PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

[mickster]

Being relatively new to woodworking in general and having recently read the Iroko thread, I'm a little concerned about my nonchalant attitute to working with wood in the past. I had been semi-aware of the dangers associated with MDF and had taken precautions when working with it...usually a disposable dust mask and safety glasses, but was less aware of other types of material and had not really paid much attention.

Having done a bit more research I wonder what sort of precautions those of you who work with any type of wood on a daily basis, take before picking up a powered tool.

As a long time smoker, I recognise that the dangers to me are increased, due to having less hairs in the respiratory tract than a non-smoker.

I now have a Trend Airshield, with a spare battery, and wear it whenever I remember to do so before using a powered tool, or when the dust gets kicked up & reminds me that I should have put it on previously.

Please choose an option and indicate when you use it...
Do you always put on the PPE before switching on the powered tool?
Do you forego the PPE if using the powered tool briefly?
Do you use PPE when hand-sanding etc.?

Regards,

Mick.

 

[Slim]

I use a trend airshield. I wear it whenever I remember to charge the battery. (I should get a spare really). I find that I get a sore neck from wearing it for long periods though.

If I have been breathing dust I get a very heavy head and feel like I have a full blown cold. So I try to avoid it as much as possible.

 

[mickster]

I find that I get a sore neck from wearing it for long periods though.

I've found the same thing initially. Looking for traffic at cross-roads was particularly uncomfortable...

 

[Slim]

Looking for traffic at cross-roads was particularly uncomfortable...

You're only supposed to wear it in the workshop! :roll: :wink:

 

[Michael7]

I suffer from tinnitus and anything high pitched and loud starts it off and continues for a day or two so the first thing I reach for is ear protection

 

[motownmartin]

I only wear a dust mask and visor when the job suits, for example hand routing and sanding, those are the jobs where I cant fit adequate dut & chip extraction, my table saw, band saw, Planer/thicknesser, router table and bench sander all have adequate extraction.

One other thing to note is that I wear glasses to see and they give me reasonable eye protection.

Oh Yes and ear protection when hand routing and some power sanding, my router table is suprisingly quiet.

 

[mr]

Safety specs for some operations, eg using the drill press or the rare occasions I might use the grinder.
Thin rubber gloves for finishing to avoid getting oil / wax on the hands and or contaminating the finish.
Nothing else really with regards to woodwork.

Cheers Mike

 

[mickster]

I suffer from tinnitus and anything high pitched and loud starts it off and continues for a day or two so the first thing I reach for is ear protection

Ah.. sorry Eric, I forgot that one. I get it every now and then, possibly from extensively using pneumatic tools for 20+ years, without defenders?? Maybe I can also look forward to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome too.

 

[mickster]

Safety specs for some operations, eg using the drill press...

I've noticed some dust kicked up when using large bits on the drill press, such as using forstener's or spade bits in MDF. I assume it would be preferrable to use PPE here...

 

[bobscarle]

I use a Trend Airace for most of the dusty operations, thicknessing, routing, etc, combined with my normal glasses. Oh yes, and when sweeping up. However I do use a full face visor when working on the lathe and I do not use the respirator then. I really must get into the habit of using it especially when sanding!

 

[TheTiddles]

You don't need all that fancy safety equipment, just close your eyes when something comes flying towards you and blow your nose after you finish sanding! :wink:

I think the one time I really regretted not spending the money on more equipment was when a chunk of a woodturning flew off and hit me right on the end of the nose, christ, that hurt... my ego.

Aidan

 

[Stu in Tokyo]

I put on my safety glasses when I step down into the Dungeon, the only thing I do before that, is turn on the lights! I even put them on before my shop apron, as I one put my apron on and when I was flipping the straps around to tie up, the end of the flap hit me............. right in the eye :shock:

I have the Triton respirator helmet things, works great for really dusty work, but I also have a good cyclone set up, that I use a lot and an air cleaner too.

