General Shop Safety Attire and Appearance

Clothing Roll long sleeves up above the elbow. This will keep your clothes clean and prevent the material from getting caught in the tool you are working with.

Other Attire Ear buds Headphones Neckties Not Allowed at any time!

Foot Protection To prevent injuries NEVER wear shoes with open toes while working in the shop.

Foot Protection (Shoe Soles) Make sure the soles of your shoes are thick enough to prevent nails from puncturing them.

Long hair Tie it back so it can not hang over the tool you are working with.

Electrical Injury You can never tell when contact with electricity will be fatal, but it will always hurt. Electric shock can cause muscle spasms, weakness, shallow breathing, rapid pulse, severe burns, unconsciousness, or possibly death.

Electrical Cords DO NOT USE cords with cracks, frays, or holes in plugs Worn cords can cause a fire, shocks, or short circuits.

Electrical Cords Never break off the third prong from a three prong plug, to make it fit in a two prong outlet.

Outlets When removing a plug from an outlet, pull it by the plug, not the cord Pulling the cord will wear it out quickly and create a shock hazard

Eye & Face Protection… When working with wood there is always a chance of flying particles that can hit either your eyes or your face. When working with a chemical that may splash into your eyes you need to wear safety glasses.

Safety glasses Safety glasses are the simplest type of eye protection to wear. Safety glasses should cover both the front and sides of your eyes.

Face shields Face shields can be worn with safety glasses or goggles. Face shields guard your entire face not just your eyes.

Contact lenses and Prescription glasses Contact lenses and prescription glasses don’t protect your eyes. If you wear contact lenses, fine dust can get under the contact lens and injure your eye.

Fire Hazards… Hazard: Sawdust, wood chips, flammable solvents and oils are combined with tools that can generate heat and sparks The possibility that a fire could occur in a wood shop is very real.

Fires need Fuel Good work practices can do a lot to prevent fires Keep the shop clean, by regularly removing sawdust you eliminate a fuel source.

Fires need Fuel When using solvents or stains keep the containers closed when you are not pouring liquids out of them. Make sure containers are stored with lids closed inside of a fire resistant storage cabinet.

Fires need Fuel Waste rags covered with oils or solvents should be placed in a safety container Empty the container at the end of the day

Fire Extinguishers A fire extinguisher contains an extinguishing agent such as water or chemicals Designed to put out small fires not big ones

Fire Extinguishers An extinguisher is labeled for certain types of fires They may be for wood & cloth, flammable liquids, electrical, or metal sources

Fire Extinguishers Labels are used to show the type of fire the extinguisher is for

Fire Extinguishers Pictures may show what type of fire on which an extinguisher can be used. Pictures with red slashes are fires on which the extinguisher is NOT to be used

Chemicals… Chemical products are used to protect wood and enhance its look Some can be hazardous to you and to the environment

Information… Before using chemicals read the label Look up the Safety Data Sheet, (SDS) SDS will give you more detailed safety information about the chemical product

Flammables… Flammables can catch fire when exposed to an ignition source Work in a fume hood or spray booth Store these in containers with lids Keep them stored in a cabinet for flammable materials

Examples of flammable products Lacquer thinner Turpentine Oil based paints Wood stains Varnish Shellac Lacquer Mineral Spirits

Toxic Materials These can affect you in many negative ways Affects your nervous system Headaches, dizziness, asthma attacks, cancer, and more Avoid getting these products on your skin Avoid inhaling toxic fumes by working

Corrosives Destroy skin, clothes, and metal Vapors may irritate or burn your lungs if inhaled Wear gloves and eye protection

Hazardous Waste Can damage the environment or people Always dispose of them safely and legally Never pour them down the drain or onto the ground

Two types of hearing hazards… A noise that is too loud for your ear to handle (like an explosion) Loud continuous noises of different loudness levels over a period of time.

How loud is too loud? A whispered voice is about 20 decibels If a sound reaches 85 dB or stronger it can cause permanent hearing damage

How loud is too loud? Compare the intensity of some sounds with those found in a wood shop

Personal hearing protection… Reduce your exposure to harmful noise Should allow you to hear machine warnings and voices

Earplugs Made of light and comfortable material Can fit into the ear itself Come from foam cylinders to customized plugs

Earmuffs Cushioned and cupped ear coverings attached to a headband It may be necessary to wear both earplugs and earmuffs simultaneously

Cleaning Work Areas… Do not use compressed air or your hands Air can blow particles or sawdust into your eyes Using hands can lead to cuts or splinters Use a hand brush