Safety first, please....

Today's local newspaper has a column written by a senior editor, he just turned 62 years old. He described his week off his job, a manadatory payless one. He heats with wood, he had rented a splitter to split his firewood for next winter, and while the machine was hooked to his truck, a hydraulic hose burst while the engine of the splitter was running, and the resulting fire almost engulfed his truck. He said he put it out throwing handfulls of snow on the fire. No fire extinguisher? He was lucky there was snow on the ground.

After he returned the splitter, he got careless with his chain saw and gashed his leg above one kneecap badly...he had left his protective chaps in his garage. After a trip to the emergency room, he decided not to continue work on the wood cutting project.

I agree with that...in over 40 years of using power tools of all kinds, including chain saws and things just as dangerous, I have never really injured myself beyone a cut or two. One of my brothers in law has been missing part of two fingers for most of his life...got careless with a circular saw. Another one lost the tips of three fingers being careless around a brush chipper about five years ago. I have had hundreds of thousands of chances to injure myself in my lifetime and although I have been careful, I have also been lucky, and I like to think somebody upstairs has been watching over me as well...

So, just a friendly reminder to everyone here...as you begin your chores for the spring mowing season...PLAY IT SAFE AND PLAY IT SMART. Thanks for letting me have my say. :thumbsup:

I grew up in the country and my dad owned a sawmill. Safety was a big issue with him. I don't remember him ever getting badly injured. He always made sure the kids practiced safety, too, and we never got hurt. Safety whenever you're using any power tools can not be overly stressed.

YEP !

Spent 30 years teaching Industrial Arts / Tech. Ed. (Shop) - Still have all my fingers. :biggrin:
Students were not allowed to touch machines or tools until they could pass my safety test with 100%
They could take the test over as many times as necessary, but anything less than 100 was failing.
Never had a student with more than a band aid cut.

Ear Protection, Goggles, BRAIN engaged. :thumbsup:

I'm really big on safety, so much so that my wife moans at me sometimes that a little danger spices up life, but I can't help it. I double check everything and never operate machinery without all the required safety gear and sometimes some extra!

BKBrown said:

YEP !

Spent 30 years teaching Industrial Arts / Tech. Ed. (Shop) - Still have all my fingers. :biggrin:
Students were not allowed to touch machines or tools until they could pass my safety test with 100%
They could take the test over as many times as necessary, but anything less than 100 was failing.
Never had a student with more than a band aid cut.

Ear Protection, Goggles, BRAIN engaged. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Good for you...I am sure many of your students carried your training into their adult lives. Whenever I want to save a few seconds by doing something stupid, like cutting wood without walking over to pick up my safety glasses, I tell myself, save five seconds by not putting on my glasses, or spend five hours in the emergency room when the saw kicks something into my eye...what a no brainer.

I guess, sometimes, I go to extremes to be safe. In most cases, common sense and a short inspection is necessary.
One example is that after my surgery, I had a gutter that was packed at the downspout. My wife voluntered to clear the obstruction and it required an extension ladder since it was a two story house.
I backed my Wheel Horse Tractor close to the house and used it as a block for the bottom of the ladder. She was about halfway up the ladder and I noticed just below and to the side of the ladder, there was an old cutoff T V Antenna sticking out of the ground about two foot. This pipe had never interfered with anything before so I left it.
I just thought, what if she falls on this cutoff pipe It would have probably went through her!!
I told her to come down and I would remove the pipe.
I did and the job went well:thumbsup:

Giles said:

I guess, sometimes, I go to extremes to be safe. In most cases, common sense and a short inspection is necessary.
One example is that after my surgery, I had a gutter that was packed at the downspout. My wife voluntered to clear the obstruction and it required an extension ladder since it was a two story house.
I backed my Wheel Horse Tractor close to the house and used it as a block for the bottom of the ladder. She was about halfway up the ladder and I noticed just below and to the side of the ladder, there was an old cutoff T V Antenna sticking out of the ground about two foot. This pipe had never interfered with anything before so I left it.
I just thought, what if she falls on this cutoff pipe It would have probably went through her!!
I told her to come down and I would remove the pipe.
I did and the job went well:thumbsup:

Click to expand...

EXCELLENT POINT....Better to say "what if" instead of "if only"......

A little bit of bitchin goes a long way.

My sons and I were changing out a dirt bike tire last night and the rear axle badly needed a bath on the wire wheel. My oldest son(15) said "I'll do it" and walked right over to my safety glasses and put them on before he even looked at the bench grinder.

It was a little "dad" moment but it means a lot to be able to trust him with the tools.

Excellent----:thumbsup::thumbsupractice makes Habit

Another important aspect of safety is knowing when to say when. I had a 4' diameter oak out back that had seen better days. I tried taking it down myself, using a heavy nylon strap to keep the limbs from falling on the house. Then one of the gigantic limbs I was cutting swung 'round and nearly crushed me against the trunk. I should have known better.

Calling 1-800-get-rdun is way easier and way safer for some jobs. The contractor I hired had the tree down in 30 minutes. I hired another to haul off the three large base sections, and a third to grind the stump. I figured I could handle the raking up afterward!