Which wood turning hazard is your highest priority?

[Mobyturns]

I agree about the ear muffs, but if anyone can hear that "almost silent tick, tick, tick", that tells me they don't have enough air flow for dust collection happening. Even if the DC is outside the hiss of moving sufficient air flow through 6" ducting will normally be enough to mask those sounds. The quietest flow (lowest resistance) will be obtained with a bell mouth hood and even those will still make enough noise to mask the tick, tick, ticks.

I have repeated BobL's comments to the face shield thread as it gives a very good intro to this topic,

Thank you Bob, more very good points to consider when assessing the priority of controls to eliminate, substitute, or minimize <st1:stockticker>ALL</st1:stockticker> hazards.


Which is your highest priority hazard in wood turning or wood machining?
Which hazard do you eliminate, substitute, or minimize (controls) first?
How does your proposed control/procedure to eliminate, substitute, or minimize one hazard affect another hazard or control?


Is the risk to you higher from a potential hit in the head from a large mass high speed flying object or long term hearing, respiratory or other problems?

Potential hits from flying objects must always take priority as they have the potential to kill you now or to cause a brain injury that will have profound lifestyle & health implications for you & your family. Flying objects are relatively common in wood turning, larger flying objects may be rarer but it is the potential to cause catastrophic injury that is the very significant issue here not the frequency of it occurring or the actual probability of it striking the head. That potential always remains but we can lower the risk considerably.

Respiratory issues may be an immediate, possibly even life threatening, problem with allergic reactions to certain woods or it may or will become a longer term health issue through reduced lung function. These are also serious health issues that may prove catastrophic however the period over which they occur may not initially be apparent.

The hearing issues may or will become longer term health & lifestyle issues.

Other very common injuries like a foreign body in the eye, cuts, contusions are also a high priority because of the relative frequency of them occurring and the potential to do significant harm. The loss of an appendage, one or both eyes is also catastrophic.

Having a process to assess the hazards and risk of them causing you harm, then working through steps to help eliminate or reduce the hazards & risk is a learned behavior and is not "common sense." The only way turners will lessen the risk to them selves is to learn how to systematically assess hazards & risk.

PPE items like face shields perform dual hazard control roles. They perform the role of a (edited after BobL's post below - thanks Bob) high order engineered control for preventing damage to face/eyes from very common lower mass flying objects as they intervene in the path between the hazard & the operator. Then they are a lower order secondary control used to minimize the harm from larger flying objects. The primary control for flying objects should be to eliminate them from occurring in the first place; or attempting to minimize harm by placing guards between the work piece & the operator (not practical for hand turning); following accepted "safe working procedures"; continuously monitoring progress; then using PPE to further minimize harm & lower the residual risk.

Each turner can only make these decisions for themselves. At the moment there is no regulator saying you must do .....

What we do have available is industry codes of practice/conduct for wood machining that give hobbyists very good guidance on what hazards to look for, how to control the hazards, & what they should be doing in their own workshops, sheds etc.

http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/12150/wood_products_guide_safety_manufacturing_industry.pdf
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/safeguarding_of_machinery_and_plant.pdf are pretty typical of the wealth of info available on industry safety programs

Do a google search for "Code of practice wood machining" plus your State should bring up some interesting reading.

[jefferson]

Geoff,

You raise some interesting questions and issues. For me, the biggest risks / high ticket items are:

- dust / allergic reactions (I am working on a solution for this one with Bob L and others)
- visitors / novices / UFOs in my shed, always a problem with older people set in their ways (once is once too many and I'm up to two already)
- using unsound wood (which I don't) but there always can be surprises
- big platters (for which I always wear a shield)

As an ex duck shooter, my hearing is shot anyway, so I never wear muffs on the lathe.

Added provisos that lessen the risks:

- use good quality gear that won't let you down
- turn sharp
- learn quickly and cut wood well

[BobL]

I PPE items like face shields perform dual hazard control roles. They are actually a high order engineered control for preventing damage to face/eyes from very common lower mass flying objects as they intervene in the path between the hazard & the operator.

