Safety 101- Anybody wanting to share their safety tips when using their tools??

drivesitfar · Sep 8, 2016

ALL: So there are so many injuries and even deaths to guys and gals that are actually trying to repair or fix something that should have never happened that i thought we should maybe share a few of the things we do to keep safe.

from putting jack stands under your car's frame in case the hydraulic jack gives out to not putting a stained rag on a wood bench that can start a fire please post up your thoughts.

you can also post up some videos if they might show something that really shows us how things can go wrong quickly.

here's a thread i started about grinders and i hope it has saved a few members eyes, fingers and toes and even worse just by reading it.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263083

Tips and Warnings to Remember when:

1) WELDING
eye protection
ear plugs to prevent slag from going in and burning hole in ear drum
socks over pants or pants taped over boots/shoes
clean up shop after welding for maybe 30 minutes to make sure no hot burrs are starting to catch it on fire

2) Grinding
replace old or cracked stones
full face shield
don't grind berlinium because dust is toxic
don't grind aluminum

3) SAWS

4) Ladders

5) Batteries

6) Drill presses
7) TBD... and so on

drivesitfar · Sep 8, 2016

Shop cleanup after a job could keep it from burning down. Thumper mentioned a few days ago in the Organizing 201 thread in garage gallery that he cleans up after the day's work in his shop to not only have a clean bench to start out the next day, but to also see if there is anything still burning from a spark or weld splatter or anything else. great thinking on all parts in that post.

speaking of cleaning up did you know that a rag full of stain set on or near wood can combust and start a fire so get a can with a lid on it inside your shop or hang those rags outside to dry might be the best options.

i'll start posting links and videos with a little more graphic stuff like was on the Grinder Safety 101 thread or if you have something good to post that shows un safe situations please do of course use your judgement because 5 year olds are on their smart phones now checking our posts.

Evilunclegrimace · Sep 8, 2016

The bigger the hammer you are using, the farther away you want your thumb from the item being hammered.

KMdef9 · Sep 8, 2016

Drive, your sig has a very important one:

"Proper planning and preparation prevents piss poor performance" and I like its little brother too; "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail"

I never rush jobs, hurrying through them typically means you're not thinking as much as you need to be which can lead into inury in may different ways.

I also use PPE (personal protective equipment) all the time. I think alot of people will skip out these when doing basic tasks. Safety glasses, gloves, kevlar forearm sleeves, what have you. Nothing is more frustrating than when a nut breaks loose in a tight space and now you're missing a chunk of skin.

drivesitfar · Sep 8, 2016

EVIL: Truer words are not often said. of course i'd add get that BFH far from a nice old vise and beat on something on a piece of old RR track or buy a press.

KM: i now own maybe 5 full face shields and i wear readers under them for a lot of work. hope you didn't get something hot on your toes when firing up your welder. yes preparing to do a little or big job should always include SAFETY FIRST.

ALL: another tip i heard that i hadn't heard before about safety when using a welder is using EAR PLUGS. several guys have had hot welds fly into their ears without EAR PLUGS and LOST THEIR HEARING.

of course anytime you fire up a machine or saw or even a drill press use EAR PLUGS or EAR PROTECTION. i have rarely used ear protection in my first 55 years above dirt and still forget once in a while the last 5 years and i've already lost a good portion of my hearing and heading down the road of my dad where i'll have to get hearing aids and have anybody repeat everything to me in person soon. WEAR EAR AND EYE PROTECTION ALWAYS

ChaseDE · Sep 8, 2016

I work for one of the largest engineering companies in the world and safety is huge here, we have safety meetings and safety talks and safety moments and safety everything. I work in the office and maybe 3 or 4 times a year go to a job site but even in the office we have safety campaigns about texting and driving, texting and walking, watching where you are walking, closing cabinets and drawers, keeping your office clean, etc, etc.

