Woodworking, as we all know, comes with risks. It’s likely we’ve all had a close call with injury while working in our shops. A move has given me the opportunity to reflect upon all of the shop spaces and woodworking experiences I have had as I plan a new shop.
Part of my planning is not just where to put the benches and tools, but how I can work more safely and reduce risks. Working safely often is viewed as a bother that slows things down. Not so if you plan accordingly. Here is a list of safety issues, based upon my experience, that I want to address in the new shop.
CLEAN AIR
It goes without saying that clean air is important. In our shops, the first line of defense is dust collection at the source. Some of my tools have good dust collection, some, like my CNC machines are lacking. A cloud of fine dust seems to accompany every operation. Upgrading these dusty machines with better point collection is a priority.
A great way to start is to use a dust collector with a 4"-dia. hose all the way to the collection point, if possible. If your machine’s dust collection pickup is not up to par, experiment with cardboard and duct tape mockups to help develop shopmade nozzles and fixtures that improve performance.
Since point dust collection can’t capture all the dust generated by stationary or portable power tools, an air cleaner is a must for my new shop. Many of us have basement shops with low ceilings and heating pipes, leaving few options to mount an overhead, box-style air cleaner. Although air cleaners can mount to walls or be placed low on a cart, I held off adding this important piece of safety equipment to my old shop.
In the new shop I plan to use a mobile air cleaner that I can bring right to the work area or place in an open, central location to run. Several manufacturers offer mobile air cleaners, but my choice is going to be the Woodsmith Air Cleaner from issue 260. One last thought, air cleaners only work if you turn them on, just saying.
FIRE HAZARDS
It's easy to roll your eyes at lists of dos and don'ts for shop safety from some woodworking magazine editor, but pay attention to this one. Years ago, at the Woodsmith production shop we finished nearly all of our projects using wipe-on finishes, so, we generated a lot of finish-soaked rags and paper towels.
One summer day we were cleaning out the finishing area after completing several projects, some rags and paper towels, damp with solvent-based finishes, were thrown into the dumpster. Yes, you guessed it, a few hours later we had a roaring dumpster fire with flames, smoke, peeling paint, and a whole lot of worry.
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| Rags and paper towels damp with solvent-based finishes really can start fires. Treat them with respect and dispose of them properly. |
My new shop is not going to be a dumpster fire! I plan on keeping a minimum number of solvent-based finishes on site, stored in a steel cabinet, and any overflow will be safely stored in an outbuilding. Always allow oily rags and paper towels to thoroughly dry before disposing of them.
If you have many finishing projects, then think about adding a dedicated drying rack to your shop. That's what we did in the Woodsmith production shop, and because it was convenient, it’s easy to follow the safe practice. I’m adding one to my new shop because if I make it convenient, I’ll do the right thing. (A folding clothes-drying rack also works well and can be stored out of the way when not in use.)
SHARP BITS & BLADES
I don’t like buying router bits, drill bits, or saw blades. These are not exciting purchases and can be very expensive, however, dull bits and blades have two serious downsides. First, they produce rough, burned cuts that require extra work to clean up and often are not as accurate as they could be. Second, dull tooling simply isn’t safe. Operating power tools safely means always being in control of the process.
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| Dull bits and blades can make it difficult to use your tools safely and can leave ragged, burned surfaces. | Chipped & dull/worn out carbides. |
It’s very important when using a power tool to get accurate feed-back as the cut is taking place, allowing you to react, adjust, and compensate for what is happening. Dull tooling robs you of feedback to stay in control.
Dull bits and blades also force you to push the workpiece harder to get it through the cut or to struggle to keep the workpiece from climbing off the table and while staying against the fence, all of which increase the chance of accidents. For the sake of better projects and safer woodworking I am going to promptly replace dull tooling or have it sharpened.Remember, keep those hand tools sharp as well.
PPE
Personal protective equipment includes respirators, hearing protection, eye protection, and gloves to prevent contact with chemicals. We should always try to engineer out the hazards in our building processes, such as generating clouds of fine dust, but it’s not always possible. PPE represents the last line of defense in safety to protect us from dust, fumes, noise, and flying debris.
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| PPE should be comfortable, kept clean, and conveniently located in your shop so that it is easy to use. |
There are many types of respirators, hearing protection, and safety glasses. Some types of equipment carry higher safety ratings than others, but if you won’t use them the ratings are meaningless.
The best safety gear is comfortable. Ill-fitting PPE that hurts after a few minutes of use will be avoided and sit in a drawer, offering no protection, so shop around and try different kinds. Keep your PPE gear in locations that make use instinctive. As an example, I always have hearing protectors at my miter saw, CNC router, and workbench. If I don’t have to hunt around for hearing protection, I’ll do the right thing and wear it, even for one cut.
Also, keep your PPE gear clean. Respirators can be kept in a plastic bag. Safety glasses need to be kept in a hard case to keep them dust-and-scratch-free. With PPE my rule is comfortable, clean, available, making it an automatic part of the building process.
TRICK OUT YOUR MACHINES FOR SAFETY
Table saws, band saws, router tables, and jointers are all primary tools in most workshops to process wood into projects. All of these tools demand respect. Safety accessories should always be at the ready with each of these machines. Fences and feather boards for the saws and router table will help you stay in control of the work.
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| Accessories such as pushsticks and featherboards help to keep operations safe with power equipment. |
Small workpieces often need special attention requiring a jig or parallel-jaw clamp to tightly grip the work. Push sticks and push blocks keep your fingers at a safe distance from the cutting action on all machines.
My list is not intended to be comprehensive and certainly will not cover everyone’s situation, but I hope it will encourage you to give your shop a safety review. Safety can be made easy and make you a better woodworker, and that is something we can all feel good about.