In pure OHS speak, face shields are not considered as a form of Engineering Control.

An engineering control is not usually worn but rather is part of a machine, building or an independent structure designed to automatically protect operators of other persons in the vicinity of a machine. Engineering controls often have have mechanical/electrical interlocks or other mechanisms that will not allow machinery to operate in certain situations.

An example for a lathe would be a safety screen bolted to the front of the lathe designed to protect the audience at a turning demonstration. A portable screen that someone has to remember to move into place is a weak engineering control.

Another example is a safety switch on the access cover to a belt position changing chamber. If the cover is open the switch would not allow the machine to start until the cover is closed.
These are pretty much standard on DP and BS but how many lathes do you know that have these?

No Volt switches are another type of engineering control.

As soon as a personal decision has to be made about whether or not a device has to be employed that is usually considered as PPE. PPE has a (sometimes fatal) weakness in that it is possible to forget to use it and that is one of the reasons why it is last on the hierarchy of control.

Automatic darkening welding helmets are in interesting case. The auto darkening feature itself is a form of engineering control but the whole helmet itself is still considered PPE because firstly the helmet has to be worn, then the operator has to remember to have the helmet flipped down (I still very occasional forget:oo:), and then they have to have it set to the correct setting.

A face shield capable of being recognising that it is on a person and in the flipped down position, linked to a wireless switch on a lathe is getting close to being an engineering control.

This is probably a good time to mention the hierarchy of control - if you don't know what it is then it is definitely worth following up and where possible apply it in your shed.

Dust collection in normally considered an engineering control but strictly speaking if the operator has to remember to turn it on before making then it has the same weakness as PPE. DCs that are interlinked to a machine start switch (like those VCs with the extra plug on them) are a bit closer BUT until they are hard wired so we don't have to remember to plug the power tool in they are not fully an engineering control. The other problem with those VCa is that they stop dust extracting when the power tool is turned of whereas they should keep going for ~10 minutes after the last dust making activity.

[Mobyturns]

In pure OHS speak, face shields are not considered as a form of Engineering Control.



Bob,

Trying not to get to deep just yet with the hierarchy of controls atm.

I agree with every thing you say. PPE is not an engineered control in strict OHS speak, but I prefer to disagree with the mainstream because the face shield does perform the role of an engineered control for low mass high speed flying particles. It is also becomes the primary control for low mass flying particles as there are very few practical alternatives available. It may not be a fixed part of the machine but it performs the role of intervening in the trajectory of the particle from the lathe to the operator very well and is a light weight, mobile, elegant & practical solution in that instance. It's achilies heel is definitely turners actually remembering to use one all the time so it can never be considered an "engineered control" on those grounds alone. I have edited the above to say "performs the role of ...." (thanks BobL I can't edit the other post anymore to fix that)

All controls suffer the subjective hazards - the people factor - because we rely upon people to acknowledge hazards and risk, to identify the hazard, then do something to fix it (control it), then actually implement the controls, review them and of course to actually remember to faithfully follow safe procedures. :U

[Mobyturns]

A face shield capable of being recognising that it is on a person and in the flipped down position, linked to a wireless switch on a lathe is getting close to being an engineering control.


BobL, I like this one - good idea - until you get the smart a**e that works out if you put it on a mannequin with the shield down then the lathe will work. :D Nothing is fool proof we just get smarter fools.

[artme]

I lost my left eye when aged 6 and so for me eye protection is #1 priority.

Lately I notice an increasing reaction to dust and shavings so that comes in at #2.

Hearing protection when using a lathe is not so worrisome for me but it is when using a thicknesser or planer. So that is # 3.

Just a query, What is the best value for money face shield respiration protection availabble.
I don't want to go to a powered set up and I have to consider my glasses getting fogged up!!:~

[Sturdee]

Which wood turning hazard is your highest priority?

