OSHA’s Woodworking Page

When it comes to places to find information to keep employees safe, there are few better resources than the the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). There are resources for employees in many different industries at the OSHA website, including a page for woodworkers.

While much of the information provided is geared toward the industrial setting, home woodworkers can learn a lot about how to keep themselves safe while working in their shops.

This site is very complete, with the safety information broken into logical segments – from rough milling through assembly all the way to finishing.  Regardless which part of the project process you are in, there is something for everyone.

The market for woodworking safety devices is huge.  Seriously.

Dust masks.  Eye protection.  Hearing protection.  Powered dust respirators with built in hearing and eye protection. Aftermarket splitters for your table saw.  Safety covers for router bits used in router tables.  First aid kids.  First aid kits with tourniquets should something get hacked off.  Dust collector ports.  Push sticks.  Push blocks.  Emergency shut-off switches.  Small part holders.  Hold down clamps so you can build your own safety devices…

You could go into serious debt buying a selection of woodworking safety devices – before you even buy a single tool. And these safety devices can help reduce the likelihood that you will have a woodworking accident, or make that accident a lot less traumatic should something happen.

But, unfortunately, they are not a substitute for the most important shop tool in your arsenal – your brain.

Before I get accused of encouraging people to give up on safety equipment, hold the phone.  The truth is that you really do need many of the basic protective devices and first aid products should the worst happen.  But, let me draw you an interesting parallel.

Many of us have vehicles and drive them daily.  Of those who don’t have their own cars to drive themselves about, I’d be willing to wager that many of you get a lift with friends of relatives when you have to go somewhere.  Let’s face it, cars are an important part of life.

And, when we get into our cars, one of the first things you should do is buckle your seat belt.  In many areas, this is the law of the land – click it or get a ticket. While this may be the case, I’m sure the other main reason you wear seat belts is to help prevent injury should you get into an accident.  By wearing your seat belt, your odds of surviving a crash increase 45%, according to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But, even with a seat belt buckled and air bags in your vehicle, you still take the necessary precautions to prevent getting into an accident in the first place.  Stopping for red lights, using your brakes to prevent plowing into the car in front of you… ya know, the basics.

In much the same way, woodworking safety is an exercise in engaging your brain.  Think before you cut, route, chisel or do something else which can harm you.  Is the area clear of obstructions? Does the board have a warp in it that could bind the table saw blade?  Will the routing operation bring my hands too close to the bit?

Listen to the little voice in your head.  If it’s screaming “Danger! Danger!” before you turn the table saw switch on, see if there might be a better way to make that cut.

Don’t rush through your work.  Unlike a lousy score on the back nine of your favorite golf course, rushing your work in the shop could lead to a nasty injury.  Take it easy, and safe those tough cuts for when you are feeling fresh and rested.

Finally, you need all of your brain with you when you are working with tools.  If you just had a fight with your spouse, are upset after a lousy day of work or are under the influence of alcohol or drugs – illegal or prescription – maybe you should make any shop time more about cleaning up and selecting boards for the next project instead of trying something you might regret later.

Just remember to treat your brain right – the rest of your body will thank you.

For those who regularly follow Tom’s Workbench, you may have noticed that there was no link of the week posted this past Friday.  An oversight?  Something more sinister?

Uhh, no.  I was, however, tasked to go and assist our local health department with the public education effort in response to the 2009 Swine Flu outbreak.  Yup, when there’s a crisis, I typically get called in.  It makes my job a little more interesting.

One of the questions I heard time and again from the callers and the media concerned the use and effectiveness of surgical masks to halt the spread of the virus.  After all, aren’t folks all across Mexico City wearing them at the orders of the health ministry?

Well, while working at our local health office, I discovered that those masks are exceptionally effective at preventing your germs from contaminating others, and not so good at keeping you from getting infected in the first place.

If you want to see a good use of a filtering mask to prevent the intake of potentially dangerous particles, you need look no further than your workshop.

Saw dust is one of those shop dangers that falls to the bottom of the list when you think of the other things that can happen in your shop.  The prospect of amputating fingers on a table saw is far more concerning than the pretty colors of saw dust collecting at your feet. But, the ubiquitous byproduct of cutting, routing and sanding can cause big issues all by itself.

First up, saw dust is a known carcinogen.  Yup, after years of exposure, constant inhalation of these fine particles can lead to nasal cancer and the development of polyps in the sinuses.  Cutting manufactured wood panels (MDF, Plywood, hardboard, etc) also adds the chemicals from the binding glues to the air as well – and I doubt many of those products are touted for their health-enhancing benefits.  Many exotic woods – and some domestics – carry in them different oils and other chemical compounds that can lead to severe allergies in some woodworkers, and inhaling them only brings them more deeply into your sinuses and lungs where your body’s reaction can be extreme.

Besides, the dust itself can be an irritant and aggravate other allergies as well.  Believe me, after a long woodworking session this spring (which was on top of the oak pollen in the atmosphere – another allergen I am sensitive to), I had to spend about a week out of the shop with severe sinus headaches.

Cutting the dust should be a priority in your shop.  Dust collectors and dust filters are the best first line of defense against the raging cloud.  Besides pulling these harmful particles out of the air, they help keep your workspace clean and tidy and help prevent slips.  A cleaner and safer workplace…  nice.

For those who work on outbuildings with large doors and windows or garages, providing adequate ventilation will help greatly.  Of course, at my garage workshop, the cars in my driveway may end up with a fine powdery coating on them, but such is the price of safety.  This, with very few exceptions, would probably be an issue with a basement workshop…

Finally, while you may be working with the right equipment, it still won’t hurt to use a dust mask or respirator when doing very dusty jobs – sanding comes to mind.  Even with highly-efficient dust collecting sanders, enough of the fine stuff is produced and can affect your health after prolonged sanding sessions.  It’s always a good idea to put on a dust mask and just be sure you are covered.

What kinds to use?  Well, for really dusty environments, there are dust respirators and even powered dust respirators, which filter and supply fresh air to the user.  These are really sweet, but can be quite expensive.  Of course, we are talking about your health here…

Another option are paper or woven masks. These are inexpensive and can do a decent job keeping the dust out. Before you commit to buying the uber-large package at your local mega-mart, buy a small package first to ensure they fit you well. For example, if you have a beard, these masks may not fit as well as you would like them to, so a respirator might be a better route.

Do I mean to cause a panic?  Of course not.  But, as some wise guy said many years ago, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…”  Or, keeping an ounce of sawdust out of your nose…

I dunno…

Welcome to Woodworker’s Safety Week 2009 where we will start by taking a look at one of the most dangerous tools in the shop – the table saw.  All saws come with two basic pieces of safety equipment – a splitter or riving knife which keeps the wood being cut from closing behind the blade or being accidentally pushed into the back of the blade should you make an error in feeding and pull the board away from the rip fence.

Manufacturers also include a blade guard, which helps to prevent your hand from hitting the spinning blade. The blade guard also deflects sawdust and wood chips away from you, and many models also feature a sawdust collection port which can be hooked up to a dust collector.

While the stock blade guards and splitters or riving knives are effective, there are many after market models out there which can offer even greater performance.

So, this week’s question – when you use your table saw for typical cuts (NOT dado or non-through cutting), what is the most frequently seen set up on your saw?  Do you use stock equipment, after market stuff or nothing at all?

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