents seem to come in bunches one right after another.. Before the last TS accident I went a few years without one and now 2 in a row again.. DAMMIT!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

What safety methods? 

Safety rules:
Murphy's Law prevails
The Law of Gravity is also true.
Focus, focus and stay focused.
Don't work when tired or after long hours in the shop.
Keep the safety devices in place and at the proper height.
Bandsaws take about 3 weeks to spin down after shut off.
Don't reach for scraps or workpieces near the blade. Instead, "bat" them forward towards you, with a short stick.
:vs_cool:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

allpurpose said:


> For the second time in less than a few weeks I'm back in the ER for a nice deep cut, this time on my wrist after running it into the bandsaw..
> I'm just not paying attention enough and taking unnecessary risks with dangerous equipment and paying the price.
> This one is relatively minor compared to the table saw mess I made, but not something I want to keep doing.
> Time for me to reestablish some kind of safety procedures and start using safety equipment more than I have been.
> When it rains it pours.. My shop accidents seem to come in bunches one right after another.. Before the last TS accident I went a few years without one and now 2 in a row again.. DAMMIT!


Do you just get in a hurry when you are working? You have to take a certain amount of time to think if you are pushing your hands toward the blade. This should never be done because a person can always slip. I never at any time push my hands toward a blade.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

if you are working with an injury - a splinter, a cut, a sprain, whatever - you are apt to be favoring it and that can throw off a lot of things you do - so that's something to keep in mind - extra forethought needed....

with particular regard to woodworking, I've found just a couple things keep me out of trouble:

#0 - shortcuts always take longer, especially cleaning the blood off the work piece.

#1 - never grab for anything. just let it fall. if you do #3 right, it shouldn't be unexpected (I let cut offs fall on the floor all the time . . . ) if it is unexpected something else is not right.

#2 - you should be guiding the work piece thru / past the cutting tool. when the effort turns from "guiding" to "pushing" (common sense meanings vs. some fruitcake literal meaning . . . ) you're headed for a problem. stop - just say stop - big red button time - and figure out what's wrong - because next up is usually a slip or a jam and flying objects and/or blood.

#3 - prep the set-up. nothing in the way, nothing vibrating around, nothing under foot - then a 3 second stare confirming yup - guide in place, guide locked down, push stick at the ready, out-feed catch table / support in order, etc.

the exact line of thinking of course depends on what you are doing - i.e. the 'checks' for using a planer are different that the checks for the drill press. but it's the habit of that intentional short "is this right?" pause that's the important bit. it's an easy habit to slip out of....usually leading to regrets.

another aspect falls into the 'right tool for the job' - got razzed over the fence clamp on length stop a short while back. well - it sits by the table saw, it's easy on - easy off, and eliminates the temptation of 'this'll work for one cut' - so in additional hand tools - not using a screwdriver as a chisel and hammering it through your palm.... guides/ stops/ fixtures/ etc are far superior to ye'olde 'I'll just freehand it' screw-up. and the easier they come to hand and the easier they are to use, the better. it's surprising how easy the rationalization 'ah it's just one cut' comes into play when the right tool is on a shelf just 10 feet across the shop....


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

As others have said: FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! Sorry to hear you've injured yourself on a power tool again. I'm lucky in that mine are with hand tools (chisels, hammers, screwdrivers, knives). When I purchased my band saw, the first thing I did was paint the upper guide holder bright red with some of SWMBO's cast off nail polish. The band saw is so quiet when running (compared to a table saw), it's easy to forget it's actually running. The throat plates of my table saw are bright red also, but sometimes they are obscured by the work piece. The only real power tool injury I've had is to let a spinning router bit hack the cord of the router while it was spinning down. I've done this twice. Soft start routers are nice, but they don't stop spinning any quicker.

Many years ago, I was an intern at a large engineering company and one day one of the lead engineers came in with his hand swathed in bandages. For hours he refused to tell anyone how it got injured, but the truth eventually came out. He was holding a 2x4 in his hand and attempting to drill a hole in it thinking he could stop before holing his hand.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

OP: Please take care or you'll have to change your title to "Dis-Member".