I believe the first priority should be to be absolutely certain you are well enough to go to the workshop or to remain there.

Like most people I have a few health issues, mine may be more then others being prostate cancer, an auto immune liver problem and my lungs have become smaller causing lack of breath. For these I have medications and various treatments which at times knocks me about to the extent that I feel uncomfortable to go to the workshop and have fun turning.

So unless I feel 100 % I stay indoors and ignore the lure of the workshop sirens that call me, yet I know of others that don't and go and turn when they are not well.

Peter.

[BobL]

I think you may be confusing an Engineering Control with an Engineered Product.

A face shield may well be engineered but it does not provide any protection if it hanging from a hook. A face shield is personal safety device worn by a person and is thus automatically classed as PPE and not an Engineering control. This is not my opinion it's part of the OHS hierarchy of control.

Engineered controls should be where possible designed to work without any user intervention or in some cases even a risk assessment - an example of this is motor vehicle air bags, whereas seat belts are worn so are definitely in the PPE class, even if the motor will not start with them in place.

At work we had an issue with the welding screens (to protect passers by from welding flash) on wheels so they could be moved out of the way as needed. This of course relied on the screens being put into place (weak engineering control) so we changed to overlapping hanging curtains that could easily be walked through but always stayed in place (Strong engineering control).


All controls suffer the subjective hazards - the people factor - because we rely upon people to acknowledge hazards and risk, to identify the hazard, then do something to fix it (control it), then actually implement the controls, review them and of course to actually remember to faithfully follow safe procedures. :U

If someone sets out to deliberately tamper with an engineering control, for which there are legal ramifications if someone is injured or killed, then I agree. However, I assume folks will try to do the right thing and will not deliberately tamper with engineered safety controls or if they do over ride them there is a risk assessed reason in doing so.

[chuck1]

At tafe the toolrest was also a guard, is it an engineered control? And who removes toolrest for sanding bowls?!

[artful bodger]

I would not turn wood at all without eye protection and dust protection. I don't bother with using my dust extraction system while turning, just use a good mask.
I also wear earmuffs, not so much cause I think the noise of the lathe is harmful, because I often spend all day at it and my earmuffs have a radio in them which helps with the boredom.
As I work alone I have found out that a potential accident can happen if someone appears out of the blue in my workshop when I don't expect it, it makes you jump which can be dangerous when your using woodwork machinery....or even sharp hand tools. The radio earmuffs can add to this scenario as you will find it harder to hear someone turn up.
Also very careful not to have loose/baggy clothing on.
If I'm turning really big stuff I will put on one of my motorbike crash helmets.
I don't ever turn and drink.
Trying to think safety and be aware of any possible dangers all the time has always been important as at times in my life if I'd had an accident and been knocked out it might have been days before someone had dropped by.

ARTME, if you wan't a really good dust mask I'd recommend a Sundstrom half face mask. They are tops.Unless you sport a beard, then no mask type respirator works very well.

[Farmer Geoff]

An excellent and thought provoking thread. BobL's mention of "hierarchy of control" reminds me that there can also be a hierarchy of consequences. For example, a relatively minor blow can take an operator by surprise and cause them to lose balance and get entangled in a machine. A minor stroke could cause a fall with major injuries in an untidy shed. Murphy's law is waiting for us so thinking about and mitigating the possibility of worst case scenarios is good policy.

[NeilS]

As posted in the other thread, the priority order for me is as follows:






Being an asthmatic I give the highest priority to my lungs



Second priority is my eyesight



Third priority is my hearing. I already have tinnitus and hearing loss



Fourth priority is physical trauma to fingers and head.



Optimising against dust risk (ie lung damage) means a noisy cyclone (approx 90bB), plus the air delivery noise inside the confined space of a positive pressure helmet-mask that also protects my eyesight.

To protect my hearing from that noise I use earplugs (Moldex Sparkplugs (https://www.rsea.com.au/products/401022)). Yes, it reduces my chances of hearing any developing faults in the wood, but that is reduced anyway with all the noise from the dust protection systems.

