Safety Memoranda

SAFETY TIP

WEARING LONG SLEEVES IN THE SHOP

With the cooler temperatures of winter, some of us prefer to wear long sleeves. For safety reasons…long sleeves can get caught in machinery…we discourage wearing long sleeves in our woodshops, although there is no rule that prohibits it.

If you do choose to wear long sleeves at the shops, please ensure they are snug or tight fitting sleeves, and definitely not blousy or loose. And the length should stop above your wrist joint…definitely not over your hand in any way.

It’s also worth reminding both men and women to keep long hair contained, and avoid wearing loose fitting jewelry in the shop.

OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP US ALL SAFE, AND HAVING A GOOD WOODWORKING EXPERIENCE!

Steve Eikenberry

Safety Department Manager

SHOP SAFETY BULLETIN

CUTTING LOGS IN THE SHOP

It’s not uncommon for a shop member to obtain a log they wish to reduce in size for turning, or cut into planks or rounds for a project. Using the proper methods, cutting a log can be a safe and rewarding experience.

In general, logs that do not have a flat side should only be cut on the resaw bandsaw...never on a table saw, radial arm saw, or miter saw. 

When cutting a log on the resaw band saw, or any band saw, the log must be stable so it will not wobble. This means it must be in a jig to hold it solid without moving, or a flat board may be attached to the log to keep it from wobbling, in which case the log may be laid directly on the band saw table bed…the flat board prevents the log from wobbling. How the log is stabilized depends on the type of cut made. Cross cuts are better using a jig. Lengthwise cuts are best made using a stabilizing board attached to the log.

Logs may be brought into the shop with bark attached, but they may not be stored inside the shop unless the bark is removed. Take the log home between work sessions. The reason for this is wood eating bugs thrive under bark, and we want to keep bugs out of the shop.

As with any shop procedure, if you are unsure please ask for help from a member with an “Ask Me” badge, a maintenance person, or experienced woodworker. If the person you ask can’t help, they will know who to direct you to for help.

V W C    S A F E T Y    B U L L E T I N

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TABLE SAW SAFETY— LET’S KEEP EVERYONE SAFE FOLKS!

Table saws continue to be the one piece of machinery where we see more safety issues than other machinery. This bulletin highlights one issue we’ve seen several times recently.

ARBOR WASHERS

The arbor is the piece of threaded steel that the blade mounts over. The arbor has a nut and a washer. The nut holds everything tight, and the washer plays an important role in keeping the blade spinning properly without wobble, and it helps the nut tighten the blade on the arbor so it won’t slip.

IF YOU ACCIDENTLY DROP THE WASHER OR NUT INTO THE BOX BELOW THE BLADE WHEN CHANGING THE BLADE, GET HELP TO FIND WHAT YOU DROPPED SO IT CAN BE INSTALLED CORRECTLY.

WHAT’S THE CORRECT WAY TO CHANGE A BLADE?

1.      Before doing anything, CLOSE THE VACUUM VENT GATE. This prevents the nut or washer from being sucked into the vacuum system. If you are unsure about this, PLEASE ASK FOR HELP.

2.      Turn off the breaker box on the saw. This cuts all electricity to the saw.

3.      Proceed to change the blade as usual.

4.      Open the vacuum gate.

5.      Proceed with your set up.

WHAT IF I DROP THE NUT OR WASHER WHEN CHANGING THE BLADE?

If you accidently drop the nut or washer when changing the blade, all you have to do is ask for help in how to retrieve it. It’s that simple, and you won’t be in any trouble.  If you closed the vacuum gate before changing the blade, the dropped parts can be easily retrieved.

If you have any questions about changing blades, please ask a Yellow Badge Maintenance person, or

Safety Leaders Steve Eikenberry and John Herega.

WOODSHOP SAFETY BULLETIN

ROLLING ACRES WOOD STORAGE       

For your safety, please use only a step ladder of proper height to place, or remove, wood from the overhead storage racks at Rolling Acres shop. Stepladders are available in numerous places in the shop, and one is in the back assembly room for the specific use with the overhead storage racks. Please do not use a step stool or stand on an assembly table, both of which are not safe methods. 

TABLE SAW SAFETY

•      When ripping wood, always support the wood between the saw blade and the rip fence, using either your hand if enough space safely allows, or a push stick. This prevents kickback of the piece between the saw blade and rip fence.

•      If using the rip fence as a width gauge to make multiple repeating cuts of the same dimension, use a block of wood clamped to the rip fence behind the saw blade. This provides space for the cut off piece to safely fall away from the blade, and not get in a bind which would result in a kickback.

•      When ripping wood, the side being ripped should always be the longer of the two sides. Ripping the narrow side promotes binding and kickback. Use the sled or miter gauge instead.

•      Never “freehand” using the table saw. This is a dangerous practice that can result in serious injury.

•      When cutting thin strips on the table saw, please use the rip fence extension designed for that purpose. You may also need to remove the guard depending how thin of a strip you are cutting.

•      If you switch from the standard combination blade to a different blade, put the combination blade back on the saw when finished, and always clean the saw and floor area when finished.

If you do not understand all of the above, please ask an experienced woodworker to explain it to you. We are all happy to help novices understand our machines.

Everyone is responsible to keep our shop a safe! If you have any questions about the above reminders, please see a safety team member or a yellow badge maintenance member.