Woodworking Safety Proceedures by Rex Rothing

Most safety proceedures are common sense. Most accidents happen when proceedures are not followed. Here is a list of some woodworking wisdoms to save your self from harm: (in no particular order).

Pay attention to what you are doing.

Read and understand owner's manuals. Do not disable guards.

Know how your tools work. Do maintenance when needed.

Keep sharp tools sharp; dull tools can slip.

Don't over-reach or pull from the outfeed side of a power tool.

Don't talk with company while working.

Don't let customers help; stop tools when someone enters the shop.

Don't try to cut multiple boards at one time.

Don't cross-cut with the rip fence. This is the big shortcut that people try to do and end up with a piece of wood kicking back in their face. A cross-cut is any cut where the board is longer than the width of the cut, no matter which way the grain goes (as in plywood). Use the radial arm saw to make multiple cut offs of the same size or the miter guage and a stop block, but not the ripping fence for crosscutting on a table saw.

Keep the blades as low as possible.

Keep your hands and body out of line with the blade.

Wear steel toe shoes, hearing protection, safety glasses, and a dust mask as often as you should. Hearing and lung problems develop over a career's time, not just one day. The steel toes and safety glasses might only be needed once in a while, but you don't have time to put them on afterwards.

When in doubt, listen to the little voice in your head. If the voice tells you "what if this slips?", stop and make it safer.

Use push sticks to cut small pieces and keep your hands clear.

Keep your area clean, organized, and free of extra loose parts and tools.

Don't use broken, bent, or rigged up tools.