However, I might risk a few minutes of dust or noise exposure, as those risks accumulate over the years, but I never turn on the lathe without first putting on a facemask.

[powderpost]

I think I will give up wood working and take up a new hobby watching the grass grow.... :oo:

Jim

[BobL]

At tafe the toolrest was also a guard, is it an engineered control? And who removes toolrest for sanding bowls?!

Its a guard in a certain situation and a risk in others.
Overall I'd say its' a weak engineering control.

[Mobyturns]

I think I will give up wood working and take up a new hobby watching the grass grow.... :oo:

Jim

You wont have to wait long now and you will be able to see it grow - fast. :D

Old codgers like you know it all :p and have more real experience than most of us put together. Seriously though Jim you are one of the safest turners I have seen even though we differ on some topics. :rolleyes:

[Mobyturns]

I think you may be confusing an Engineering Control with an Engineered Product.



Perhaps in strict OHS jargon, so I ask - What practical engineering controls are available to eliminate / minimize low mass / high velocity particles from impacting the face or eyes for hand wood turners?

In production wood turning with auto copy lathes etc the operator is removed from the hazard and shielded by screens perhaps also fitted with door interlocks etc. Such engineering controls are not practical for hand wood turning.

The pathetic screens (engineering controls) fitted to some wood lathes neither protect the wood turner from low mass / high velocity particles, or small to medium sized flying objects. The screens may help with large flying objects if the screens remain fitted for more than one session of wood turning. They are however very effective at obstructing vision & getting in the way though.

[BobL]

Just using a mask (even a fully filtered head covering) for woodturning is completely at odds with the well established hierarchy of control.

Hierarchy of control is not something dreamed up by a bunch of OHS nancy boys but following a serious long term study of a wide range of industrial accidents and despite some anti-common sense implementations it is responsible for a large scale reduction in work place accidents and improvements in work related health issues. That's why nearly every country uses this method and the more it is used the more confirming the results seem to be

After getting belted about the head and shoulders with (bits of) workpieces your next most likely risk in wood turning is not health threatening - its far worse - its becoming allergic to wood to the point at which you cannot be anywhere near raw wood or wood dust. This afflicts about 1 in 10 people in some form.

All masks (even full face masks) are a poor form of dust control in a workshop and should only be used as an addition to other engineering controls like dust extraction. More importantly they may not protect you against developing a wood allergy.

Nose and mouth only masks expose eyes, and all masks expose the remainder of the body.

Wearing long sleeved shirts and pants is not really going to help. Every time you move in a wood dust fog your clothes act like bellows and pump very fine dust in and out of gaps under your clothing to the point where all your clothing including underwear are saturated with fine dust and it is this level of skin exposure that can lead to the development of an allergic reaction.

If you wear a mask while turning ,and then stay in the shed you turned in after you remove you mask, you are exposed to the same dust fog for many hours afterwards. If you exit the shed and stay in the same clothes your body turns from a sucking to a puffing bellows so you then emit fine dust from this clothing for days thereafter. Being usually warmer than its surroundings your dust saturated clothes and body turns into a walking plume of fine dust which rises upwards past the orifices in your head where you will breath it in.

So best practice dictates that masks should only be worn.
- when there is nothing else available
- after appropriate engineering controls like dust extraction have been employed
If only masks are worn, operators should leave them on till they leave their shed and change their clothes and take a shower.

I have performed many dust measurements while turning. The most profound one is where I can turn in front of a running 6" dust extractor port and while there will be many large chips and spaghetti flying all over the place the amount of sub 5 micron wood dust detected is the same as the background air outside my shed. In other words the level of fine wood dust is below detection levels. Once I did that I threw my mouth/nose mask away and just use a face shield - its way more comfortable.

[Tim the Timber Turner]

I think I will give up wood working and take up a new hobby watching the grass grow.... :oo:

Jim

I'm with you Jim.

