Always Use
Protection!
Safety Gear In The Workshop
A ten pound log leaves the bandsaw at exactly 6:15pm traveling exactly 20mph. At what time does it reach the operator's face two feet away?
No need to dust off the physics degree to figure this one out: the log arrives at its nasal destination, rounded to the nearest second, at exactly 6:15pm.
Accidents are inevitable in our business. Our goal is to be careful enough to minimize the damage when the inevitable happens. Regular equipment inspection and maintenance are as essential as eye protection — or more.
Tuesday, January 3, 2006: 6:14pm Pacific Time. Tanya plans to cut a chunk off of a carob log to try out a new bowl design. We both survey the cut and figure out what appears to be the safest means to hold the log and pass it through the blade. I wait on the other side of the saw to help if she needs me.
6:15pm: Tanya starts the cut.
6:15pm: Tanya's nose is broken, the bandsaw blade is sparking, blood gushes.
6:16pm: I have prepared an ice pack and we're in the Jeep traveling 60mph down residential streets, leaning on the horn, heading for the Emergency Room.
6:19pm: Filling out paperwork.
10:20pm: Ten stitches later....
Sure, this scenario is grim. However, were it not for Tanya's safety gear, I cannot explain how much more grim it would have been. Tanya's gear of choice is a full face mask, as she is the resident woodturner. The log — 7 inches in diameter and about 10 inches long — was on an upward trajectory into her face mask. It cracked the mask up the middle, smashed her nose, and deflected off the top of the visor. Were it not for the visor, this would have been a direct hit to the forehead.
Our investigation led us to recognize where we both failed in checking the machine's safety features. Most importantly, the upper blade guide was loose. This allowed the blade to twist, which bound the blade in the log, which got the log to spinning, which set it in motion toward Tanya.
When the log left the table, blade bound in it, the blade came out of the guides. This was evident by the missing paint on the inside of the upper guard. The blade snapped back into place and about 1/8 inch of steel was sheared off the back of the blade for a length of about 18 inches. Were it not for the secure upper guard, the blade could have done far more damage.
We've been over it and over it in our heads and we know for sure what we would have done differently to prevent the accident. This includes cross checking each others' machine setup before major cuts, using or building appropriate jigs for obscure cuts (like round logs) and most importantly, continuing to wear our safety gear.
Patience is safety. Setting up the right jig, putting on the right gear, checking the equipment twice — these things all take time, and we're often tempted to cut corners to get the job done quickly. But it will take a few years worth of putting on safety glasses to make up for the five hours in the ER and what will be numerous trips to numerous specialists to get Tanya's nose back in working order. Just as crime only pays if you don't get caught, cutting corners on safety only pays if you don't get hurt.
Again, though, it's inevitable that we're going to get into scrapes in the shop. I've not met a woodworker yet who has not been injured in some way or another, be it a deep gash or a sprained finger or in Tanya's case, a busted nose.
So exercise patience and enjoy your work! And most importantly, put on your safety gear and leave it on in the shop.
I would like to emphasize that the accident was not the result of faulty equipment or sloppy maintenance. Indeed, were it not for the superior quality of the tool and our regular maintenance, the incident would likely have been even worse!
(If you would like to see some pictures of Tanya's injury, taken
the next day, check out the following:
Tanya's broken and stitched nose
It's a bit graphic — she got ten stitches — so viewer
discretion is advised.)