For Woodworkers Safety Week 2011, we are posting a daily safety tip from our online newsletter, Wood News.
Safety isn’t something we are always focused on when we are working away in our shops. But these readers have reminded us that it is important to pay attention to safety, from when you walk into your shop to when you leave at the end of the day.
Today’s tip comes from Laura Jack of Rabun County, Georgia. She confesses to being a ‘manual reader’ and thinks all of us should do the same. We agree with Laura:
I have a Makita dual compound sliding miter saw which came with hold down clamps.
I know it is not “done”, but the first thing I did was read the instructions from cover to cover. Those hold down clamps are there to keep my fingers attached to me, so I use them. When I use them, I only need one hand to operate the saw. The other hand I put behind my back before I start the saw.
My husband who was scared to death of the saw, now uses it with confidence once I taught him the hand-behind-the-back rule.
And I now use hold down clamps with my “little” 10 inch miter saw so my hand is never near the blade.
I would rather take the extra time, use hold down clamps, and know I won’t get hurt than take the time to go to the emergency room and suffer ever afterwards.
Keep focusing on safety in your shops, and happy woodworking!
Do you have a great idea for staying alert and helping to avoid injuries in your workshop? If so, we want to hear about it!. Receive a $25 store gift card if we feature your tip in a future issue of Wood News.