SAFETY VIDEO - KCWG - Shop Safety

1. Be sure that a shop foreman is present, and wear your green card while working in the shop.
2. Approach your work with a safe attitude!
• Focus. Concentrate on what you’re doing, and don’t get distracted. Distraction causes injury.
• Be strong. No, this does not mean muscle strength. It means the strength to do it right, even when you are under time pressure. Follow the safety procedures.
• Don’t rush. Take the time to do things correctly and using the right guard or personal protective equipment (PPE). Is saving a few minutes worth a lifelong injury?
• Work responsibly. If you care about yourself and your family, follow the safety procedures.
• Don’t gamble. A one-in-a-thousand risk is not worth the possible cost. Do not play the odds. Follow the safety procedures.
3. Give the work your undivided attention.
4. Wear safety glasses with side shields when the shop is in operation, wherever you are working, not just when you are using a machine yourself. Glasses should be ANSI Z87.1 rated.
5. Protect your hearing. Hearing protection is required in the CNC Shop area. However, it is a good idea to use hearing protection anytime when working in the shop. Consider using other personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a mask or respirator when working in dusty conditions.
6. Do not wear anything that might be caught by a machine. This includes rings, wristwatches, other jewelry, loose-fitting clothing, long sleeves, and gloves. Tie back long hair.
7. Do not wear open-toed shoes, sandals, or flip-flops when working in the shop.
8. Ask for help. Unless you are sure that you know what you are doing and can handle it yourself, ask the foreman or another member for help.
9. Stand comfortably. Maintain a balanced stance at all times so that you do not fall or lean against the machine you are operating.
10. Maintain a 2-foot perimeter. Make sure you keep people, obstructions, and any debris that might impair traction at least 2 feet away from the machine you are using.
11. Use the dust collector. If the machine you are using has a dust collector, make sure it is on and the blast gate for the machine is open before starting.
12. Observe the 3-inch rule. Always keep your hands and fingers 3 inches away from the blade of a power saw, the bit of a drill press, the abrasive medium of a sander and any other moving parts of a woodworking machine.
13. Stay behind the blade. Never place your hands or fingers directly in line with any blade where you could cut them if you slipped.
14. If it’s broken, don’t use it. Report malfunctions, missing parts, etc. to the foreman immediately.
15. Tidy up after you set up. Clear the work area of any wrenches, chuck keys or other adjustment tools before turning on a machine.
16. Avoid surprises. Inspect your stock carefully for knots, twists, nails, staples, other foreign material, etc.
17. Wait until it starts. Do not start a machine with the blade, bit, or abrasive medium in contact with your workpiece. Wait until the machine is running at normal operating speed.
18. Don’t force it. If you need to use excessive force with any woodworking machine, something is wrong. Stop and consult the shop foreman.
19. Wait until it stops. Never clear small pieces while the blade, bit, or abrasive medium is moving. And don’t leave a machine work area until the machine is off and has come to a complete stop.
20. Unplug it. Always disconnect the power before changing a blade or performing any other maintenance operation.
21. Use the correct guard. Before using any power tool, be sure all guards are in place and working properly.
22. Clean up. When you are through with any machine or hand tool, clean the work area with brush, broom and dustpan or vacuum, and put away whatever you took out. (Yes, this is a safety issue as well as a courtesy.)


For more information:
Kansas City Woodworkers' Guild : https://kcwg.org
Facebook Page:   / kcwwg  
Facebook Group:   / 110749429935  
Instagram:   / kansascitywoodworkersguild