When working with wood it often means you will be working with sharp tools and electrical equipment. There are a lot of hazards that one can face when working with construction equipment, many people have been seriously injured or scarred, so it is very important that you look after yourself and those around to prevent any possible accidents from happening.
It can be great working with wood and many people derive hours of joy from it. Depending on your project you can use high quality mahogany, or teak, or oak – there are so many options to choose from it really is fantastic.
Whether for work or for play, it is important you follow very strict guidelines when working with tools.
What Are The Fundamentals of Working With Wood?
You Should Always Wear Safety Equipment
There is no excuse for purposely disregarding safety regulations when working with tools and wood. No matter how small the project you should always take into consideration potential accidents that may occur, however unlikely. It can be as simple as wearing reinforced gloves, or steel toe capped boots. It may seem easier to work without protective equipment, or convenient, but it will not have been worth it when you end up in hospital. The smallest of projects can have the largest accidents if careless, for example, you make a flute with a carving knife, nick your finger, and then it leads to a serious infection. It could have simply been avoided by wearing protective gloves and not gambling with your health.
You Should Always Wear Appropriate Clothing
This point feeds in the last; you should always wear appropriate clothing. It is ridiculous to work with tools and dangerous objects in inappropriate clothes. You absolutely cannot wear a skirt or shorts, a vest or a T-shirt, when working with objects that could puncture your skin. At the same time it is absurd to consider wearing flip-flops or sandals when you’re working with construction equipment. It is not worth losing a toe over feeling uncomfortable. Steel toe capped boots are very affordable and can be purchased for as little as £10 at a hardware store, as can other items required for woodwork projects, relatively inexpensively.
Avoid Using Drugs or Alcohol When Working
This point is a given. You should always avoid the use of drugs or alcohol when you are working with construction equipment. Drugs and alcohol impair your vision, reduce your inhibitions, and make you sloppy and careless. No matter how in control you believe that you are, it will only take a slight slip of the hand, and you will change your life forever, or the lives of your family. No project is worth losing your life, so if you absolutely must have a drink, or use drugs, then you should do it at a time when you have no responsibilities and are not intending on using construction equipment or engaging in woodwork.
Be Careful With Electrical Sources
You MUST always disconnect the electric source when handling power blades. The internet is inundated with horror stories and incidents where negligent and careless people have cut off body parts by handling power blades when they are not disconnected; it only takes a moment to check and cannot be stressed enough. You always have to disconnect the electrical source and double-check that it is not connected when handling it at the risk of potential death.
Proper Handling of Power Tools
A significant cause in the number of accidental deaths when working with power equipment is electrocution. Careless handling of power tools or faulty wiring can result in death – the voltage running into most of this equipment is more than capable of killing an adult man. You should not gamble with your own life; it is recommended you just use one extension cord as opposed to multiple. It has become quite common to plug an extension cord into an extension cord that’s plugged into an extension cord to provide you with longer reach. If this is the case, you should buy an extra-long extension cord as multiple cords plugged into a single power source is a recipe for electrical fire, short circuit, or electrocution.
Wear Appropriate Protective Gear
When using the sharp equipment, you should always wear the appropriate protective equipment; gloves or chest pieces are mandatory for this kind of work. It will only take the slip of a hand and you have impaled yourself with some nasty object that you will have to have removed, have a tetanus shot, and risk infection. It is not worth the trouble, and you should be certain every time that you are working with any sharp objects that you are duly protected and not putting yourself in any danger. It frankly is not worth the risk you pose to yourself, your family, and your friends. Always wear the right equipment.
Whenever you are handling sharps as mentioned above, you must wear the right equipment. If you have hammered the sharps into an object, if you know there is a sharp in or around the wood you are not directly handling you must still wear protective equipment. There are many anecdotal cases of people handling wood with nails hammered in and accidentally impaling their hands – you should always check thoroughly for nails, screws, and other jagged metal items in anything you’ve been working on or on your tool station. It is not worth the damage you put to yourself or the people around you who may be unaware of the jagged metal protruding out of a freshly sanded piece of wood. You should always label that there may be metal pointing out of things around your work station for unassuming or unknowing family members who may stumble in and accidentally warrant a trip to the E.R.
This point cannot be stressed enough. As with anything in life, when working with tools and wood you are only a step away from negatively changing your life and the lives around you forever; a small bit of carelessness on your behalf can be detrimental. You must exert extreme caution and always exhibit the correct protocol for handling anything. Do not be a name on a list of people who have hurt themselves not taking things seriously.
