The Safety Thread

[Milwookie]

The post about angle grinder safety got me thinking it might be a good idea to have a general safety thread. Angle grinders are dangerous, but so are a lot of the tools we use on a daily basis, and maybe in ways you wouldn't expect.

Post your stories or pics of injuries or averted disasters so others can learn from your mistakes! Also, if you've got recommendations on safety gear to purchase (or avoid), this might be a good place for it.

 

[Milwookie]

I'll start. There's a great article on eye pro (safety goggles) here. They tested a bunch of ANSI rated goggles and found that some of them are actually likely to cause more damage than the initial impact!

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/eye-protection-shooting-glasses-review/

The takeaway is that there's pretty much no such thing as safe and cheap eye protection. Spend the dollars to get good ones. Not just Z87 rated, but MIL-PRF-31013 rated.

 

[CutterFarms]

I've always taken the guards off all my angle grinders, and have hit my fingers with the blade several times. I also think that eye and ear protection should be a must. I'm trying to get better at it but it's hard to break old habits

 

[gdocktor3]

Don't buy cheap wheels for the grinders. I have seen first hand the damage what one can do when it explodes into a million pieces in someone's face. Wear a face mask, safety glasses, tight gloves and no loose clothing or necklaces etc. It can get ugly....

 

[zendriver]

Beware of breathing any fumes or smoke, welding, painting etc. . Wear a respirator and have proper venting.

Toxins can concentrate and get into your urinary tract, making susceptible to bladder cancer and other problems.

 

[Milwookie]

I hadn't heard that one, but found a study about it: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3464998/

 

[TigerDude]

clamp down the vise on your drill press. I've seen a broken forearm from one.

 

[FigureItOut]

When welding, know the history and composition of your piece. Anything that's EVER held flammable liquid is dangerous. Mere millilitres of residual acetone, in a drained and rinsed drum, killed a man, according to a video I watched at welding class yesterday.
I've welded on galvanized steel, unaware of the danger, and just last week welded on an unknown piece and felt ill after, and still don't know why. You don't know what you don't know.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[MrGiggles]

NEVER heat a surface that has been cleaned with brake parts cleaner.

http://www.brewracingframes.com/safety-alert-brake-cleaner--phosgene-gas.html

 

[Flattie]

NEVER heat a surface that has been cleaned with brake parts cleaner.

http://www.brewracingframes.com/safety-alert-brake-cleaner--phosgene-gas.html

That is very eye opening. Thanks for posting.

 

[Engine]

Never weld on anything that has paint near enough that it can burn or vaporize due to welding heat.

Last year I was welding on a pushmower handle and inhaled some of the burning paint fumes. For two days afterward I had all the symptoms of the flu and it took a few more days after that to feel normal again. I've welded on galvanized before and this was much worse. Lesson learned: If you aren't sure what the coating is, at least wear a respirator.

 

[JZiggy]

Proper jack and jack stand use on flat, hard surfaces only! As a college student I lifted an old Volvo in a gravel parking lot that was stranded using its bottle jack. I crawled around under it and after coming out, leaned on the car and it toppled off the jack. A real eye opener how easily I could have been killed. I now use 2 jack stands, keep the jack in place whenever possible, and shove a wheel or two underneath as a safety stop.

 

[gdocktor3]

NEVER heat a surface that has been cleaned with brake parts cleaner.

http://www.brewracingframes.com/safety-alert-brake-cleaner--phosgene-gas.html

I quickly read this, but the carb cleaner the subject normally used did not contain those same chemicals? Do it's safe to use carb cleaner around a torch?

 

[JZiggy]

I quickly read this, but the carb cleaner the subject normally used did not contain those same chemicals? Do it's safe to use carb cleaner around a torch?

Looks like carb cleaner is safe, but check the label for any chemical that says "chloro" in its name. The TCE in brake cleaner (first item on the back label in that article) decomposes to make chlorine gas -- a chemical weapon.