Safety in Easy Woodworking

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. unemployment rate in September 2009 was 9.8%. With that many people unemployed, it’s no wonder that more Americans and others around the world are turning to do-it-yourself projects in the home to save money. However, as pointed out by an article on courier-journal.com, this increase in do-it-yourself work such as woodworking projects leads to an increase in home work-related injuries. When embarking on easy woodworking projects, there are a number of  precautions to take and dangers to keep in mind. 

One precaution that you should take when doing woodworking projects is to wear eye protection such as polycarbonate goggles. If you strike a nail with a hammer and a piece of the nail flies off and through your eye, the eye will either be gone or irreparably damaged. Wearing eye protection is even more necessary when working with such tools as high speed saws. It may seem like an inconvenience, but just keeping some goggles in your workshop and putting them on before you work could save your eyesight.

Another step you should always take is to read directions. This includes directions for building a woodworking project as well as directions for how to use the necessary tools. It is easy to skip this step and be too hasty about getting to work, but it is important that you know what you are doing in order to go about the job safely and responsibly.

One of the dangers to keep in mind in doing easy woodworking projects is the use of ladders. If you are doing some outdoor work such as repairing molding on the side of a house, it is easy to forget about the danger of being on a ladder and use an unstable one or reach out too far and fall off. It is not hard to do and a fall of about ten or fifteen feet can kill a person or leave them with severe permanent injuries to the brain or spine. You should always be very aware of the necessity for caution when using ladders.

Power tools also create a danger for injury, especially for the hands. According to Dr. Alexander Trott, an emergency room physician in Cincinnatti, it is common for them to see injuries to the hands and fingers such as amputations and severe lacerations. You should be extra mindful of your hands and fingers when using power tools such as table-saws.

Something to avoid any time you do woodworking projects is alcohol. It is tempting to have a few beers while you are working in your shop, but it can also be dangerous. You should save that cold beer until after you are done working and have put all of your tools away. It is important when working with power tools or getting on ladders to have your wits about you and to have good balance. If you know you have been drinking or are even a bit too tired, you should save the work for another time.

Wearing eye protection and reading directions are two precautions to take and using ladders, power tools, and alcohol are hazards to beware of on do-it-yourself projects. This economy had led more of us to doing projects such as easy woodworking ourselves, but that carries an extra responsibility.