About two weeks ago I was working on a project with someone close to me, whose name I won’t mention (yet). They broke just about every single one of my safety rules! Here’s a list of the violations that everyone should keep in mind to avoid when working on their own projects:
Insufficient Personal Protection Equipment
No safety glasses or goggles, and no hearing protection. Corrective lenses do not provide enough coverage to protect against stray drilling and cutting debris and projectiles.
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Did Not Read a Power Tool’s User Manual
This is obvious by the fact that the circular saw blade was installed OVER the washer. The bolt by itself does not provide enough support to use the saw safely, and the blade was too close to the guard. It looks like the blade likely damaged or warped, and the inner surface of the blade guard appears to be slightly physically damaged as well.
Insisted on Rushing
Rushing with power tools is not a good idea. At the very least it can result in mistakes (as we later witnessed), at worse injury or grave bodily harm. You kept saying “we need to work faster”, but I tried to take my time.
Insufficient Clamping
The workpiece was not securely clamped down to a surface. We didn’t need to go out and buy a JawHorse, but we could have come up with a better arrangement, especially for when we used the jigsaw.
Cutting Towards a Body Part
NEVER EVER cut towards a body part. If the workpiece slipped and you were not quick enough, where do you think the saw would have been lunged into. If you absolutely have to cross an arm or hand in front of a jigsaw or any saw, take proper precuations and reduce the forward-force placed on the tool. Don’t let me see you holding a workpiece and using a power saw cutting towards your arm or hand, I won’t ever allow that again.
Using Dull Blades
News flash – that spade bit you were using was DULL – that’s why you had so much difficulty with it. A sharp bit would not have jammed up like that.
Back with the circular saw blade – I’m fairly certain that you warped or damaged the teeth by rubbing them against the metal blade guard. That blade should have been discarded and certainly not used for additional cuts.
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Never Use a Hole Saw Without the Pilot Bit Engaged
Once a hole is drilled with a hole saw, you cannot widen it by cutting an arch with the saw. Without material for the pilot bit to engage, the cutting is going to be erratic and uncontrolled at best, dangerous at worst.
Cockiness
This wasn’t a safety violation, but a precation. New tool users unfamiliar with the use of the power tools are prone to injury. But so are pros who know the ins and outs of their tools. The more familiar you are with a power tool, the more you let your guard down. Don’t be cocky – just because you’ve used a particular tool for decades doesn’t mean you should feel comfortable enough with it to neglect common safety practices.
Well, that’s about it for now, although I’m sure I’ll remember additional safety violations once I think about it more.
WRSONG
SOUND JUST LIKE ME IN MY EARLIER DAYS. STILL GET LITTLE KNICK AND KNACK HERE AND THERE(MINOR SCRAPE AND CUT). ALMOST LOST A LIMB ONCE AND BECAME MORE CAUTION ABOUT POWER TOOLS. WHEN I SEE TABLE SAW I GET PARANOID THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPEN THE LAST TIME I GOT CUT. NO I PROCEED WITH CAUTION WHEN USING TOOL AND NEVER RUSH NO MATER WHAT, THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW. GREAT ARTICLE
fred
I think I agree with all of your observations – and would add even more emphasis on PPE – like wearing full face shields when grinding and flame-retardant – and natural fiber clothing when welding.
As far as enlarging that too-small hole made with a holesaw – you have a few safe options depending on the circumstances. You might be able to use a Starrett Oops arbor:
http://weldwarehouse.securesites.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?::1:WLDWH:1:number=66078
Or you can try backing the hole up with a scrap of wood – and using an arbor fitted with a longer pilot drill (still a bit trick to get things centered if that is critical ) – or better yet cut the right sized hole in a scrap of wood and then use witness marks at 90 degrees around the new and old hole to help center and clamp the scrap piece down as a drilling guide.
Stuart
The way the hole was formed, there was no way to back it up easily, I did think of that.
I also have to agree about face shields. I wear one whenever doing any wire wheel work and at other times when it seems appropriate. Secondary glasses or goggles must also be worn with a face shield for it to be as effective as possible.
I have a few more protocols that I adhere to regarding respirators and the such, when to wear gloves and when not to, and so forth, but left them out because they weren’t applicable for the project in question.
Benjamen Johnson
If you need a manual to figure that out you probably shouldn’t be anywhere near a power tool.
I have to admit I’ve stopped looking at most power tool manuals, there are so many pointless warnings and cautions, and so little about the operation of the tool. I think I’m smart enough to know that you shouldn’t use a tool when it gets wet, or that I shouldn’t chew on the cord.
I agree that sounds dangerous.
What if you put the hole saw in the drill press and securely clamp the work to the table. I had to enlarge a 1″ hole to a 1-1/2″ hole. I used a spade bit, but I think it would work better with a hole saw. Once the “teeth” at the edge of the bit were about 1/8″ into the wood it settled down and made a pretty smooth hole, I would think a hole saw would work even better.
Better yet use a Forstner if you have one big enough.
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Otherwise I agree with your list.
Stuart
Well, the person who I was working with is very familiar with jigsaws and the like, but not so much with larger woodworking tools, at least not to my knowledge. I’m sure he’s not the first to make that mistake.
I’m usually guilty when it comes to not reading product manuals, but still go through the booklets of tools I’m new to or not entirely familiar with. I’ve been using the same jigsaw for maybe 3 years now and occasionally forget which orbital setting is appropriate for which material type.
We’re currently reviewing the Dremel Trio, and the manual discusses safety concerns and tool limitations that I otherwise wouldn’t have been aware of.
The hole saw was used on a door, so a drill press would have been out of the question. I think that using a hole saw with a drill press to enlarge a hole should not be much of a problem in most cases.
For the door, the hole was being enlarged on one side only to make it an oval. In my opinion, that’s just not feasible using a handheld drill under any condition.
Timothy
Damn! Hopefully you never let that person back in your shop!
p.s. – cockiness can be the worst offense
Maikeru
I agree with the above and I’d like to add a bit to your existing safety rules.
Your advice about never cutting towards yourself and about never using dull blades is also good advice for all blades including, but not limited to, box cutters, paper-knives (like X-Actos), pocket knives, and kitchen knives. However, I’d say that the advice regarding never cutting towards yourself goes double for band saws—most people don’t know that these are what they use in butcher’s shops to cut through beef bones twice as thick as any bone in your body.
I’d also add a few specifics to your section on clamping. While clamping the workpiece is generally a good idea, pieces that don’t sit nicely on a work surface or are a little on the small side should always be clamped. Long ago my Industrial Tech instructor emphasized that one—even for large objects since a drill press bit may seize up and turn the workpiece into a robotic version of your major league batter of choice.
Adam
Band saws are definitely not a tool to play around with.
The butcher shop that I go to has a rather large knife in a frame on the wall, cut into about six pieces after someone left it on the table and it went through the saw. If it’ll cut a heavy-duty knife like that, think very carefully about what it’ll do to you if you’re not careful around it.
Stuart
Timothy, technically I was in their shop, but I made enough of a stink over safety precautions that hopefully he’ll change his ways.
Maikeru, those are excellent comments, thank you! Drill presses do have additional safety concerns, and I agree with what you said 100%. In addition to being clamped down, workpieces – especially sheet metal and other small thin materials, should be oriented so that a block or the support column hinders rotation should they bind and start spinning. Spinning sheet metal is a pretty darn scary and dangerous thing.