With all this safety talk hijacking our woodturning forum I'm scared to go near the lathe in case I get hurt.:C

Seriously guys, there is a safety forum and I think your debates and in depth analysis belong there.

Then we can all get back to posting about our wood turning and those that want to, can follow the debate on the safety forum.

That's what I think.

Cheers
Tim:)

[Mobyturns]

I'm with you Jim.

With all this safety talk hijacking our woodturning forum I'm scared to go near the lathe in case I get hurt.:C

Seriously guys, there is a safety forum and I think your debates and in depth analysis belong there.

Then we can all get back to posting about our wood turning and those that want to, can follow the debate on the safety forum.

That's what I think.

Cheers
Tim:)

Tim I have no problem with the moderators moving the threads, but judging by the number of viewers and the number of forum members who have accessed them I think it is of interest to a lot of wood turners.

Feel free not to read these posts.

[Tim the Timber Turner]

Moby

19 minuets mate.

What took you so long?

Yours in jest
Tim:)

[Mobyturns]

Moby

19 minuets mate.

What took you so long?

Yours in jest
Tim:)

Gees I'm slowing up :p I have this running in the background while I do other things, like loading up a Tablet for my trip to the NZ wood turning symposium. :D

Honestly I apologize for & wish this thread had not become bogged down in pedanticism, OHS terminology or polarized it on one particular hazard. I was hoping to gain an insight into how wood turners view the short & long term hazards & risks in their work shops & on their typical projects. May never really know now as I guess some are turned off.

Wether other turners read it, think I'm a nutter or a DH doesn't bother me. My motives are purely to keep safety as a reasonably current topic so that turners don't continue to turn in bliss. Not scaremongering, just raising awareness. Hopefully more may stop and think a little about their workshops & projects before they put themselves at high levels of risk unnecessarily. As hobbyists we can pick up a lot of helpful stuff from industry mumbo jumbo. If it helps keep a few established or newbie turners out of harms way I'm happy.

I have witnessed plenty of very good & experienced turners & ones that I respect for their skills & knowledge who ignore wearing PPE and doing things that would have an OHS inspector closing a workplace down. At times incredibly risky or dumb things but they have the benefit of knowledge & experience & of knowing "what they can get away with." Maybe its a generational thing, maybe they left work before the OHS stuff started in earnest? I guess if they have lived this long without serious injury they must be doing something right or have been incredibly lucky. That is what I am trying to tap into.

Moving forward hopefully we can avoid the pedanticism and get a few newbie & experienced turners to add worth to the discussion.

For those who already have contributed to both threads or choose to participate further I thank you for your contributions. Even negative feedback is helpful for my purposes.

It has been slow news days for a while. :wink:

[JDarvall]

Wonder what the stats are on woodturning accidents causing damage to the family jewels. Does anyone wear a cricket box when they turn ?

[JDarvall]

I have witnessed plenty of very good & experienced turners & ones that I respect for their skills & knowledge who ignore wearing PPE and doing things that would have an OHS inspector closing a workplace down. At times incredibly risky or dumb things but they have the benefit of knowledge & experience & of knowing "what they can get away with." Maybe its a generational thing, maybe they left work before the OHS stuff started in earnest? I guess if they have lived this long without serious injury they must be doing something right or have been incredibly lucky. That is what I am trying to tap into.



I think to increase your chances of improving awareness of safety issues, one has to be careful to not tell people how to suck eggs in the process.

How does a OHS officer juggle that one ?

Nobody likes to be meddled with on their own property. If a bloke came into my property and started trying to 'fix' me, I'd be telling him to eF off. Well actually I wouldn't. I'd probably say nothing and wait for him to leave. But I know plenty who would…..

if it carried on long enough I'd be tempted to pickup the closest thing I could swing and belt him across the head…..well, actually I would never do that. But I'd be considering how good it feel for a couple of seconds. ….instead probably end up saying ' fancy a cup of tea'.