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

FOCUS is probably the most important element.. Almost every accident I've had has been me not paying enough attention to the task at hand. I don't have anyone else to blame. 
They're accidents from doing things that I know better than to be doing them the way I did them and it has to come back to lack of focus..
I'm going to take some time to heal up good this time around instead of being forced to favor one side over the other.. As it is right now my entire left side from my left shoulder on down hurts.. I got a tetanus shot so that hurts, wrist hurts and my finger still hurts so that anything I do in the shop is going to have to be right handed and even my right elbow hurts from arthritis..not to mention I'm left handed anyway..kind of a perfect storm of stupid to be out there risking yet another injury..
I'm pretty sure that if I were to go out there and even turn on any piece of equipment the old woman would come out and slap me good and hard and I'd deserve it.. lol
Before I do any more work out in the shop all the guards ,fences and so on are going to be in place whenever possible and practical and I'm going to clear out all the messes and piles of cut offs and extension cords are put up and out of the way. 
All the scraps I won't need any time soon are going to the trash bin and probably city dump. If I have to carefully step over or around it its gonna be gone.. I only have so many fingers and other body parts and personally I'd kind of like to keep them attached and working properly..
I'm sure I'm overlooking plenty of other things, but I gotta start somewhere..


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Okay, I have to ask, how'd you run your wrist into a bandsaw blade? Fingers or hand I could understand, you're pushing a piece through, not paying attention, push too hard and cut through too soon and Bam. Can't see that happening to a wrist unless you're pushing with your forearm though...


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## Larry42 (Jan 10, 2014)

Blade guide too high?
Blood makes such a mess, need to figure out where you are going wrong. 
Ever consider a SawStop?
Then there is the wife's response! Can be as bad as the blood.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is guiding philosophy of mine, and one of the main reasons I use hand tools. It's really hard to cut off body parts with a hand saw, chisel, or hand plane.

Then again, I'm not in it as a profession, so it doesn't matter how long it takes me to get things done.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Chris Curl said:


> KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is guiding philosophy of mine, and one of the main reasons I use hand tools. It's really hard to cut off body parts with a hand saw, chisel, or hand plane.
> 
> Then again, I'm not in it as a profession, so it doesn't matter how long it takes me to get things done.


Chris, 
I know this might sound crazy, but my worst woodworking accident to date after 45 years of woodworking was with a hand chisel. I did this while in my 20’s. Prior to the chisel accident, I got 4 stitches in 5th grade when I nearly cut a finger off with a new pocket knife cutting sugar cane of all things. So hand tools can hurt you too.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Chris Curl said:


> KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is guiding philosophy of mine, and one of the main reasons I use hand tools. It's really hard to cut off body parts with a hand saw, chisel, or hand plane.
> 
> Then again, I'm not in it as a profession, so it doesn't matter how long it takes me to get things done.


Did you know: The “kISS” method is used throughout the business world and industry. Even some major Fortune 500 companies practice and teach the KISS method to their management and employees.


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

Chris Curl said:


> KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is guiding philosophy of mine, and one of the main reasons I use hand tools. It's really hard to cut off body parts with a hand saw, chisel, or hand plane.
> 
> 
> 
> Then again, I'm not in it as a profession, so it doesn't matter how long it takes me to get things done.




Just wondering how many times you jammed a chisel into your hand while learning what not to do.


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Terry Q said:


> Just wondering how many times you jammed a chisel into your hand while learning what not to do.


It only took that one time!
I’ve got a good memory of that mistake after all these years. Ouch!


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

Terry Q said:


> Just wondering how many times you jammed a chisel into your hand while learning what not to do.


No question, I have cut myself a few times using chisels the wrong way. Never resulted in a trip the the E.R. though, just a band-aid.


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

When I was learning woodworking, I too got a nick with a chisel. Chisels can slip, that's why one should never put the other hand in a 270 deg. arc forward of a chisel. Also, a blunt chisel can catch and slip more than a sharp one. So keep your chisels sharp.