For large companies like this your safety record can affect whether you get that billion dollar job or not so it is ultra important to the point where it is often quite annoying all the time we spend/devote to safety activities instead of work, especially for office personnel.

When I am on site, we usually follow the sites rules because they are very stringent. I can be kicked off site immediately for a year or more for....driving with my phone in my hand at all, going over any posted speed limit, driving without a seatbelt, not using a handrail on a stairway, not using a harness if climbing anything, using a ladder over 6' without being tied off, smoking in undesignated areas, and a lot more stuff.

Nevertheless I have started trying to be more safe and home and work. Like I always...

wear at least sunglasses if not safety glasses when doing yard work with a string trimmer, always wear sturdy shoes and things like that. started doing this after i was trimming the yard and had a thick weed stalk fly at my head and stick straight into my cheek literally an inch from my eye.

wear gloves a lot more then I used to when working in the garage now.

always use jack stands on top of using a floor jack, this is common sense to most but i used to not do this when i was young and dumb.

turning the electric off at the breaker, even if you are just pushing a wired outlet into a box....ask me why :shocking:

keeping the garage floor clean.

lifting with my legs.

things like that....

STAY SAFE!!

Hiball · Sep 8, 2016

I'm normally pretty good about PPE, but as I sit here typing on my IPad wearing a "glasscock" strapped to my right ear after having tympanoplasty surgery yesterday, because I let the urge of "only having to make a few cuts with the torch" get in the way of safety.

Safety up fellas...

CoogarXR · Sep 8, 2016

Unfortunately, many of us (well, especially me) don't learn until we have that accident (or almost-accident).

My big problem is working too fast.

I hired a friend of mine to put up my vinyl fence. He's an older guy, and he warned me that he works slow. He did, but he did the fence perfectly, and didn't have even the slightest injury, and made no mistakes. I need to take a lesson from him. Even when he came with the load of cement bags. He was unloading them all, nice and slow. Me, I came out to help and went like a madman. He was like "you're gonna end up hurt! Slow down, what's the hurry?". He's right. We took our time, BS'd and the job was done soon enough. And I didn't pull my back muscles like I certainly would have if I kept up the rate I was running.

So there's another vote for "slow down!". Every injury I have endured was from working too fast.

Gautama · Sep 8, 2016

One thing I am careful about is never leaving batteries charging unattended. Too many stories of something going wrong and it starting a fire. I leave the charger on the kitchen counter where it would be difficult for anything to ignite if it gets too hot. I never leave batteries charging if I'm not at home.

ChaseDE · Sep 8, 2016

Gautama said:
One thing I am careful about is never leaving batteries charging unattended. Too many stories of something going wrong and it starting a fire. I leave the charger on the kitchen counter where it would be difficult for anything to ignite if it gets too hot. I never leave batteries charging if I'm not at home.

This is an excellent tip that many people don't think about. I use ecigs to quit smoking and its great, but I use some big ecigs that take big batteries. Lithium Ion 18650's and such. Any Li-Ion battery can go bad and explode, even in your cellphone. Samsung is recalling their brand new Note 7 smartphone right now because of explosions.

So when charging batteries AT LEAST put them in the middle of something not flammable if leaving them alone. I put mine in the middle of my 6'x4' granite countertop with nothing else on it, inside a metal container, when charging ecig cells.

They sell li-on charging bags for cheap too that RC car people use with success as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JSV4LU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

also if carrying batteries i always use a battery case so they don't short in my pocket/bag/etc

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q6PJO8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

big li-ion batteries can cause a very big bang and a lot of damage. be careful.

drivesitfar · Sep 8, 2016

Guat and Chase: to add to the battery safety don't throw screwdrivers or wrenches into something metal into a tool bag with rechargable batteries in it. i've heard of way too many fires started this wan and maybe Chase's links shows some.

also i did put a little 9volt battery in a pocket out of a Versaclimber and when my pocket started to get hot i remembered reading a thread on GJ about somebody almost blowing his nuts off with one so while i was driving i pulled it out and threw it on the passenger floor rubber mat and it popped (mini explosion) before i stopped and threw it out. if the coins had stayed on the battery much longer i'd hate to know what the inside of an emergency room might have looked like.

