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…

It’s good to be popular.

I mean, who doesn’t love being invited to parties, being picked for the adult kickball league or wowing the crowd at karaoke?

The best kind of popularity is when your family loves you. My wife and sons love to have me around. No matter how overworked or grumpy I get, they always welcome me home with big hugs and invitations to play video games, watch a TV show or take on all comers in a tough game of Monopoly.

The fact that I practice my hobby at home means I can put a project down, take a few hours to have some fun and then return when I get the inspiration. I know I couldn’t do that if I was out on the water fishing or on the links playing golf.

Unfortunately, some of the attention can get dangerous. Specifically when it comes to all of that attention when the power tools are running. I’ve had one of my sons walk up behind me and hug my legs while ripping on the table saw. My wife came out to talk about dinner plans while I was working with the bandsaw. And, one of my son’s friends came out to the shop to ask if he could go home while I was shaping a piece on the router table.

At first, I was upset after each of these incidents. One split second of distraction could mean the loss of a finger or a some other gruesome injury. I started lecturing each offender, spelling out in gory detail just how badly I could be hurt.

After sitting and thinking for a while about this danger, I decided that my method of addressing the problem was all wrong. I found myself waiting for something bad to happen before I addressed the issue. I can always control my actions in the shop, but I had to find a way to address the issues that are out of my hands.

That day, I started involving my family in the discussion about shop safety. After letting my family know about the potential danger, everyone understood why I am so concerned about this.

And then, something unexpected started to happen. My two sons started offering up suggestions on how I could stay safer in the shop. While some of their ideas were a little more fantasy (“Why not use bullet proof gloves?”), others were pretty sound ideas:

• “Put up a sign on the door warning us not to bother you when the tools are running.”
• “We could talk to our friends and let them know what the rules are.”
• “Maybe you could put a latch on the door from the shop side and lock it when you are working with the tools.”
• “We could put a flashing light or a doorbell that we could turn on if we need to tell you something.”

I was very pleasantly surprised by these suggestions, and I plan on putting a few into action very soon. When I asked my oldest son why he was being so prolific with the ideas, he told me, “I don’t want to see you hurt, dad. Who would play chess with me?”

Like I said, it’s good to be popular.

There’s nothing quite like a satin-smooth finish on a woodworking project. A surface that begs to be touched. For smaller projects, it just seems natural to pick the piece up and turn it in your hands.

Unfortunately, making that finish can require the use of some pretty nasty chemicals and other products. Many of them are essential to the process, so that’s why safety has to be key when handling and applying them.

• Always use splash goggles when handling finishes and chemicals.
• Many finishes and chemicals give off noxious fumes. Apply these in a well-ventilated place and use a chemical rated respirator.
• Watch out for flammables. Chemicals and finishes that have the potential to catch fire should be applied away from open flames (think about standing pilot lights and sparks).
• If you plan on spraying your finish (a favorite method for lacquer), do so in a dedicated spray booth with an explosion-proof fan to draw the overspray out of the area.
• Fuming wood with ammonia is a classic way to get an Arts and Crafts finish, but the ammonia used for this purpose is considerably stronger than household ammonia.  If you use this method, be extremely careful!
• Rags soaked in oil-based finishes (linseed oil is well known for this) can burst into flame if left wet and wadded up.  Spread the rags out flat to dry and, once they are fully dry and hard, you can discard them.
• Store your flammable finishes in a fireproof cabinet, and keep them out of the reach of children

One other option you might consider is trying some of the newer water-based  finish products.  The formulations have improved greatly since they were first introduced, and have become very common finishes in home shops.  They apply easily and clean up with plain water.

Similar precautions should also be used for other shop chemicals.  Pitch removers, lubricants and other  chemicals should also be used carefully.

There’s this old woodworking joke.

An old woodworker goes to his doctor and tells the M.D. that he’s worried about his wife’s hearing.

“I’ll tell you what,” says the doc, “Go home and give her this test…”

Later that day, the woodworker stands 40 feet behind his wife and asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” No answer. Worried, he moves to 30 feet and asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Still no answer. He moves to 20 feet, then ten, then, finally, he’s right behind her and asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner.”

“For the fifth time,” she says, exasperated, “it’s chicken!”

While it may seem funny, hearing loss is no laughing matter. Repetitive exposure to loud noise results in cumulative damage to the sensitive hearing receptors deep in the ears. Routers, circular saws, thickness planers, brad nailers and dozens of other power tools can cause damage in a very short amount of time.

How long? The Centers for Disease Control have a page on hearing protection that shows exposure to very loud sounds can do damage in less than one minute.

The solution? Well, hearing protection in the form of muffs or plugs is an excellent suggestion. Be sure to wear them every time – again, some loud noises can do damage in a very short time.

Ears are not the only vulnerable opening on your body. Sawdust and chemical vapors from finishes and other noxious chemicals can also wreak havoc on your lungs. Sawdust has been shown to cause irritation , allergic reactions and certain types of cancer.

Working in a well-ventilated area is a great idea, but, when the dust and other chemical vapors get thick in the air, it’s a good idea to reach for a respirator, rely on good dust collection and force air circulation to remove dust and chemical from the air.

By keeping your ears and lungs healthy, the next time you tell a joke, you’ll be able to hear your audience’s laughter and laugh along with them.

Stop for a moment and take a look around you. What do you see? The beat-up sofa in the living room? Photos of children or grandchildren on an end table? The dog asleep on the floor next to your computer desk?

Living in the Tampa Bay area, I have to often stop myself and take a look at the gorgeous surroundings – palm trees, deep azure skies and the powder-fine white sand laid out like a doormat in front of the glistening blue-green Gulf of Mexico.

There are few things in this world as precious as your eyesight. We humans have developed quite a reliance on this sense. So, it’s no question that protecting your eyesight is a top priority when it comes to woodworking.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Norm Abram gives eye safety such an important role in his safety schpeil before he touches a power tool during the New Yankee Workshop.

…And, remember, there is no more important safety rule than to wear these **taps glasses** safety glasses.

How can eye injuries occur? Well, something could fly into your eye while cutting, routing or doing some other kind of work. Impact-rated safety glasses – no matter what tool you are working with – can help keep your eyes safe.

I had a mishap a few years ago when I caught a piece of aluminum in my eye while cutting a screen door jamb. The bill for the ER visit and prescriptions cost more than $200 out of my pocket – even after insurance. I could have bought a lot of safety glasses and saved myself a lot of pain and discomfort if I had thought ahead.

Another way you can get hurt is by sawdust getting into your eye. I heard a story about a woodworker who got some sawdust in his eye on a windy day. He rubbed his eye, ended up scratching his cornea (the clear eye covering) and got an infection. Never rub your eyes when you get something in them – rinse them out with water or an eyewash solution.

And, if you are a wood turner, a full face shield is a great idea. Pieces spinning at high speed on a lathe could fly apart if there is a weakness in the wood or they come off the live or cup center. An impact with your face could be a devastating injury. Hey, hockey goalies don’t mind wearing full face protection, why should you?

You never know – just taking some simple precautions, you’ll be seeing well into the future.