[BobL]

I agree, it's pity when things get bogged down and I apologise for being one of the "bogglers". And as I have posted before the greatest overall risk faced by woodworkers is their weekly drive to the hardware store.

One more thing before I butt out
In a comprehensive dust survey of wood workers done a few years ago, apart from construction carpenters who have limited control of their work place, turners were the type of wood workers who had the greatest exposure to wood dust. After knowing this I find it somewhat bewildering that turners who spend 20-30-40 hours a week turning and have spent tens of thousands on their sheds, lathes, bandsaws, grinders, tools etc and yet still turn with just a cheap paper mask. I can understand why a weekend warrior who spends a few hundred on a lathe to turn on their back veranda for a couple of hours a week might do this but why risk developing an allergy to your favourite hobby for the cost of decent dust extraction?

[BobL]

I think to increase your chances of improving awareness of safety issues, one has to be careful to not tell people how to suck eggs in the process.

How does a OHS officer juggle that one ? . . . .

I agree. At work I was a initially a youngish Head of Department that had to enforce OHS rulings on folks 20 years older than me. Some OHS rulings were truly daft and some were not strong enough. My approach was to use what I call "the South Italian Solution", a method employed on stubborn people. Basically it involves managing the situation whereby the recalcitrants eventually think that what they were required to do OHS wise is their idea. its slow and painful but when they finally get on board they are zealots who help convince other deniers. Of course it didn't always work and in some cases folks had to be threatened with something nastier, but using that method we had at least as good a compliance as others areas who used more draconian measures and heaps more agro and discomfort.

[artme]

For a minute there Bob I thought you had Mafia connections!!!:C:C

[BobL]

For a minute there Bob I thought you had Mafia connections!!!:C:C

Well I am of italian extraction.

This reminds me of driving in the alps with my uncle. We're driving along a narrow winding road on the side of a mountain and in the valley just below us on massive concrete towers there is a magnificent new looking autostrada with not a single car on it. "Why are there no cars on it and were does that go?" I asked, and my uncle says "nowhere"! "What????". He says, "See how the Autostrada crosses the valley and goes into that tunnel opposite us, well the tunnel is 2 km short of the other side, the road authority ran out of budget for bribes to get the job done and so it just stops!"

[JDarvall]

…... and yet still turn with just a cheap paper mask.

Well I use one of those occasionally, and just a 'dust be gone' when the moneys there for it. But I would never buy a professional quality breathing apparatus.

There must be a reason right ? ……….for me its obvious.

efficiency, time and money.

professional breathing equipment…..(for me )
- are bulky
- are expensive.
- are damageable.
- when they get damaged they are expensive to repair. Muck about on the phone trying to get it replaced or fixed.
- ( a big one) I'm rarely on the lathe constantly, churning out parts. Moreso , I'll turn a part , then take off lathe to make fits. My fitting could mean getting down low,,,,dashing about to the next thing(in a packed workshop the breathing thing will get cut and damaged as I brush past sharp edges)
- may not really be necessary if your sanding is in a position where there's plenty of ventilation. i.e.. might have a fan blasting right at me. OR I'm outside and the winds blowing. OR I maybe only light sanding OR wet sanding will little dust at all. Or a lot of the day may not include any sanding.
- Sitting them right on your body may take a fiddle. So every time I'm interrupted by someone (family, visitor), I've got to take the thing off and on and fiddle over and over to get it sitting right.
- generally feel castrophobic wearing all that gear. Feel like I'm not really woodworking anymore when I look like an astronaught.

These are very real reasons I would imagine many woodworkers would have to deal with.

There seems to be many versions of common sense.

just an opinion. Not an expert on obvious. Your obvious is different to mine . 2 cents worth.

[Drillit]

I am inclined to agree with sturdee - don't do it unless you are of sound mind and body.
I think if you push yourself when you are not really up to it, that is when you will make the
fundamental mistake. I know that we all do it when we should not attempt it and that is
the very time when you muck it up or can get hurt. That said I follow the tripleE rule, eyes, ears & 'earing.
Drillit.

