Eye Protection Reminder

[wdrumheller]

Just got some news from a family member that their Dad who is 75 and was working in his woodworking shop was using his Radial Arm Saw and he did not have his safety goggles on. A piece that he was cutting got caught on the blade and rapidly got thrown out, and hit him in the eyelid and tore his eyelid, which required stitches, but that's not the bad part. It partially separated his retina and he might lose some vision in that eye.

It was just a simple cut, and it was quick, so he didn't have his eye protection on.

I've been religious about eye protection and it's paid off many times.

Please keep your safety glasses on!

 

[87jeepwrangler]

I'm guilty. I do the occasional quick cut without glasses. Little stories like this kick me back into check when needed. So thanks.

 

[Exceller8]

That is a good reminder of why we wear safety glasses. A few months ago I didn't wear my glasses and a large piece of brass came off of my wire wheel and hit me really close to my eye. After that close call I've yet to forget my safety glasses. I consider myself to have been really lucky!

 

[mormit]

Guilty as charged. Just made one quick cut late this afternoon on a melamine shelf. Chips were hitting my chin and nose. I stepped back and said to myself, "Don't do that ever again dummy".

 

[Cadillac fan]

I always wear eye protection where required. I wear glasses so I know I must protect them.

Plus at school a few years ago we were using the pedestal drill and were supposed to wear the face mask and glasses. Well some stupid girl chose not to wear her glasses. Part of the actual drill bit cracked and went flying through the mask and just missed her eye but a few mm.

For some people it takes stuff like that to actually learn something. She was so lucky not to lose her eye.

 

[Fizbin]

I'm not really surprised, radial arm saws are pretty prone to kickback by the way they're designed. ***** to be him, of course, but I would have gotten rid of that saw long ago and replaced it for a compound miter saw or maybe add a riving knife to the table saw.

I'm not without compassion for the really old timers, because I'm well aware what a fixed income doesn't buy and they're used to not having good safety features on any of their machines. But since the technology is out there now, it's always better to either splurge on an upgrade or just not use the machine altogether.

The sad fact is, the older you get, the more dangerous woodworking becomes.

 

[k1rodeoboater]

I had to go to the ER a year ago to get some metal shards removed from my left eye. They removed 3 separate pieces with a needle, not a pleasant experience. The following day I went to the base optometry clinic to have them take a look, the doc ended up removing another large sliver that the ER missed. Have some light scaring in my iris from it which luckily doesn't get in the way of my FOV.

I was lucky....very very lucky. Never work on anything without safety glasses anymore.

 

[Krokodil]

Good reminder!

 

[98nismo]

Thank you I need a refresher every now and then.

 

[RivennHewn]

Regular glasses don't count!!!!!

I had my glasses on the other day, and still got a metal shaving in the eye.

Should have listened to Norm.

 

[Arps]

I'm terrible about eye protection.

 

[NUTTSGT]

These are the threads that I like to see keep coming back. It never hurts to have that reminder out there.

While I try to wear them often, there's times I don't wear them properly, on top of your head doesn't count.

 

[jonathan75]

Thank you for the reminder, we all need a refresher on safety. It reminded me of the safety videos they made us watch many years ago in school on the subject.

Then as an adult one German product I was trained on they made a comedy video on safety. There were guys being carried around with a forklift with one of the forks sticking through their chest and such. Crazy video but you get the point.

 

[ken w.]

I wear glasses and always order safety lenes.The glasses are not safety glasses tho. I hate wearing goggles.When I was younger I had a piece if metal that flew into my eye and had to go to the ER. I was stapped down and my eye lid was held open and the piece was removed by a huge magnet.Not cool at all. Since then in my garage I have a faceshield next to my drill press , bench grinder and my work bench. I would rather get kicked in my junk than have **** in my eyes and go theu that again. Everytime I would blink you could feel that piece of metal scratching the inside of your eye lid. Try not blinking for over an hour.

 

[eljefino]

I got some ANSI z.87 prescription glasses from Walmart for $29 complete. Nerdy as anything, very 1980s, but it's great having honest optical plastic to look through, and not be layering, which leads to fogging.

 

[justanengineer]

I made a similarly stupid "quick" mistake a few years ago. I was reassembling a project after paint and noticed a tiny screw that had a bit of surface rust still. It needed maybe 3 seconds touching the wire wheel on my grinder, after 1 it was ripped from my fingers, bounced off the outer bony part of my eye socket and hit my eye. Everything was blurry, my balance was off, and I was generally screwed up/sleepy for a few days until it healed. I had to tell my boss about it due to missing work, after the usual safety schpiel he told me to replace the work supplied safety glasses every few months and take my old ones home, I keep those SOBs everywhere now.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

A face shield and goggles are a thoughtful gift for Christmas and Birthdays... You may be thanked that day . The big thank you that may come later.

 

[dkroth]

This thing rocks when using the wire wheel or bench grinder.

http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S8510-Polycarbonate-Anti-Fog-Hardcoat/dp/B001VY3ACE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390237268&sr=8-1&keywords=uvex+face+shield

 

[Joe69]

I'm pretty good at wearing eye protection, but not perfect. Thanks for the reminder.

I got tired of bulky leather welding gloves a few years ago and started wearing cotton gloves. I had an oxygen hose burst in my hand, the flame cut through the glove, and burned the hell out of my hand. It happened at work, and I was put on light duty for a month while it healed. I had to go to the burn center once a week to have it debreeded, not fun. It healed up well, and you can only see the scars in the summer, as they don't tan. I wear approved welding gloves religiously now.


Joe

 

[pendragon1998]

Not what you want to see in the mirror. (Not me, thank goodness)

I wear glasses and I'm up for some new glasses. I'm going to spring for some Rx safety glasses this year, but I want to also look into a full face mask for garage use with rotary tools, power saws, etc. Belt and suspenders for me.

What face mask do you recommend (or hate)?

Me, I've got kind of a large head, wear glasses, and have a full beard, so goodness knows what will work for me. This is the model I was looking at before Christmas. Uvex S8510 Bionic Shield, Black Matte Face Shield, Clear Polycarbonate Anti-Fog/Hardcoat Lens . Anyone like it or prefer another model?

I'd like to be able to wear my Howard Leight Leightning L3 ear muffs with it, but I kind of doubt they'll fit.

 

[rburke65]

What about a face shield with built-in ear muffs....like the ones used by pro tree guys?

 

[pendragon1998]

It's an option, I guess. I just already have the ear muffs (which I like very much).

 

[m4banger]

When I was in the US Navy and caught my guys doing something that required safety goggles/shield, first question was is that $15,000,000 aircraft worth your eye site? As you can guess the answer was always no.
I have 4 face shields and at least 6 pair of safety glasses in my small shop.

Mike