Woodworking can become a fulfilling and exciting task for many people, but there are still its realities. You have to stay safe and be careful with using equipment. Working with wood can sometimes get physically exhausting, so you might become careless at those times. You have to be always alert so that you don’t hurt yourself and others when working with wood. So here are five safety tips that you should always keep in mind (or post on your working area) when woodworking:
1. Wear appropriate safety equipment. These include: safety goggles, mask, and gloves. Goggles are necessary to prevent wood dust from flying straight to your eyes. A mask is also necessary because of wood dust. Gloves are important when you are working with chemicals such as rugby, paint, or varnish. Wear these tools as you enter your working area, and don’t remove them until you are about to leave.
2. Wear the right clothing. These include any clothes that make you feel comfortable and relaxed, but also clothes that give you just enough protection from flying chips of wood. Don’t wear clothing that fit loosely because a saw can get stuck on them. Wear an apron if you want, but keep the strings away from any tools especially power drills.
3. Before changing blades on some tools, disconnect from the power source first. Disconnect – don’t just turn off. If a tool that you are holding accidentally goes on while you are changing blades, you might get hurt. You have to preserve your fingers, hands, and arms because they are your only assets when you are working with wood.
4. Ensure that your blades are always sharpened. Just as dull knives are disastrous, so are dull blades. Dull blades have lesser cutting power than sharp blades, but that is not the problem with them. The problem with a dull blade is that you need more force to make it cut something, and you might exert too much force such that the blade slips and you cut your hand. Or the dull blade can simply kick back.
5. Before woodworking, make sure that you haven’t taken any alcoholic beverages or drugs. Both of them reduce your alertness and make you forget even basic safety rules. There is no time to get careless with power tools. If you really want a drink, reserve it after you’re done and you’ve put all your tools on a safe place.
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