ALL: keep up the great stuff and i agree that most of the time we all need to learn from our mistakes, but it might not hurt to pass on some knowledge to those that don't want to learn that way.

cheers

LawnBoy-5247 · Sep 8, 2016

My saying is "Engage brain before engaging hands".

Personally, I believe in the Idea that no matter how many safety features a piece of equipment has, YOU are the best safety feature on a piece of equipment. So you need to be the one to ensure your safety not the machine no matter how safe the manufacturer claims it to be.

Corndoggeh · Sep 8, 2016

If you're drilling sheet metal on a drill press, have it clamped, don't use your hands. I've done it myself but stopped when I got to see some nasty scars on a family friend when the sheet metal caught on the drill bit and sliced the guys finger lengthwise halfway down the finger.

drivesitfar · Sep 8, 2016

Corn: dang i can feel that pain over here with just imagining that spinning metal flying around. to further that take the chuck key out of the drill press chuck before turning it on. try to get a chain to mount the chuck key to that gets it out of the way and also so you can find it when you need it.

some guys have a full drawer of chuck keys and that might work better to ENGAGE THE BRAIN and get it ready to work before turning on a machine.

joel63 · Sep 8, 2016

I believe in using the right tool for the job.

Slow down and avoid being in a hurry to finish a job.

Always de-energize all related power sources when working on equipment, and

then check with voltage tester to make certain that power is off. No matter what!!

If you know you are taking a chance, STOP!!!!! Find a another way.

:thumbup:

Evilunclegrimace · Sep 8, 2016

One of the things that come to mind right now is the proper use of ladders. Always, always, always, check that the ladder is properly set up. Do not take any one else's word for it check it yourself. Make sure all 4 legs of a step ladder are on solid ground and that the ladder is plumb from two sides 90 degrees apart.

When using extension ladders make sure that they are at the correct angle to the wall and that they are also plumb. First, with your toes at the base of the ladder touching the ladders feet,extend your arms straight out and they should touch the ladder, this will ensure that you have the proper climbing angle. Second once you have the climbing angle correct pull the top ladder away from the wall a foot or so and make sure that it falls straight back to the spot that you lifted it from , if it does not fall back to the same spot it is not standing plumb. Adjust the feet until the ladder falls back to the same spot and then you will not have to hear your brown eye snap shut when the ladder slides sideways with you on it 15 or 20 feet up the side of a building.

yamaha0343 · Sep 8, 2016

The biggest two things I see all the time is eye protection and not using jackstands properly. I've had a floor jack fail while lifting, and no way would I ever get under something not on stands. And especially if you're under a vehicle changing fluids, no way you want want hot used oil in your eyes.

mjeff87 · Sep 8, 2016

On the subject of 9 volt batteries.....when I discard them I take an extra second and wrap 2-3 wraps of electrical tape the whole way around the body of the battery, covering the posts on the top. And I ALWAYS store the new ones in the molded plastic thingy that they come in (I buy them in bulk from Costco....). I'm not sure if it was on here or another board, but I read a story about a firefighter that lost his home to a fire one night. It was traced back to a discarded 9 volt battery in the garbage can in the garage. Something else in the trash shorted the posts, it heated up and caught fire, and burned the entire house to the ground.

Oh, and never fry bacon in your underwear.... :lol:

pcmeiners · Sep 8, 2016

"hang those rags outside to dry might be the best options."
Did not think much of spontaneous ignition until a contractor left a pile of drop cloths with a small amount of oil/turpentine on them in my mom's basement, burnt the 1st floor completely, $125,000. in damages.