Never had any power tool injury (yet), even though I have several table mounted circular saws, chop saw, and jigsaws. Best thing while working with power tools is to take it easy and slow down, and always know where your hands are relative to the tool.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*blood letting injuries, the score .....*

I have had more injuries from hand tools than power tools by 20 to zero. Stanley knives, Xacto knives, chisels, saw blades, plane irons, hammers vises etc. have all accounted for those injuries, even though I take care to not cut in towards my hands or fingers. :|


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> I have had more injuries from hand tools than power tools by 20 to zero. Stanley knives, Xacto knives, chisels, saw blades, plane irons, hammers vises etc. have all accounted for those injuries, even though I take care to not cut in towards my hands or fingers. :|


Me too. I was so thankful to get a nail gun. No telling how many times I hit my fingers with a hammer. I think about the worst hand tool accident was I put about a 1/4" wide carving chisel almost through my hand. It when through the palm of my hand and I had a blue spot on the back side of my hand where it almost came through. Wasn't long after that I bought a woodworking vice to put an end to that.


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

How did I cut my wrist with the bandsaw? I was practicing being stupid and I mastered it. That's about the only answer I have for that.. 
It's probably a good thing I'm not particularly squeamish when it comes to getting injured, but on the other hand I'm not particularly proud of getting injured. 
I'm going on 60 sometime next year and if I had to guess the number of times I've had to get stitched up I'd quickly lose count.. I tend to heal quick and don't bleed a lot. I suppose if it was the other way around and I bleed like a stuck pig and took forever to heal each time I probably would find a much safer hobby..
I like to write and I enjoy cooking too, but it's pretty easy to get hurt in the kitchen and paper cuts hurt too.. 
The Mrs suggested I take up knitting, but I reminded her about those pointy knitting needles.. So much for knitting..lol


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

allpurpose said:


> How did I cut my wrist with the bandsaw? I was practicing being stupid and I mastered it. That's about the only answer I have for that..
> It's probably a good thing I'm not particularly squeamish when it comes to getting injured, but on the other hand I'm not particularly proud of getting injured.
> I'm going on 60 sometime next year and if I had to guess the number of times I've had to get stitched up I'd quickly lose count.. I tend to heal quick and don't bleed a lot. I suppose if it was the other way around and I bleed like a stuck pig and took forever to heal each time I probably would find a much safer hobby..
> I like to write and I enjoy cooking too, but it's pretty easy to get hurt in the kitchen and paper cuts hurt too..
> The Mrs suggested I take up knitting, but I reminded her about those pointy knitting needles.. So much for knitting..lol


Fair enough explanation mate! Least youre smart enough to admit when you screw up, plenty of guys out there who would try to put on a show of bravado and blame the tool or the workpiece or claim theyve done the same thing thousands of times before and the universe just hates them. Usually leads to the same thing happening. Glad to see you arent one of those!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I used to work with a guy that would go as hard as he could all day. He would frequently shoot himself with a staple gun. Then one day he was assembling a cabinet which a part was cut wrong he started to nail in so instead of having us replace the part he runs over to the table saw and proceeds to trim the part with a staple hanging down. When the staple reached the top of the saw it hung so he quickly reached over the back side of the blade to pick up the board. I heard the commotion and by the time I got to the front of the shop the foreman and shop owner was running him out the door to the hospital. Then I found out he had cut his thumb off. I asked the rest of them if they had taken the thumb with them and they said no so I went and found it and drove it to the hospital. You know sometimes they can re-attach a digit but the part of his thumb which was on his hand was torn up too bad to attempt it. 

Then six to eight weeks later the guy comes back to work and they gave him a job which didn't involve power tools so they had him install drawers in cabinets. At the time we were using monorail slides and they didn't come in that many different sizes so odd dept cabinets the rail had to be cut with a hack saw. Within a couple of weeks the guy was going so fast he slipped with the hack saw and run the blade over the back of his hand cutting tendons off. This time he didn't come back. 

This guy was really good at woodworking but he just couldn't slow down enough to be safe.


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