[FenceFurniture]

Taking it up in the first place. No slippery dippery slope for me.

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

[Mobyturns]

Taking it up in the first place. No slippery dippery slope for me.

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I don't need a lathe

I need four lathes ...... :-

[FenceFurniture]

I need four lathes ...... :-That is perzackly why I don't need the first one. Because it will only EVER be the first one!

[Christos]

Getting back on track to the original question, my highest priority is looking after my eyes and head.

[jefferson]

Up at 4 am and barely able to breath with asthma and sinus issues.

I helped two novice turners at the club last night, one of whom was probably turning blackwood. Needless to say, an allergic reaction. No. 1 safety priority (again) is dust.

[Mobyturns]

Getting back on track to the original question, my highest priority is looking after my eyes and head.

Thanks Christos

Crocy posted a comment on the Face Shields thread about a tagline in a signature he saw which went "You can walk with a wooden leg but you can't see with a glass eye - Always wear Eye Protection!"

I wish I had thought of that for a signature tag line.

Even though some injuries / outcomes resulting from mishaps or events due to a hazard or combination of hazards may be unlikely or rare they are still possible. If that rare outcome happens to you then it can lead to very profound lifestyle changes for both you & your family. That's why we take out life & income protection insurances isn't it? Safety is simply insurance and probably costs a lot less than life & income protection insurances.

The outcomes / injuries can be immediate & life threatening as in severe allergic reactions or severe impacts to the head; other outcomes like constant exposure to dust can be slow to develop fully, maybe days or years, to develop sensitizations, contact dermatitis, reduced lung function and can have quite life changing and perhaps even life threatening impacts sometime in the future as BobL so rightly points out. As the tagline sums up some outcomes have more profound lifestyle impacts than others.

Last night on Facebook a youngish wood turner friend Derek Wiedman in the US noted for his exceptional art forms & his quite daring use of the lathe posted a short video clip of a piece that went AWOL. Derek is very safety conscious & has a very good appreciation of his limits but as he says even he gets it wrong at times. https://www.facebook.com/derek.weidman.9

Derek's event is quite possible given the nature of his turning explorations BUT he manages risk well. Such an event could easily have resulted in a severe head injury. A more typical situation and far more likely scenario is like Alan Strettons "As Wood Turns" clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlhWF4M9CO4 on turning very green wet wood ...... makes for very compelling viewing.

One study I came across while researching articles was about head injuries - ‘About quarter of people with severe brain injury will make a good recovery, about a third will die, and a fifth will have a severe disability or be in a vegetative state’. Sadly we have seen too many deaths of wood turners in the past several years.

In An Instant Your Life Can Change Forever

[george mavridis]

One study I came across while researching articles was about head injuries - ‘About quarter of people with severe brain injury will make a good recovery, about a third will die, and a fifth will have a severe disability or be in a vegetative state’. Sadly we have seen too many deaths of wood turners in the past several years.

In An Instant Your Life Can Change Forever


“A good recovery” is also very relative. Most that have hadan ABI while they may appear normal to outsiders they are really strugglingwith day to day functioning.

[Woodturnerjosh]

For me, I would never turn or power carve without face, hearing and respiratory protection (one of the reasons I'm buying a 3M Versaflo) No matter how expensive or cumbersome you find safety equipment the best you can buy is still far cheaper than hearing aids, new lungs or a facial reconstruction.

While rare, it is possible to recover virtually completely from a MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) but it's definitely not fun!

Josh

[Mobyturns]

Thank you to all who contributed to this thread, much appreciated. (Been away in NZ for a few weeks so only catching up again.)

[robo hippy]

Number one priority when turning is to stand out of the line of fire. Dust is secondary, but not as big because I turn wet wood 99% of the time. When sanding, I have a dust hood up that encloses the bowl, so almost no dust.

robo hippy