Dangers of Woodworking

When people go to school and get started the first thing they are taught is tool and wood safety. There are a lot of risks associated with working with wood and wood products and tools. From cutting a 2x4 to hammering a nail into wood.

There are a lot of people that haven't went to school to learn the basics of woodworking and they have lost fingers, eyes, and hearing by not following safety first.

When using these safety precautions always keep in mind that there are many more dangers when working with tools, wood, stains, and paints.
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A lot of the symptoms will become apparent when first contact has happened. But many of the dangers will come later in life because inhaling the fumes and particles. These can cause severe lung and respiratory problems later in life. Once these get into the lungs they are there for life. There will be no getting rid of them short of a lung transplant.

So keep this in mind when working with any type of wood tools, or wood itself. These tips will give you a chance of becoming a good weekend carpenter, or a full blown professional. Many people have had their careers cut short because of injuries and death. They also have had them cut short because of breathing problems and also becoming allergic to certain types of wood.

One of the most important safety factors to consider is never getting in a hurry to start or finish a project. This will and can cause bodily injury. Not to mention ruining good wood and having to start over again or repair the mistake. This will cause you to lose time and money. (Using a broom to clean up the dust and sanding dust will stir up the particles into the air again. So it's best to use a vacuum with a hepa filter.)

1. Always know what the tool your using is to be used for.

2. Never use a tool for any other use than it was intended.

3. Always wear eye, ear, and breathing protection when in the shop. This will reduce the chance of having exposure to unsafe air and noise pollution. (Micro dust particles can stay suspended in the air for long periods of time.)

4. Never have open flames in the shop for any reason. (Dust particles in the air and on the floor are very explosive.(Especially when handling treated lumber))

5. Always have adequate ventilation in your shop. (Or do the work out side.)

6. Always unplug power tools before working on them. (Like changing blades or bits.)

7. Always make sure pneumatic tools have been emptied of nails, and staples and the air supply is disconnected.

8. Never let cuttings collect on the floor or table.

9. Always sand your wood outside in the open or have a good collector hooked up to collect the dust particles.

10. Never assume that you are indestructible when working with wood, stains, paints or tools.
(Wood fibers that are sanded can be inhaled, get into your eyes, and ears)
(Tool edges are usually made of hardened steel therefore they are very brittle and chip if misused.
(Saw blades especially when they have carbide tips can sling these tips off while running. They are traveling at a high rate of speed.)

11. Never wear loose clothes, jewelery, or have loose fitting safety equipment.
(Saw blades can create a lot of air movement when running. This can potentially suck clothing into them.)

12. Never operate any tools without first reading all the safety information that comes with the tools.

13. Never run your hands over wood. Most woods no matter how smooth they feel can have micro splinters on the comers and face of the

material. These can be very dangerous. Especially if working with treated lumber.

14. Never cut treated lumber in an enclosed building. The fumes and sawdust can be harmful.

15. Safety equipment:
a. Full face shield is the best, at least safety glasses.
b. Either ear plugs or ear mufflers.
c. A good respirator, at least a solids particle mask. (Preferably at least one micron mesh.)
d. A carpenter's apron.
e. A set of good leather gloves.
f. A good set of shoe or boot protection. (Preferably with steel toes.)
g. If in construction a safety hard hat will be required.
h. Vacuum style collector.

We will be covering more safety rules to learn for individual hand and power tools later.

These by far are not all the safety rules that need to be adhered to. But it will be a start to build on. Be safe and keep building for a long time.