Depends on what I'm doing I guess. I have 4 sets of ear muffs around the Dungeon, and I use them whenever I make any noise, having four sets means I can usually find one set............... :roll:

 

[beejay]

Glasses always on
Ear protectors when required.
Microclene always on
Dust masks or Airace when required.
Face shield when required.
Lightweight protective footware always on.
regards, beejay

 

[PowerTool]

When woodturning - full face shield all the time,disposable mask with some timbers (e.g. iroko),disposable mask when sanding (along with the shop vac)
When using the table saw/bandsaw/router,normally only use eye protection (glasses or face shield,whichever is handiest at the time)Use earmuffs as well when using the planer/thicknesser.
Workshop also has an air filter on permanently when I'm in there.

Andrew

 

[George_N]

I use the trend Airace with visor and ear protection when using the table saw (Triton Workcentre) or router table. I also use the Airace when sanding or drilling MDF. I tend to use disposable masks when spray painting (water-based finishes only). I also have a pair of safety glasses beside the bench grinder. I also count push-sticks and feather boards as PPE as well.

 

[catface]

glasses all the time (I once forgot to put them on & got on with chiselling out the waste wood on some dovetails, when a chip shot up & smacked me in the eye). Lessonlearnt.
Ear defenders for all machines.
Airshield equivalent (jsp power cap) for dusty operations (but only for short time as uncomfortable). most sanding done outside, cutting of mdf too if possible (ie. not raining).
I did start getting nose problems from wood dust about a year ago, & got a small air cleaner to hang in the shop,which helps. BUt it doesnt collect the fine dust at source, so I'm in the process of changing my extractor from a small scheppach bag unit (read 'fine dust pump') to a clean air unit, & improving tool hoods to get more of the nasty stuff up the pipe. In the past ive just removed the tablesaw guard when it suited & run stuff through, but i wouldnt do it now. I figured id sort out the dust problem properly or have to quit. just pretending there are no health issues doesnt make the problem go away.
regards, Catface

 

[dunbarhamlin]

I wear prescription specs, but jsp power cap goes on before I flick a switch. Only thing I don't like is that proper ear defenders don't sit very well with it, so I have to use the squishy peanut things.

 

[Fecn]

Safety Glasses, Trend AirAce, Ear Defenders and steel toe-capped and soled footwear. My shed's only tiny, so everything sounds deafening. I put my ear defenders on as soon as I start up the Record Power dust extractor. Also got a HEPA filter that runs most of the time these days.

 

[White House Workshop]

This is quite a difficult question to answer given the choices as I use different equipment depending on what I'm doing and what equipment I'm using.

For example:
power tools = ear protection, especially routing and planing
humping heavy boards around or moving machinery = steel-toe boots
hand tools = eye protection only
sanding and solvent use = dust mask (replaceable filter type)
etc...
However, I always wear eye protection - no exceptions.

I don't normally wear a dust mask when sawing as the suction from the extractor keeps it well down and the mask gets in the way too much. My planer generates loads of dust, though!

 

[mickster]

This is quite a difficult question to answer given the choices...

Yeah, I recognise this... ear defenders & steel toecaps etc. could have been on there, but I was mainly interested in the equipment that was used the most frequently in general woodworking practice, where dust & fragments are a problem.

I tried to simplify the poll questions as there are soooo many combinations of equipment that could be worn/used at one time, the list could have grown to an extent that a lot of members wouldn't have responded.

e.g.
None.
Safety glasses.
Disposable/half-face/full-face dust mask.
Ear defenders.
Steel toecaps.
Gloves.
Dust extraction on static equipment.
Dust extraction on portable equipment.
Feather boards & push sticks.
Clamps/vises on the drill press...
.
.
... the list grows and the combinations complicate the list even further...

However, those who have responded have detailed when & where extra equipment is utilised, and I think those situations may make some of us think where we are lacking.

Incidentally, I have a pair of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pneumatic-E ... B000LQN5IC
..and they are absolutely wonderful. You can keep them on and hear the radio once the tool has stopped making a din.

Regards,

Mick.