Table saw...never ever take you eyes off the blade. I walked into a shop while a guy was cutting a panel, I said nothing to the guy as I did not want take his attention away. He looked my way and ran his hand through the blade, down the center of his hand, he did not even wince. Luckily the blade was only above the panel by 5/16"..a lot of blood, a lot of stitches but no major damage.

"When using extension ladders make sure that they are at the correct angle to the wall "

Once I place a 40ft ladder extended on the front of a house, rubber feet were not in great condition. Ladder slid down a sidewalk, I dropped about 10 feet in about a second, before a ladder foot grabbed a crack in the side walk. at the time I was not holding on to anything while I was painting, did not fall but my life past before my eyes.

bmxdad · Sep 8, 2016

Don't wear gloves when working with things that rotate ... you will never get the glove off fast enough, never.

mjoekingz28 · Sep 8, 2016

For yall working with others. I dont like the people who want you to take their word for it when you personally want to check the sturdiness of something. It is like they get offended, hurt and angry for you seeing for yourself.

Keep paths clean. You really dont know if you will set something down for 'just a second' and come back and trip over it. It is great at home for times when you walk in the dark.

Buy many safety glasses and put them everywhere. This minimizes the chances of you doing something real quick without them because you didnt want to go all the way across the shop where you left them. Get good coverage too for side entry.

Good thread, thanks for starting it!

Strouty · Sep 8, 2016

"Hold my beer"

popparoach · Sep 8, 2016

don't hit a hammer with a hammer.

kctyphoon · Sep 8, 2016

Here's my safety tip - don't be stupid..

bert1913 · Sep 8, 2016

Safety glasses!

balrog · Sep 8, 2016

Learned to never take your hand off the chuck key for a drill or lathe.
When finished with the drill press, I insert the key into the chuck jaws and gently tighten by hand. Keeps me from losing the key.

Find PPE that fits you well. My fingers are stubby and I have a difficult time finding gloves that fit. I was using an drill on top of a tall ladder and the excess at the fingertip of the glove got caught in the spinning tool. Happened in an instant and my glove was all tangled up. I didn't get cut, but my fingers was sore for days. Now I do not wear gloves when using any spinning machinery.

When I have oily rags, I will set up a ladder in the workshop and clip the rags to the rungs of the ladder to dry out. The ladder is a visual reminder to dispose of the rags.

Our workshop rule is not to talk to anyone until the motor stops completely. Full stop, not just when you have finished the cut and have turned the power off as the tool is still spinning.

Listen to the little voice in your head. When it tells you what you are about to do might not be a good idea, it probably isn't.

drivesitfar · Sep 8, 2016

ALL: i'm going to start a sort of LEGEND in post #1 and then add to it if necessary on my next post or two if needed. Some great stuff here so far and plenty more to say and learn that is for certain.

the thinking part is good and the more we know the safer we'll all be. hard to THINK about something you haven't heard of or don't know.

a few of the catagories so far i'll have in the 1st post are:

1) WELDING
2) Grinding
3) SAWS
4) Ladders
5) Batteries
6) Drill presses
7) TBD... and so on

Thanks all of you for posting great tips and thoughts and keep up the good posts as you think of more.

Jeff: great post about THROWING batteries in the garbage and storing 9 volt ones. even though i knew it could and did blow up in my pocket i bet i've thrown a couple 9v in my home's garbage under the sink since then. GREAT POST about taping them up and how to store them.

mjeff87 · Sep 8, 2016

popparoach said:
don't hit a hammer with a hammer.

I've got a scar on my left forearm from doing this when I was a kid :lol_hitti

Was tearing apart wooden pallets in the basement using the claw of a hammer wedged in the stringers, hitting the head with the head of another hammer. A flaming chip off the corner of the head flew off directly into my arm and proceeded to bore a hole in it about 1/4" deep. Bled like a stuck pig, and you can still see where it was to this day.

