There are an infinite number of ways to injure yourself in a home-based workshop; but, there are also a number of precautions you can take to minimize the number o f potential safety hazards. They are as follows:
- Adopt a Safety Plan including an Emergency Action Plan
- This is just incase an accident were to occur.
- Clean up your workspace
- Before, during, and after a project
- Don’t try to work among clutter and debris…it’s an invitation to the Emergency Room!
- Organize your workspace
- Build yourself a custom storage unit as a project
- Keep loose items away
from power tools!
- Loose Items include clothing, belts, jewelry, strings and even long hair
- Use rubber bands to secure loose fitting shirt sleeves or long hair.
- Take off any jewelry that may get in your way or get caught up.
- Stop, Think, and Look Before pulling the trigger on any Power Tool.
- Get Power Cords up off the Floor wherever possible to reduce tripping hazards.
- Re-Route Cords up beams or in a Central Location.
- Use Nylon “Cable Ties” to secure cords together or to beams to keep from hanging in your way.
- Do Not use a Staple Gun to secure the cords, as it may cause a fire hazard in doing so by crimping or puncturing the cord.
- Don’t make any sharp bends in the cord as this may effect the circuit.
- Do Not Overload Your Circuits by using too many power cords in the same outlet.
- Doing so may cause a Fire Hazard by creating sparks and/or overheating of the cords.
- Check All Power Cords for Nicks, Cuts, and Frays
- A frayed power cord and sawdust piling up on it while you’re doing a project is an invitation for a visit from your fire department. If you have any doubts as to the condition of a cord, Do Not Use the cord or power tool connected to the cord.
- Create a Safe Storage system for long pieces of lumber as well as for scrap lumber.
- This will reduce the likelihood of lumber falling over onto you or tripping over it into a moving saw blade.
- Keep Flammable Liquids, Spray Cans, and All Types of Flammable Materials Stored Properly
- Store these things in a steel Storage Cabinet away from potential sparks or open flames.
- Check caps and lids to make sure they fit tightly and have no leaks.
- Be aware when using combustible solvents, etc. and make sure rags used with these solvents are discarded or stored properly.
- Buy Safety Gear and Use It!!
- Use adequate Ventilation Methods when working with flammable or volatile liquids, chemicals, or other solvents.
- Let The Tool Do The Work
- Don’t force a tool to perform in a way it wasn’t designed to perform.
- Don’t Get in a Rush to finish your work!!
- This is one of the leading causes of accidents.
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