Safety is the most important aspect of working in a woodshop. Proper personal protective equipment like eye protection, ear protection, closed-toe shoes, and appropriate clothing is required. Hand tools and power tools like table saws, jointers, and routers require specific safety procedures to operate safely, such as keeping hands a safe distance from blades, using push sticks, and ensuring guards are in place. Maintaining a clean and organized work space helps reduce risks. Being aware of your own actions and those around you is key to safety in the workshop.
4. Safety Glasses
• Must be OSHA approved
• Full Coverage – meaning they wrap around
protection your etnire field of vision.
5. Ear Protection
• At times you will need to weat OSHA approved
ear protection when using the following
pieces of equipment
6. Proper Attire/Clothing
• No Loose Clothing
• No Baggy Clothing
• No sleeves past your elbow
• No Nylon material
• No tear away clothing
• No Jewelry
• No hair below the shoulders or must be pulled
back into a pony tail
7. Footware
• Must have closed toe shoes
• No Sandles
• No nylon tennis shoes
• Laces must be tied and tight against foot
8. Hand Tools
• Tools must be kept sharp, A dull tool is a
dangerous tool
• Never throw or toss hand tools
• Keep hand tools in top condition
• Always carry tools pointed away from your
body
• Never put tools into your pockets
9. Power Tools
• Planner
• Jointer
• Table Saw
• Chop Saw
• Router
• Drill Press
• Orbital Sanders
10. Surface Planner
• Never operate a piece of equipoment unless
you are 100 percent confident in your ability
to operate effectively.
• Make sure the board if free of warps – twists -
- knots.
• Make sure to measure the thickness of the
board and set up planner accordingly every
time
11. Jointer
• The jointer is one of the most dangerous
pieces of equipment in the shop.
• Make sure the safety guard is in place and
working properly, never pin it back
• Make sure your hands are always at least 6
inches away from the cutting head.
• Let the machine do the work and guide the
stock through with even pressure.
12. Table Saw
• You must have a board planned and jointed
before cutting on the table saw
• Guide the board with your hands until the
back of the board reached the table.
• Use a push stick when your hands are closer
than 6 inched away from the blade.
• Make sure the splitter is in the table and
working properly to prevent kickback.
13. Chop saw
• Before placing your board on the table of the
chop saw make sure the area is clean and
clear of small scraps
• Make sure the board is tight against the fence
• Never pin or hold the guard back shen making
a cut
• Allow the saw to come to a complete stop
before raising the blade.
14. Router
• Make sure to pick out and test on a piece of
scrap with the desired router bit before using
on your project.
• Always make sure to make a conventional cut
and never a climb cut
• Always unplug the router before changing or
adjusting blades.
15. Drill Press
• When placing a bit into the drill press make
sure to tighten the Jacobs chuck on all three
key holes to assure proper grip of the bit
• When you have a small piece make sure to
clamp it to the table to prevent injury
• If your are drilling all the way through make
sure to have a scrap piece beneath to prevent
tear out.
16. Orbital Sanders
• Never sand an edge of the board with an
orbital sander
• When changing the sanding pad make sure to
clean the hook and loop pad of dust and
debris
• Do not put a lot of pressure down on the
sander, allow it to work itself.
17. Working Atmosphere
• A clean shop is a safe shop
• Make sure to stack and organize all working
materials
• Make sure work areas are clear from small
scraps
• Make sure the dust collection system is always
running
18. Your Actions
• Your safety and the safety of others depends
soley on your actions when working in the shop
• Always remember there are 20 plus students
working in the same shop as you, be aware of
your surroundings.
• Common Sence goes along way when working.
• The machines DO NOT HAVE BRAINS, Use your
own please.
19. Get to WORK
• Now you have a general understanding of
what you need to prepare for to be safe while
working in the shop
• BE Smart, Be Aware, and lets fo make some
saw dust!