RedneckWelder · Sep 8, 2016

Creepers- when using a creeper, once you get up off of it pick it up and stand it up on the end against the wall, toolbox, etc. Don't ever leave it laying on the floor to be stepped on.

sublime68charger · Sep 8, 2016

Strouty said:
"Hold my beer"

Strouty you forget the next line!

And watch this!

Spoken by many Darwin awards winners!

Great thread drives!

jumbojak · Sep 8, 2016

drivesitfar said:
Corn: dang i can feel that pain over here with just imagining that spinning metal flying around. to further that take the chuck key out of the drill press chuck before turning it on. try to get a chain to mount the chuck key to that gets it out of the way and also so you can find it when you need it.

some guys have a full drawer of chuck keys and that might work better to ENGAGE THE BRAIN and get it ready to work before turning on a machine.

Take this a step farther and NEVER leave a key in a chuck. Not even for a second! Have a place where you leave it, put it, store it, and when it's not in your hand it's in its nest. A chain seems like a good idea until you have a momentary lapse that results in a piece of small chain that's whilrling at whatever RPM you have the DP set on. It can happen and hurt you, especially when you try to jump in and kill the power.

Thumper68 · Sep 9, 2016

I have a retractable cord on my chuck key, similar to a retractable key chain, it is strong enough to pull the chuck key out of the chuck and I have it mounted far enough away to make sure the key is never left in the chuck, but it is always at hand.

I have to admit tonight after a small welding project I didn't do my usual 30 to 60 minute clean up, my back was hurting and I didn't feel up to sweeping etc... So I did a small paining project instead, took 45 minutes so I am sure that there are no smoldering embers.

When turning on gas cylinders, stand off to the side not directly in front of the regulators, they have been known to explode sending shrapmill flying.

When cutting with a fuel torch mind where your hoses are, hot slag or a heavy drop can burn or cut them.

Keep a fully stocked first aid kit in the shop.

Mount fire extinguishers by the doors, you can grab them and have a way out at your back.

Sweep or vacuum out the hidden corners of your shop, don't let dust build up.

If you have a cabinet saw check and clean out the base.

Keep fuel/gas in a shed away from the shop. Better to store it under the deck than have the fumes in the shop.

pcmeiners · Sep 9, 2016

Forgot the most important tip, for my self....

If your tired/frustrated, know when to quit, even if your under pressure. Been hurt a few times, it always happens when I am tired/frustrated. Last time I broke both wrists, not a lot of fun.

countryroad82 · Sep 9, 2016

You're never so poor you can't pay attention.

I can't state this enough! I tell many people all the time as soon as you cross the threshhold of the shop door, PAY ATTENTION!! While we all get too comfortable with tools and equipment, keep it in the back of your mind just about all of it can hurt/kill you at a moments notice!!

If you're getting stumped with something the best tool in the shop is a milk crate. Sit down, and just look and study before you break something or hurt your danged fool self!

Don't get in a hurry.

I'm the worlds worst for giving this advice, as I'm always in a hurry. I shouldn't say in a hurry but I'm trying to be efficient. It looks like I'm in a rush, but many times it's because I'm in the motions.

Thumper68 · Sep 9, 2016

countryroad82 said:
You're never so poor you can't pay attention.

I can't state this enough! I tell many people all the time as soon as you cross the threshhold of the shop door, PAY ATTENTION!! While we all get too comfortable with tools and equipment, keep it in the back of your mind just about all of it can hurt/kill you at a moments notice!!

If you're getting stumped with something the best tool in the shop is a milk crate. Sit down, and just look and study before you break something or hurt your danged fool self!
Don't get in a hurry.

I'm the worlds worst for giving this advice, as I'm always in a hurry. I shouldn't say in a hurry but I'm trying to be efficient. It looks like I'm in a rush, but many times it's because I'm in the motions.

One of the best points in this thread so far.
Getting frustrated causes me more pain than anything else. I have had to teach myself to just walk away. If I am having an issue I will go on to another project for a bit, usually the solution to the job that was giving me issues will come to me.

