School Safety Research

[Damien_72]

Hi,

I am an education student conducting some research into safety in woodwork metalwork. If any one has any information, or can direct me to where I can find information, relating to injuries in woodwork or metal work school classes it would be much appreciated.


Thanks,

Damien

[custos]

http://www.woodworking.org/ has a database of woodworking accidents. Read through that for a while and it could well make you think twice before taking a shortcut with a power tool!

[Damien_72]

Yes, I see shortcuts are not the way to go when working with tools! What a really need is a data from an education dept. So if there is any woodwork teachers that could point me in the right direction. I am specifically after amount and types of injuries that occur in woodwork/metalwork in schools. I am doing research to see how safety practices over the years have decreased/increased incidents of injury in schools.

Thanks
Damien

[Optimark]

I think you would be able to get some information from the Chadstone TAFE school. They run a very big woodworking section for apprentices, mature age students who just require wood working courses for their hobby and other courses as well.

Mick.

www.holmesglen.vic.edu.au (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&hs=dqf&lr=&cr=countryAU&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&q=+site:www.holmesglen.vic.edu.au+chadstone+tafe)

[Grahame Collins]

Woodwork

Finger and hand cuts due to incorrect use of
Chisels- not keeping body parts -behind the blade

Lacerated guide hand or fingers.
Handsaws-using the saw in a rapid manner without allowing it to engage in its (deep enough ) pre cut kerf - saw jumps out at speed and chews up skin.

Metalwork
Read same as above for hacksaws
Various cuts to fingers and hands from sheet metal guillotined edges
cause failure to make edges safe by deburring with supplied tool and /or file.

Who are most likely to have an accident - Senior boys Yrs 11 & 12- surprising, since they know everything.
The group least likely to have an accident. Grd 8 kids. Since they have little or no prior knowledge of the tools ,they tend to listen to what they are told.
I give mine a test to get their Bandsaw licence.It amazing what the threat of loss of their favourite cutting tool does to improve their safety.

Conversely, last years Yr 10 woodwork, saw a junior lad saw halfway through a knuckle as he ignored our guard and pushstick safety rules and flicked a bit of waste away with his finger with the guard up. The same kid in Yr 11 still has not learnt from the experience. Another local high had a kid lose a finger on the table saw due to similiar reasons. the result is that we have to instal difficult to useguards and beepers to insure the safety of some students who have the attention span of a gnat.

Grumpy Grahame
the man arts teacher