Mark in Indiana · Sep 9, 2016

I would like to add electricity to the categories.

* Always ensure that the circuit is safe to work on:
Several years back, before current lockout/tag out (LOTO) rules, I was installing a 110 volt power drop from a ceiling. The Foreman assured me that he opened the breaker that controlled the circuit that I was to tap into. However after checking it, the circuit was still hot. It took half an hour to trace down the correct breaker to open, but it kept me out of harms way.
Since then and to this day, I always carry a non-contact voltage detector (aka volt tick), along with my multi-meter, with my tools.

* Make sure that your meter is working properly, and that you're using it properly:
One night I was troubleshooting a defective machine circuit. The input & output signals were 120 volts. So looking at my digital multi-meter (DMM) while trying to trace down a brake in the circuit (aka open), I saw "120" on my DMM. However, I didn't look close enough until an hour later to see that my DMM was showing 120 mV instead of 120V. Yes, this was a blunder on my part, but if it was a live circuit in-which I needed to ensure that the circuit was safe, and I mis-read my meter, that would have been a bad day.

* Never buy cheap electrical test equipment:
While troubleshooting a 480 volt welder, I was using a HF freebie DMM to trace down an open circuit. Although the meter was rated for 750 volts AC, and I had it connected properly, it still blew up.

* Always be aware of ark flash:
Years back before ark flash PPE, I opened a 480 volt disconnect box and conditions were right that caused an ark flash, or explosion. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt.
Lessons learned: Always be positioned to the side of the enclosure before opening the door and always wear the proper PPE for the voltage you will be working with.

* Always stay in control of the circuit you're working on:
At work, there should be OSHA rules that MUST be obeyed concerning LOTO. However, at home, tell everyone at home what you're working on and to stay away from the breaker panel or fuse box. Keeps you from unwanted surprises.

* Hire a professional electrician if you don't know what you're doing:
It's so easy to get injured or killed with electricity, if you don't understand it. Below is a picture of a disposall electrical installation, by a plumber, gone bad. The plumber connected the disposall motor wires together and the hot & neutral wires to each other. This blew up the power switch. He also provided no ground.

rharman · Sep 10, 2016

#1 rule.... Think!

md21722 · Sep 10, 2016

As OP mentioned, when grinding, use a full face shield. Dual eye protection is best. Safety glasses are NOT sufficient. Metal can fly up under them and end up in your eyeball.

larry_g · Sep 10, 2016

Drives, as a vise collector this I'm sure you have learned a few times;

Know where your going to set something heavy down BEFORE you pick it up. In addition to that make sure that you have a clear path between the two points. I've had to re-learn that a few times in my life.

Don't work with dull tools that should be sharp.

The difference between meat and fish is you don't beat your fish.

Learn to run if something is falling. To many have the natural instinct to prevent it.

Don't pick up a horseshoe to examine it.

lg
no neat sigline

FigureItOut · Sep 10, 2016

larry_g said:
Learn to run if something is falling. To many have the natural instinct to prevent it.

lg
no neat sigline

Good one. And when sharps and hots are dropped, the instinct is to try to catch it. Let it fall and step back.

This is a good habit I got into after years in the restaurant business. Actually a lot can be learned from a well run restaurant, especially when it comes to working with others in a shop.

Always make your presence and intentions known. In restaurants you'll hear people call out "behind you!" and "Corner!". A hand on the back lets someone know you're passing behind them. A tap on the shoulder as you reach over someone is a good wordless way to just let them know you're there.

I am always alone when I'm working with machinery, but I recently took a 10 week welding class and out of habit used some of these techniques. Turning away from a station to go to the quench tank or scrap bin with a hot piece, I'd instinctively call out "Hot swing!". Carrying any sharp tools I'd be calling out "sharp!" around corners. Within a few weeks, everybody was doing the same.

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Safety 101- Anybody wanting to share their safety tips when using their tools??

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